Lord Shiva in Cosmic Dance

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Bharata Muni, in his Natya-Shashtra, a 2nd century B.C. treatise on performing arts - dance, drama and music, acclaims Shiva to be the 'Adiguru', the ever first teacher of dance and the greatest of the dancers ever born for it was in the dance of Shiva alone that there manifested all the six cosmic 'bhavas' - 'shrishti', 'sanhara', 'vidya', 'avidya', 'gati' and 'agati'. This cosmic magnanimity of Shiva's dance, which encompassed within it the entire cosmos, the manifest and non-manifest, namely, the creation and destruction, the knowledge and ignorance and the mot ion and inertness, which these six 'bhavas' represent, is the real theme of this Madhubani painting. What Bharata underlined textually the Madhubani artist, a consciousness deeply imbued in India's rich spiritual tradition and mythology, has portrayed visually.

The artist has portrayed Shiva in dance wherein his body manifests the great self, which, when radiates, becomes the Creation manifest. This dance form of Shiva is not the one, which he performed while annihilating Tripura for that would confine to only one 'bhava', namely, the destruction. Artist's vision of Shiva's dance is cosmic, the one which was undefined or encompassed at least all six 'bhavas'. To this cosmic dance of Lord Shiva she has added as accompaniment to it Brahma, the Creator, Vishnu, the Sustainer, Krishna, the harbinger of love, Ganesha, the controller of detrimental forces and Karttikeya, the devotion incarnate. The peacock is both, the manifest and non-manifest nature for its material form is manifest and the dance inherent in its form is non-manifest.

The artist has depicted the ecstasy of dance in Shiva's unfurling hair and snakes coiling around his person. Besides the dance he is also playing on his tiny drum. Shiva's face portrays on it the emotions of 'lasya', the aesthetic beauty and love. The flames of fire emitting from his person during his 'tandava' are absent here. He has the crescent upon his hair and the garland of skulls around his neck. He is thus both in his most tender demeanour of Chandrashekhara as well as awe striking Bhairava. With his prominent third eye he poses to be the destroyer of Kamadeva. The total depiction is highly colourful and strictly pertaining to its theme.

This description by Prof. P.C. Jain and Dr Daljeet. Prof. Jain specializes on the aesthetics of ancient Indian literature. Dr Daljeet is the chief curator of the Visual Arts Gallery at the National Museum of India, New Delhi. They have both collaborated on numerous books on Indian art and culture.

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Of Related Interest:

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The Dance of Shiva (Brass Statue)

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The Dance of Shiva (Paperback Book)

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Colors of Tradition: Exploring the Artistry Behind Madhubani Paintings

Madhubani painting is also known as Mithila art as it is practiced in the Mithila region of India and Nepal. It has specifically originated from the Madhubani district of the state of Bihar. Traditionally, the women of this region created these paintings and in recent years, it has become a widely practiced art and has now become renowned throughout the world. This art expresses the creativity and culture of the people of Mithila and is passed from one generation to another. In this way, the heritage of Madhubani art has been preserved for many decades. The subjects of these paintings are usually religion, love, and fertility. Sometimes, social events like festivals, weddings, and royal court are also depicted in the paintings. The most commonly painted designs and themes are the forms of Hindu Gods and Goddesses such as Ganesha, Shiva, Saraswati, Lakshmi, Krishna, and Ram. The characteristic features of Madhubani paintings are their vibrant colors and eye-catching geometrical patterns. The empty spaces are filled with traditional motifs such as floral and foliate patterns, animals, birds, geometrical structures, and other designs. The local artists create these paintings using a variety of items such as matchsticks, twigs, brushes, pens, or even their own fingers. The paints are usually made with natural dyes and pigments.
As simple as it may seem, the making process of the world-famous Madhubani paintings is certainly not easy and requires lots of hard labor.

Traditional Madhubani paintings are done either on cloth, handmade paper, or canvas. Select the medium of painting as per your choice. If you have chosen cloth, attach it to cardboard to make a solid base. The making of the painting begins with making a double-lined border. This is a very important step because the border is filled with various geographical shapes and patterns or other motifs. The average width of the border is 1.5 - 2 cm. Now that the border is created, you will be left with a blank middle space. This is the main workspace. Start drawing your choice of figure, designs, and shapes. These must be relevant to the Madhubani painting themes.

When the key design has been made, the empty spaces in between are filled with some designs.
Now is the time to color the painting using vivid shades and hues. Colors in Madhubani are sourced from nature; Indigo is used to produce blue, flower juice produces red, turmeric gives yellow, leaves produce green, cow dung mixed soot gives black, and rice powder gives white.

To paint these colors, the artist uses a bamboo stick and wraps cotton around it. This acts as a traditional brush.
The entire painting is now painted using this special brush with natural vibrant colors. · However, in modern times, the common brush is used and instead of natural colors, artists prefer to use acrylic paints.

Since the entire painting is made with natural materials and colors, it appears simple yet enriching. Originally, this art was created on mud walls or soil grounds but when it evolved over many years, the people of Madhubani started to make it on fabric and paper. Today, this art has become globalized and is receiving worldwide attention and appreciation.