°___________Nataraja__________°
Nataraja is a famous symbol in india. It is commonly used to Represent the indian cuture and is deemed to be among the finest of hindu art.The cosmic dance of Nataraja is an incarnation of shiva as the god of dance and dramatic arts. Additionally, Nataraja performs the Nadanta as maker, nourisher and destroyer of the cosmos. In hindu mymythology, the Nadanta is said to stop the noise of the cosmos from its destruction. Since the 12th century, indian scholars have studied and Interpretend the details in the Nataraja, not only for its symbolic meaning but its theological essence as well. One of the earliest known artworks featuring Nataraja was discovered in the archaeological site at a village in odisha, dating to around the 6th century CE. It includes an inscription mentioning a shiva temple in the “Saivacaryas” kingdom. literary proofs show that the bronze sculpture of shiva’s “Ananda-Tandava” was first featured between the 7th and mid 9th centuries CE.
Sculpture in reliefs featuring the classical form of Nataraja can be found many cave temples across india. A red Nataraja statue carved in sandstone said to date back from the 9th to 10th century was discovered in Madhya pradesh state in central india. It is now being showcased at the “Gwalior archaeological Museum”. Another Nataraja artwork was didiscovered in the himalayan region. Here shiva is depicted in a somewhat different iconography and dance pose. Nataraja symbols have also been found Kerala,Andhra pradesh and Gujarat. In the medieval era, texts and symbols depicting the dancing shiva were also discovered in the indian states of Bengal and assam, as well Nepal. In these archaeological discoveries , shiva is shown as dancing on Nandi the bull his animal vehicle (“Vahana”). The oldenst free-standing Nataraja stone sculpture to date are statues built by the Chola queen “ Sembiyan Mahadevi” in the 10 the century. This resulted in the Nataraja symbol’s great sisignificance becoming a royal emblem for the chola dynasty. The dancing shiva came to be a part of religious festivals and processions in this era,continuing long after. Shiva dances inside an elliptical arch of flames wich denotes the cosmic fire that both creates and consumes everything in cycling existence. The fire is also symbolic of both the evils and joys of daily life, as well as its heat,warmth and light. The arch of fire “the prabha mandala” comes out on each end of the two mythical water beasts called the“Makara”.
In his dance,shiva’s legs are bent. Suggesting an energetic movement. His matted long hair is illustrated as loose and whirling in thin strands as he dances,spread like a fan at the back of his head. This is suggestive of the wild and ecstatic nature of his dance. To shiva’s right is the personification of the Ganges river as a godess,locked in with one of his flying hair strands near his brows. This symbolism is a representation of the danger of the mighty river connected with a calm one as the rebirth of life. This vigorous dance with rthythmic music signifies the movements in the cosmos. The same representation goes for the ring of flames surrounding shiva. The dwarf upon wich lord shiva dances is sometimes mistaken for a baby. This is actually the demon of nonsensical speech and spiritual ignorance called “Apasmara” or “Muyalaka” in tamil. Apasmara symbolizes he demonic evil subdue by the deity in his dance. This demonstration represent shiva relieving the egotism or ignorance in each one of us, destroying it all within himself. The word “Nataraja” is from the sanskrit “Nata” meaning “Act,drama or dance” and “Raja” wich translated “nataraja” means “king of dance” or “Lord of dance” the title is said to be associated with shiva’s fame as the “king of actors” or “Lord of dancers”.
The two most common forms of the hindu deity’s dance are the gentle form called the Lasya,wich is related to the creation or orgin of the cosmos and the energetic dance form called the Tandava, tied with the destruction of the world viewes. The Lasya and the Tandava are just two facets of lord shiva’s nature. He who destructs in order to create, demolishes to contruct again. The term “Natesa” is a variant for “Nataraja” found in 1st millennium sculpture and archaeological sites all over The indian subcontinent.
—Chenara Zoysa [ Psychiatric Hospital Panadura] —
