Why Lord Shiva is known as Nataraja?

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 Narteśvara (also written Nateshwar) or Nṛityeśvara in North India, with all three terms meaning “Lord of the dance”.

What is the 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.

Why is Shiva standing on a baby?

He is not a baby, he is a demon named Apasmara. This is Shiva, the most powerful Hindu god, dancing on the body of the demon Apasmara. Apasmara symbolizes epilepsy and ignorance. If Apasmara is killed the human race would become ignorant and therefore Shiva, in Nataraja form, should keep on dancing, eternally.

Who is the wife of Lord Nataraja?

On this holy day, one extols Lord Siva, performing five most important functions to keep the world spinning in rhythmic tandem. They i are creation, protection, dissolution, veiling the truth and showering of grace. Lord Nataraja’s cosmic dance with his consort Sivakami represents these Pancha Kriya dances.

Can we keep Natraj at home?

According to Vastu, the idol of Nataraja should not be kept in the house. Lord Shiva resides in the position of Tandava in the idol of Nataraja. This form of Shiva is destructive, so the idol or picture of Nataraja should not be kept in the house.

Who is under Nataraja feet?

Nataraja’s right foot is planted squarely on a horrible little subhuman creature – the demon, Muyalaka. A dwarf, but immensely powerful in his malignity, Muyalaka is the embodiment of ignorance, the manifestation of greedy, possessive selfhood. Stamp on him, break his back! And that’s precisely what Nataraja is doing.

When did Shiva become Nataraja?

The blissful Nataraja, dancing the world into being The origins of Nataraja, and of the Hindu god Shiva himself, lie thousands of years ago. However, the form we recognise best today may have reached its apex around the 9th or 10th century in southern India: The Ananda Tandava, or blissful dance.

Can Natraj be kept at home?

Who created Shiva Nataraja?

Chola Dynasty
The Metropolitan Museum’s Shiva Nataraja was made some time in the eleventh century during the Chola Dynasty (9th-13th centuries C.E.) in south India, in what is now the state of Tamil Nadu.

Can we keep Nataraja statue at home?

According to Vastu, the idol of Nataraja should not be kept in the house. This form of Shiva is destructive, so the idol or picture of Nataraja should not be kept in the house.

Is Ganga wife of Lord Shiva?

No, Goddess Ganga is not Shiva’s wife. Shiva has only one wife and she is Goddess Shakthi. Goddess Shakthi in her first birth was born as Sati and Immolated herself, due to her father’s attitude towards her husband Shiva, and not realizing her true Shakthi form.

Who is the god Nataraja?

Nataraja is a divine dancer. He is an embodiment of an elegant form of Lord Shiva. ‘Nata’ or ‘Natana’ means ‘dance’ and ‘Raja’ is the ‘king.’ ‘Nataraja’ is thus ‘the king or the lord of dance.’ Shiva is said to undertake Lasya, the form of gentle dance linked with creation, and Thandava, the violent form associated with destruction.

What is the meaning of the Tamil word Nataraja?

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 Narteśvara (also written Nateshwar) or Nṛityeśvara in North India, with all three terms meaning “Lord of the dance”.

Why does Lord Nataraja dance?

Lord Nataraja is believed to do this cosmic dance as a process of creating, maintaining and dissolving the universe, and his form itself is said to symbolize these profound activities. Nataraja dances within an arch of flames, which denotes the great cycle of existence.

What is the origin of Nataraj?

The Origin of the Nataraj Form An extraordinary iconographic representation of the rich and diverse cultural heritage of India, it was developed in southern India by 9th and 10th-century artists during the Chola period (880-1279 CE) in a series of beautiful bronze sculptures.