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Nataraja

   Also found in: Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.01 sec.

Nataraja

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Nataraja, dancing Shiva, Indian bronze image, 12th–13th century AD; in the Museum of …
(credit: Courtesy of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam)
The Hindu god Shiva in his form as the cosmic dancer. The most common images show him with four arms and flying locks, dancing on a dwarf (a symbol of human ignorance) and encircled by a ring of flames. The Nataraja sculpture shows Shiva as the source of all movement within the cosmos, represented by the loop of flames. The dance's purpose is to release humans from illusion; the place where the god performs the dance is believed to lie both at the centre of the universe and within the human heart.



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has stated that Christians must see Nataraja as the symbol of the risen Christ.
The Church & the New Age movement by Shea, John B. / Catholic Insight
THE MIRACLE occurred on a warm July night in India, at the temple dedicated to Siva Nataraja, the dancing god of Hindu belief.
A Passage from India: The Dancing Daughters by BLEIBERG, LAURA / Dance Magazine
But sunny-dispositioned Parvati sidesteps this rancor, seeking pleasure in mimicking the dance movements of Shiva Nataraja, the sandalwood statue carved by her deceased father, which comes alive to perform for her alone.
Shiva's Fire by S.P.B. / The Horn Book Magazine
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