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EXPLORE ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF LORD NATARAJAR- THE GOD OF DANCE.

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EXPLORE ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF LORD NATARAJAR- THE GOD OF DANCE.

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The word Nataraja is a Sanskrit term, from  Nata meaning "act, drama, dance" and Raja meaning "king, lord"; it can be roughly translated as Lord of dance or King of dance. According to Ananda Coomaraswamy, the name is related to Shiva's fame as the "Lord of Dancers" or "King of Actors".

The form is known as Nataraja in Tamil Nadu and as Nartesvara  or Nṛityesvara in North India, with all three terms meaning "Lord of the dance".Nartesvara stems from Nṛtta same as Nata which means "act, drama, dance" and Ishvara meaning "lord". ., Natesa is another alternate equivalent term for Nataraja found in 1st-millennium sculptures and archeological sites across the Indian subcontinent.

In Tamil, he is also known as “Sabesan”  which splits as “Sabayil aadum eesan” which means “The Lord who dances on the dais”. This form is present in most Shiva temples, and is the prime deity in the Nataraja Temple at Chidambaram . The dance of Shiva in Chidambaram forms the motive for all the depictions of Shiva as Nataraja.

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Nataraja, the Lord of the Dance the Hindu god Shiva in his form as the cosmic dancer is represented in metal or stone in many Shaivite temples, particularly in South India. Shiva Nataraja at the Brihadishvara Temple, Thanjavur, India.

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1. Nataraja, the dancing form of Lord Shiva ,is a very beautiful symbol of the union of nature and the Divine.
2. Nataraja holds fire in one hand, representing the fire element .
3. A damaru in his other hand depicts the space element.
4. The cosmic dance of Shiva is called "Anandatandava".
5. The cosmic dance of Lord Shiva has symbolizes fivefold aspects of Divine control of the universe namely ; creation, preservation , destruction, illusion and grace .
6. The purpose of the dance is to release men from illusion of the idea of the self and of the physical world.
7. The significance of the Nataraja sculpture is said to be that Shiva is shown as the source of all movement within the cosmos represented by the arch of flames.

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Nataraja
Nataraja, (Sanskrit: “Lord of the Dance”) the Hindu god Shiva in his form as the cosmic dancer, represented in metal or stone in many Shaivite temples, particularly in South India. Shiva Nataraja at the Brihadishvara Temple, Thanjavur, India.

Story of Nataraja

The figure of Shiva Nataraja has become perhaps the most widespread icon of Hinduism, and the bronze sculptures are still produced today in parts of southern India and especially around Chidambaram where ancient legend tells that Shiva once performed his dance of creation and destruction in a grove of tillai trees.

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The sculpture is symbolic of Shiva as the lord of dance and dramatic arts,with its style and proportions made according to Hindu texts on arts.It typically shows Shiva dancing in one of the Natya Shastra poses, holding various symbolswhich vary with historic period and region, trampling upon a demon shown as a dwarf (Apasmara or Muyalaka who symbolizes spiritual ignorance.

The sculpture is symbolic of Shiva as the lord of dance and dramatic arts,with its style and proportions made according to Hindu texts on arts. It typically shows Shiva dancing in one of the Natya Shastra poses, holding various symbols which vary with historic period and region, trampling upon a demon shown as a dwarf (Apasmara or Muyalaka) who symbolizes spiritual ignorance.

The classical form of the depiction appears in stone reliefs, as at the Ellora Caves and the Badami Caves, by around the 6th century.Around the 10th century, it emerged in Tamil Nadu in its mature and best-known expression in Chola bronzes, of various heights typically less than four feet, some over. Nataraja reliefs are found in historic settings in many parts of South East Asia such as Ankor Wat, and in Bali, Cambodia, and central Asia.

Literary evidences shows that the bronze representation of Shiva's ananda-tandava appeared first in the Pallava period between 7th century and mid-9th centuries CE.Nataraja was worshipped at Chidambaram during the Pallava period with underlying philosophical concepts of cosmic cycles of creation and destruction, which is also found in Tamil saint Manikkavacakar's Thiruvasagam.

Archaeological discoveries have yielded a red Nataraja sandstone statue, from 9th to 10th century from Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, now held at the Gwalior Archaeological Museum.Similarly, Nataraja artwork has been found in archaeological sites in the Himalayan region such as Kashmir, albeit in with somewhat different dance pose and iconography, such as just two arms or with eight arms.

Thankyou

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Nataraja is a depiction of the Hindu god shiva as the divine cosmic dancer .The sculpture is symbolic of shiva as the lord of dance and dramatic arts,with its style and proportion made according to Hindu.

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The significance of the Nataraja (Nataraj) sculpture is said to be that Shiva is shown as the source of all movement within the cosmos, represented by the arch of flames. The purpose of the dance is to release men from illusion of the idea of the "self" and of the physical world. The cosmic dance was performed in Chidambaram in South India, called the center of the universe by some Hindus. The gestures of the dance represent Shiva's five activities, creation (symbolized by the drum), protection (by the "fear not" hand gesture), destruction (by the fire), embodiment (by the foot planted on the ground), and release (by the foot held aloft).

As Nataraja (Sanskrit: Lord of Dance) Shiva represents apocalypse and creation as he dances away the illusory world of Maya transforming it into power and enlightenment.

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1)The Origins of Nataraaja and ,the *Hindu God Shiva himself,* lie thousands of years ago. However ,the form we recognise best today may have reached the apex around 9th or 10th century in Southern India.
2)The, ( Sanskrit:" Lord of the Dance") *The Hindu God Shiva in his form as cosmic dancer* ,represented a metal or stone in many Shaivite temples, particularly in South India.
3)Shiva Natraj at the Brihadeshwara Temple, Thanjavur, India.

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Nataraja, (Sanskrit: “Lord of the Dance”)   the Hindu god Shiva in his form as the cosmic dancer, represented in metal or stone in many Shaivite temples, particularly in South India. The sculpture is symbolic of Shiva as the lord of dance and dramatic arts, with its style and proportions made according to Hindu texts on arts. Nataraja is a well known sculptural symbol in India and popularly used as a symbol of Indian culture, in particular as one of the finest illustrations of Hindu art. The origins of Nataraja, and of the Hindu god Shiva himself, lie thousands of years ago. His dance is called Tandavam or Nadanta, depending on the context of the dance.

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Nataraja , is a depiction of the Hindu god Shiva as the divine cosmic dancer. His dance is called Tandavam or Nadanta, depending on the context of the dance.The pose and artwork is described in many Hindu texts such as the Anshumadbhed agama and Uttarakamika agama, the dance relief or idol featured in all major Hindu temples of Shaivism,and is a well known sculptural symbol in India and popularly used as a symbol of Indian culture, in particular as one of the finest illustrations of Hindu art. Nataraja reliefs are found in historic settings in many parts of South East Asia such as Ankor Wat, and in Bali, Cambodia, and central Asia.