An exclusive gallery of Lord Nataraja idols with varying iconography in Thanjavur Palace
Summary
Explore an exclusive gallery of Lord Nataraja idols in Thanjavur Palace, showcasing unique bronze sculptures from the 11th to 19th centuries. “The dance of Shiva at Chidambaram, or Thillai, forms the central motif of the south Indian bronze images of Shri Nataraja, the Lord of the Dance,” writes Indologist Ananda Coomaraswamy in his classic work The Dance of Shiva. “These images vary amongst themselves in minor details, but all express one fundamental conception,” he observes. Cosmic activity is the central theme of the dance.