Nataraja: The Tandava Dance

The sculpture of Nataraja in the Tandava dance posture, its earliest known form was excavated at Ravana Phadi Cave at Aihole (Karnataka), made during the early Chalukya rule; the sculpture reached its peak under the Cholas.

Some of the features of the Nataraja sculpture are:

○ the upper right hand holds the drum (damru), which signifies the sound of creation.

○the upper left hand holds the eternal fire, which represents destruction.

○the lower right hand is raised in the gesture of abhaya mudra signifying benediction and reassuring the devotee not to be afraid.

○the lower left hand points towards the upraised foot and indicates the path of salvation.

○Shiva, here in this statue, is dancing on the figure of a small dwarf. The dwarf symbolises ignorance and the ego of an individual.

○The matted and flowing locks of Shiva represent the flow of river Ganges.

○In ornamentation, one ear of Shiva has a male earring and another of a female. This represents the fusion of male and female and is often referred to as ardhanarishwar.

○A snake is twisted around the arm of Shiva, which symbolises the kundalini power.

○The Nataraja is surrounded by a nimbus of glowing lights which symbolises the vast unending cycles of time.

Source: Indian Art and Culture (Nitin Singhania)