Nataraja, known as the The Cosmic Dancer.
This beautiful Nataraja Murti (Statue) is made of solid brass and is available in 4”, 6", 8”, 12", 17" and 21” sizes.
The term 'Nataraj' means 'King of Dancers' (Sanskrit nata means dance; raja means king).
This creation of the Chola epoch is one of the many masterpieces of South Asia world art.
It combines in a single image Shiva's roles as creator, preserver, and destroyer of the universe and conveys the Indian conception of the never-ending cycle of time.
Shiva's dance is set within a flaming halo. The god holds in his upper right hand the damaru (hand drum that made the first sounds of creation). His upper left hand holds agni (the fire that will destroy the universe). With his lower right hand, he makes abhaya mudra (the gesture that allays fear). The dwarf like figure being trampled by his right foot represents Apasmara Purusha (illusion, which leads mankind astray). Shiva's front left hand, pointing to his raised left foot, signifies refuge for the troubled soul.
The energy of his dance makes his hair fly to the sides. The symbols imply that, through belief in Shiva, his devotees can achieve everlasting salvation. This celestial brass sculpture of Lord Shiva in his Nataraja form is a must-have for all.
The Nataraja sculpture (murti), Shiva is shown as the source of all movement within the cosmos and as the god whose doomsday dance, represented by the arch of flames, accompanies the dissolution of the universe at the end of an eon. His dance of creation is said to have been performed in Chidambaram (an important Shaiva centre in South India), a place that is identified with both the centre of the universe and the human heart. The gestures of the dance represent Shiva’s five activities (panchakritya): creation (symbolized by the drum), protection (by the “fear-not” pose of the hand), destruction (by the fire), embodiment (by the foot planted on the ground), and release (by the foot held aloft).
