Nataraja (The King of Dance) is the dancing posture of Hindu god Shiva, who performs his divine dance as a part of divine duties of creation and destruction. The sculpture is usually made in bronze with the shiva deity lifting his left leg (and in rare cases, the right leg) and his right leg over a demon Apasmara who symbolizes ignorance. It is a well known scultptural symbol in India and popularly used as a symbol of Indian culture. The form in present in most Shiva temples in South India, and is the main deity in the famous temple at Chidambaram. The upper right hand holds the Drum (called Udukkai in Tamil and Dhamarukha in Hindi), which symbolizes sound originating Creation. The upper left hand contains Agni or the fire, which signifies Destruction. The opposing concepts in the upper hands show the counterpoise of creation and destruction. The second right hand shows Abhaya (fearlessness in Sanskrit), bestowing protection from both evil and ignorance to those who follow the righteousness of dharma. The second left points towards the raised left foot which signifies Upliftment and Salvation. The hand also looks like the trunk of Ganesha, the obstacle remover, a symbol of strength. The dwarf on which Nataraja dances is the demon Apasmara that symbolises the ignorance of dichotomy, which is defeated by the dance of Shiva. As the Lord of Dance, Nataraja, Shiva performs the tandava, which is the dance in which the universe is created, maintained, and resolved. Shiva's long, matted tresses, usually piled up in a kind of pyramid, loosen during the dance and crash into the heavenly bodies, knocking them off course or destroying them utterly. The surrounding flames represent the manifest Universe. The snake swirling around His waist is kundalini, humans' inherent soul impelling force resident in everyone. - text excerpted from Wikipedia, 2006

Shiva or Siva is the supreme God in Shaivism, one of the major branches of Hinduism practiced in India. He is the formless, timeless and spaceless Supreme God. Adi Sankara interprets the name Shiva meaning "One who purifies everyone by the utterance of His name" or the Pure One. The name Shiva is the Holiest of Holy names. The Good Lord is beyond and unaffected by the three gunas (characteristics) of Prakrti (matter/nature) namely Satva, Rajas, and Tamas. Rudra is one of the Trimurti (not to be compared to the trinity as in Christianity). In the Trimurti, Rudra is the destroyer, and Brahma is the creator and Vishnu is the preserver. Shiva, according to some Hindu traditions, does everything. All other hindu gods and goddess are lesser than Shiva. According to Shaivism, the Good Lord Shiva performs five functions: 1. Creator, 2. Preserver, 3. Destroyer of evil, 4. Reprieving us from the sins, and most importantly, 5. Blessing. Other views contend that Shiva produces Vishnu who produces Brahma and thus creation began, within which the cycle of the Trimurti exists. Shiva also assumes many other roles, including the Lord of Ascetics (Mahadeva, or the Great God), the Lord of Boons (Rudra, or The Howler - rud-iti rudra), and also the Universal Divinity (Maheshvara, the Great Lord).Shaivaites, the worshippers of Shiva consider as the Ultimate Reality (see Ishta-Deva for fuller discussion). Shiva is usually represented by the Shiva linga (or lingam), usually depicted as a clay mound with three horizontal stripes on it, or visualised as a blazing pillar. In anthropomorphised images, he is generally represented as immersed in deep meditation on Mount Kailash, his traditional abode. - text excerpted from Wikipedia, 2006

All-night Sivaratri (night of Siva) celebration at Ramakrishna ashram near Kolkata

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