Two looks at the fest in the temple . .

The crowd was big - over 2000/2500 people sat through the recitals even as visiting devotees streamed into the temple for the first Sivaratri puja.

There was a hum as dancer-actor Shobana prepared to perform. Hers was a solo and even the boys who may have not sat through a dance recital  squeezed themselves into the middle to watch her.

They stayed on to watch Padma Subrahmanyam and team. And then, actor dancer Vineet.

The informal launch event was kept short. No controversial statements were made save for one by a Dikshitar who said that the Natyanjali at the temple in Chidambaram alone was the true anjali and carried meaning.

Seen on stage were a few VIPs who are boosting the fest - like mridangam vidwan Thiruvarur Bhaktavatsalam.