History

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f m ost awe- i n sp i r i ng H i ndu sym bo l s, the ?Sh i va al l the

f i gu r e. I n h i s upper r i gh t hand , he ho l ds a dum ar u , a sm al l d r um , and i n h i s upper l ef t hand , a f l am e. T he ener gy of the dan ce m akes h i s hai r f l y to the si des, to the ends of the un i ver se. Cen t r al to the m an i f estat i on of Sh i va as Natar aja i s i ndeed dan ce. Rhy thm , heat , ener gy and m ovem en t ar e what def i ne Sh i va?s eter nal dan ce. I n th i s f i gu r e he i s bel i eved to be engagi ng i n a par t i cu l ar dan ce cal l ed Ananda Tandava, t y p i cal l y t r an sl ated as ?Dan ce of Bl i ss.? H owever , th i s t r an sl at i on appear s to be m i sl ead i ng when con si der i ng the m ean i ng of each wor d . I n San sk r i t , ananda m ean s ?b l i ss? and tandava m ean s ?f i er ce dan ce.? T her ef or e, Ananda Tandava r ather appear s to suggest a par adox . T h i s becom es appar en t when v i ew i ng the im age as a r ep r esen tat i on of the dual i t y of Sh i va?s natu r e. O n the one hand , Sh i va dan ces f i er cel y i n a r i ng of f i r e, yet he appear s to be per f ect l y bal an ced and st i l l on h i s one l eg, w i th h i s f ace bear i ng a

Natar aja? (?L or d of the Dan ce?) f i gu r e i s am ong the m ost cap t i vat i ng. W i th i n th i s sym bo l , we f i nd a power f u l i l l ust r at i on of H i ndu bel i ef s, subsequen t l y enab l i ng the f i gu r e to becom e a sou r ce of w i desp r ead f asci nat i on am ongst al l cu l tu r es. Sim u l taneousl y com b i n i ng Sh i va?s r o l e as both cr eator and dest r oyer , ever y detai l of the im age i s sym bo l i c. Al though appear i ng i n scu l p tu r e as ear l y as the f i f th - cen tu r y CE, the d i st i n ct i ve char acter i st i cs of the Sh i va Natar aja f i gu r e evo l ved under the r u l e of the Cho l a dy nast y (880 - 1270CE) to i t s m ost r ecogn i sab l e f orm today. T he br on ze statue dep i ct s Sh i va i n h i s m an i f estat i on as the f ou r - arm ed L or d of the Cosm i c Dan ce, po i sed i n h i s dan ce stan ce of Natar aja. Sh i va dan ces i n a r i ng of f i r e, w i th h i s r i gh t l eg r ai sed gen t l y cr ossi ng h i s body, and h i s l ef t f oot p l aced on a dwar f - l i ke

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