Ashtabhuja Tandava Nartana Shiva Nataraja Bronze Statue
A finely crafted South Indian bronze statue of the eight-armed Nataraja differs from the usual four-armed Nataraja statue, created using <a href="https://www.cottage9.com/art-technique/madhuchishtavidhana/">Madhuchistavidhana</a>. Nataraja or Shiva is in a different pose with each of his eight hands holding (clock-wise) a<em>gni</em> (fire), g<em>hantika</em> (bell), k<em>apalam</em> (skull-bowl), t<em>rishulam</em> (trident) and a<em>nkush</em> (goad). His right hand is bent and left hand is raised in <em>abhaya mudra</em> (fearlessness granting pose). <br> <br>Shiva ’s hair is seen flowing freely with a <em>Datura</em> (jimsonweed) flower and Ganga (seen as a wave on Shiva ’s left). He is seen dancing on <em>Apasmara</em> - the personification of ignorance. The figure of Shiva is encircled in a ring of energy which signifies the ever-revolving wheel of <em>Samsara</em> (world) within which Siva the divine is ever victorious over ignorance.
