Shiva the Hindu god of destruction is also known as Nataraja, the Lord of Dancers (In Sanskrit Nata means dance and raja means Lord). The visual image of Nataraja achieved canonical form in the bronzes cast under the Chola dynasty in the tenth century AD, and then continued to be reproduced in metal, stone and other substances right up to the present times. The image of Nataraja is often said to be the supreme statement of Hindu art.
With his right foot crushing the dwarf of ignorance crouching on the lotus, Shiva throws up his left leg (urdhvajanu) across his body. With one of his right hands, he reassures the devotee, while the corresponding left arm is brought across the body in karihasta mudra to point to the raised left foot as the source of salvation. The second right hand plays the small hand drum (damaru) to signify the rhythm of creation, while fire in the corresponding left hand exhibiting the half-moon gesture is the agent of destruction as well as purification. The surrounding ring of fire represents the cyclical motion of the cosmos.
Apart from the legs and arms, the sense of movement is graphically conveyed by the stylized hair flying on both sides of the head and the long end of the sash, which also fills some of the empty space.
This image was cast in the small town of Aligarh, situated in the heart of India.
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