Shiva Nataraja
As Shiva Nataraja, Lord of the Dance, Shiva enacts the end of the world. He is the symbol of death but only of death as the generator of life and as a source of that creative power ever renewed by Vishnu and Brahma. He evokes the most intense adoration from devotees for he fascinates even as he terrifies. He dances for cosmic re-creation. Shiva's dance of bliss is the catalyst for the destruction of one period of time and the creation of a new cosmos. He has a third eye in the center of his forehead, the skull and crescent moon in his headdress, his long, matted hair and the small femal figure of the river goddess Ganga in the loose locks of hair twirling around head.
The Indian genius for expressing movement in sculpture derives in large part from the high aesthetic value that dancing holds in Indian tradition. It is the posturings and movements of the dance that inpire the imagination of the sculptor.
The four arms display the powers of Shiva.
The upper right holds the drum or vibrant rattle of creation;
The upper left holds the flame of destruction;
The lower right hand is raised in the gesture of protection
The lower left points to the upraised foot that symbolizes escape from illusion, represented by the dwarf whom he crushes beneath his right foot.
The drum is a symbol of rhythm and sound.
The matted hair symbolizes his power (like Samson)
Crescent moon is the symbol of growth and birth
