13'' Shiva Tandava | Madhuchista Vidhana (Lost-Wax) | Panchaloha Bronze from Swamimalai

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Shiva’s personification as the graceful yet fearsome Nataraja is uniquely presented in this ‘panchaloha’ bronze image from Swamimalai, cast in the ‘madhuchista vidhana’ lost-wax technique. Contorted yet dignified, Shiva’s body is held in balance with his left leg, while his right leg is kicked back – almost upwards perpendicularly, in a manner that mirrors the ‘urdhava tandava’ he performed when squared-off with Kali for a dance contest to reign as the lord of Tillai. His ornate ‘mukuta’ adorns the crescent moon or ‘chandrama,’ absorbing and projecting cosmic energy. Two of his hands are extended outwards perpendicular to the ground, palm facing down, and the other two hands carry attributes associated with the ‘ananda tandava’ – the ‘damru’ or drum, and the eternal cleansing fire. Shiva further remains scantily clad in his ascetic ‘dhoti’ and simple jewellery.

The legend of the tandava dance dates to the attendant Tandu’s narration to Bharat Muni, who then wrote about the Angaharas and Karanas – the key poses and transitions in the dance treatise Natya Shastra – that constitute the supreme being’s cosmic might. Interestingly, Shiva’s performance here is not performed over the vanquished body of Muyalaka, who symbolises spiritual ignorance and is usually present in every major manifestation of the dance.