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Nataraja () also known as Adalvallaan () is a depiction of the Hindu god Shiva as the divine cosmic dancer. His dance is called Tandava.''Encyclopædia Britannica'' (2015) The pose and artwork are described in many Hindu texts such as the ''Tevaram'', ''Thiruvasagam'' in Tamil and ''Anshumadbhed agama'' and ''Uttarakamika agama'' in Sanskrit and Grantha texts, the dance murti featured in all major Hindu temples of Shaivism, and is a well-known sculptural symbol in India and popularly used as a symbol of Indian culture, in particular as one of the finest illustrations of Hindu art. He is commonly referred as Koothan(), Sabesan() and Ambalavanan () in various Tamil texts.

The sculpture is symbolic of Shiva as the lord of dance and dramatic arts, with its style and proportions made according to Hindu texts on arts. Tamil Devotional texts such as Tirumurai (The twelve books of Southern Shaivism) speaks that Nataraja is the form of Shiva in which he does Creation, destruction, Preserving, Maya and Blessing. Thus Nataraja is considered one of the highest forms of Shiva in Tamil Nadu, and thus sculpture or Bronze idol of Nataraja is kept and worshiped in almost all Shiva temples across Tamil Nadu. It typically shows Shiva dancing in one of the '' Natya Shastra'' poses, holding various symbols which vary with historic period and region, trampling upon a demon shown as a dwarf ( Apasmara or Muyalaka) who symbolizes spiritual ignorance.

The classical form of the depiction appears in a pillar of rock cut temple at Seeyamangalam – Avanibhajana Pallaveshwaram Temple constructed by a Pallava King Mahendravarman I in 6th century CE, which is known by Archeological Survey of India and Archeological Survey of Tamil Nadu as the oldest known Nataraja sculpture in India. The stone reliefs at the Ellora Caves and the Badami Caves, by around the 6th century, are also among the oldest Nataraja sculptures in India. Ancient Tamil songs during Bhakti Movement written by the four Shaivite saints of Thirugnanasambandhar, Appar, Manikkavasagar, and Sundharar, popularly known as "Naalvar" (The four great) speaks about Nataraja and describes Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram as the home of Nataraja as the main deity, dating Nataraja worship way before the 7th century CE. Around the 8th to 10th century, statues emerged in Tamil Nadu in its mature and best-known expression in Chola bronzes, of various heights typically less than four feet, some over. Nataraja reliefs are found in historic settings in many parts of South East Asia such as Angkor Wat and in Bali, Cambodia, and central Asia.

Etymology

The word Nataraja is a Sanskrit term, from नट ''Nata'' meaning "act, drama, dance" and राज ''Raja'' meaning "king, lord"; it can be roughly translated as ''Lord of the dance'' or ''King of the dance''. 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". ''Narteśvara'' stems from ''Nṛtta'' same as ''Nata'' which means "act, drama, dance" and ''Ishvara'' meaning "lord". ''Natesa'' (IAST: ''Naṭeśa'') is another alternate equivalent term for Nataraja found in 1st-millennium sculptures and archeological sites across the Indian subcontinent.

In Tamil, he is also known as “''Sabesan''” () which splits as “''Sabayil aadum eesan''” () which means “The Lord who dances on the dais”. This form is present in most Shiva temples, and is the prime deity in the Nataraja Temple at Chidambaram (Tillai).Ananda Kentish Coomaraswamy, ''The Dance of Siva: Fourteen Indian Essays'', (New York, The Sun wise Turn, 1918), p. 58. Internet Archive.
/ref> The dance of Shiva in Chidambaram forms the motif for all the depictions of Shiva as Nataraja. Koothan(), Sabesan(), Ambalavanan () are other common names of Nataraja in Tamil texts.

Depiction

The two most common forms of Shiva's dance are the '' Lasya'' (the gentle form of dance), associated with the creation of the world, and the ''Ananda Tandava'' (dance of bliss, the vigorous form of dance), associated with the destruction of weary worldviews—weary perspectives and lifestyles. In essence, the Lasya and the Tandava are just two aspects of Shiva’s nature; for he destroys in order to create, tearing down to build again.Carmel Berkson, Wendy Doniger, George Michell, ''Elephanta: The Cave of Shiva'', (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1983).

