Sri Lanka: A Shiva Nataraja or 'Dancing Shiva' figure at the front of a Hindu temple in Colombo

Nataraja or Nataraj ('The Lord - or King - of Dance'; Tamil: Kooththan) is a depiction of the Hindu god Shiva as the cosmic dancer Koothan who performs his divine dance to destroy a weary universe and make preparations for god Brahma to start the process of creation.

A Tamil concept, Shiva was first depicted as Nataraja in the famous Chola bronzes and sculptures of Chidambaram. The dance of Shiva in Tillai, the traditional name for Chidambaram, forms the motif for all the depictions of Shiva as Nataraja. He is also known as 'Sabesan' in Tamil which means 'The Lord who dances on a dais'. The form is present in most Shiva temples in South India, and is the main deity in the famous temple at Chidambaram.

Copyright:

CPA Media Co. Ltd.

Photographer:

Rainer Krack

Credit:

Pictures From Asia