Nataraja or the Dancing Shiva is one of the best known and possibly most
studied representations of the divine form within Hindu art. Shiva is
pre-eminently the deity who expresses his divine being through dance.
Although many different Tandavas or heroic dances are known from the
tradition, the one called Ananda Tandava or Dance of Bliss is without
doubt the one best known both for its artistic beauty and for its
philosophical merit. The temple city of Chidambaram is especially
associated with Shiva Nataraja who is the presiding deity of its great
temple. Dancing with his right leg on the back of a dwarf, the left foot
raised across in an elegant curve, and with four arms, the Nataraja
represents the cosmic activities of Creation, Dissolution, Preservation,
Concealment and Salvation.
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