India: Shiva Nataraja or 'Dancing Shiva'. Copper alloy statuette from Tamil Nadu, Chola Dynasty, c. 950-1000 CE. 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 the 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.

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Size: 3700px × 4752px
Photo credit: © Pictures From History / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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