shiva's yogic chappels
Shiva’s padukai, his yogic chappels

Everything said in the link below about the value of worshipping paduka and footprints is sincere and true. Raja Deekshithar taught me another very important reason behind the value of the padukai or chappels of Lord Shiva. The padukai of Shiva are often used to represent Him in certain ceremonies. The reason is not the padukai by themselves, but what they represent. And in advaita the symbol IS what it signifies. The padukai are not “just” slippers. The padukai are wooden footwear with one knob. They are worn with the knob in between the big toe and the second toe. These padukai are not worn by just everybody. They are only worn by renunciates. They symbolise the spiritual path away from family and worldly things. This is because the knob is placed in such a way one pressure point is activated which will induce the celibate state. The padukai are not shoes. They are instruments of yoga. I think this has been all but forgotten. Raja Deekshithar wrote about this in his book “The Hidden Treasure in the City of Ether”, which is a book about the hidden meaning behind the traditions of the Shri Shiva Nataraja temple in Chidambaram.