Religion / idea · deity

Nataraja

Nataraja, "lord of dance", is the Hindu god Shiva shown as the cosmic dancer who creates and destroys the universe. In the classic form, perfected in Chola bronzes of the 10th to 12th centuries, he dances within a ring of flames, holding a drum and fire, with one foot on a dwarf representing ignorance. The image is closely linked with the temple of Chidambaram in Tamil Nadu.

Nataraja
Image: Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 state history

Chola Empire

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Nataraja. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/nataraja
MLA
“Nataraja.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/nataraja. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Nataraja.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/nataraja.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Nataraja’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/nataraja (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