Nataraja is a form of Lord Shiva, who is one among the three Tridev; Lord Brahma (creator of the universe), Lord Vishnu (preserver of the material world), and Lord Shiva (destroyer of the world).
The word Nataraja is derived from two words ‘Nata’ meaning ‘act or dance’ and ‘Raja’ meaning ‘King’, and thus, Nataraja is the ‘The King of Dance’.
This cosmic dance of the Lord which symbolizes pure bliss is known as Ananda Tandava and in this divine form, there lies a deep understanding of the entire material creation.
Sculpted with handmade bronze, the idol of Lord Shiva is standing on an inverted lotus pedestal and shown to have four hands – the upper left hand is carrying Agni (fire), the right hand is holding a ‘dumaroo’, the lower right hand is in the ‘Abhay Mudra’, and the right hand takes the shape of ‘Dandahasta’. The left leg is gracefully raised in the air, while the right foot is placed on a dwarf demon known as ‘Apasmara Purusha’, who is the personification of ignorance within the conditioned beings of this material world.
The matted hair strands are whirling behind His head as He performs the divine dance. Nataraja is encircled by an arch of fire which is the characterization of the material nature to be like a pendulum swinging around birth and death, and Lord Shiva appears in this form to help us come out of this never-ending cycle of birth and death by driving away the ignorance within us that entangles us in the clutches of Maya (illusion). He does this by a mere shake of His leg, and liberates us from the modes of material nature so that we can experience pure bliss in the spiritual realm.
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