According to Alice Boner, the historic Nataraja artworks found in different parts of India are set in geometric patterns and along symmetric lines, particularly the ''satkona'' mandala ( hexagram) that in the Indian tradition means the interdependence and fusion of masculine and feminine principles.

The sculpture is symbolic of Shiva as the lord of dance and dramatic arts, with its style and proportions made according to Hindu texts on arts. It typically shows Shiva dancing in one of the '' Natya Shastra'' poses, holding Agni (fire) in his left back hand, the front hand in ''gajahasta'' (elephant hand) or ''dandahasta'' (stick hand) mudra, the front right hand with a wrapped snake that is in ''abhaya'' (fear not) mudra while pointing to a ''Sutra'' text, and the back hand holding a musical instrument, usually a ''Udukai'' ( ta, உடுக்கை). His body, fingers, ankles, neck, face, head, ear lobes and dress are shown decorated with symbolic items, which vary with historic period and region. He is surrounded by a ring of flames, standing on a lotus pedestal, lifting his left leg (or in rare cases, the right leg) and balancing / trampling upon a demon shown as a dwarf ( Apasmara or Muyalaka) who symbolizes spiritual ignorance. The dynamism of the energetic dance is depicted with the whirling hair which spread out in thin strands as a fan behind his head.Ananda Coomaraswamy (1922)
Saiva Sculptures: Recent Acquisitions
'' Museum of Fine Arts Bulletin'', Vol. 20, No. 118 (Apr., 1922), pages 18-19 The details in the Nataraja artwork have been variously interpreted by Indian scholars since the 12th century for its symbolic meaning and theological essence. Nataraja is a well known sculptural symbol in India and popularly used as a symbol of Indian culture, in particular as one of the finest illustrations of Hindu art.

Symbolism

The symbolism has been interpreted in classical Indian Shaiva Siddhanta texts such as ''Unmai Vilakkam'', ''Mummani Kovai'', ''Tirukuttu Darshana'' and ''Tiruvatavurar Puranam'', dating from the 12th century CE (Chola empire) and later, and include:The Dance of Shiva
Ananda Coomaraswamy
* He dances within a circular or cyclically closed arch of flames (''prabha mandala''), which symbolically represent the cosmic fire that in Hindu cosmology creates everything and consumes everything, in cyclic existence or cycle of life. The fire also represents the evils, dangers, heat, warmth, light and joys of daily life. The arch of fire emerges from two ''makara'' (mythical water beasts) on each end.
* He looks calm, even through the continuous chain of creation and destruction that maintains the universe, that shows the supreme tranquility of the Atma.
* His legs are bent, which suggests an energetic dance. His long, matted tresses, are shown to be loose and flying out in thin strands during the dance, spread into a fan behind his head, because of the wildness and ecstasy of the dance.
* On his right side, meshed in with one of the flying strands of his hair near his forehead, is typically the river Ganges personified as a goddess, from the Hindu mythology where the danger of a mighty river is creatively tied to a calm river for the regeneration of life.

* His headdress often features a human skull (symbol of mortality), a crescent moon and a flower identified as that of the entheogenic plant ''Datura metel''.
*Four-armed figures are most typical, but ten-armed forms are also found from various places and periods, for example the Badami Caves and Ankor Wat.
* The upper right hand holds a small drum shaped like an hourglass that is called a ' in Sanskrit. A specific hand gesture ( mudra) called ' (Sanskrit for "-hand") is used to hold the drum. It symbolizes rhythm and time.
* The upper left hand contains ''Agni'' or fire, which signifies forces of creation and destruction. The opposing concepts show the counterpoise nature of life.
* A cobra uncoils from his lower right forearm, while his palm shows the ''Abhaya'' mudra (meaning ''fearlessness'' in Sanskrit), suggesting not to fear nearby evil, as well as evil and ignorance surrounding the devotee as he or she follows the righteousness of '' dharma''.
* The lower left hand is bent downwards at the wrist with the palm facing inward, we also note that this arm crosses Naṭarāja’s chest, concealing his heart from view. It represents tirodhāna, which means “occlusion, concealment.”
* The face shows two eyes plus a slightly open third on the forehead, which symbolize the triune in Shaivism. The eyes represent the sun, the moon and the third has been interpreted as the inner eye, or symbol of knowledge (''jnana''), urging the viewer to seek the inner wisdom, self-realization. The three eyes alternatively symbolize an equilibrium of the three Guṇa

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