Answer:
Om Namah Shivaya-The universe bows to Lord Shiva, I bow to Lord Shiva.
Mahadev, the other name of Lord Shiva, which means the god amongst gods. We have also known him to be the father of the entire universe. People worship him to achieve peace of mind and stability in life. We see him as a supreme entity and lord of divine energy. We revere Shiva Natraj with the title of the ‘Lord of dance’ also known as Tandav. Tandav is a form of divine dance attributed to the power of Shiva.
In the Hindu trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh, we know Shiva to be “The Destroyer”. Shiva Natraj has the power to create, protect and transform all life and workings of the universe. Shiva carries a serpent around his neck, the crescent moon and the holy river Ganga in his Jattas. The third eye on the forehead is his foremost weapon along with damaru, the drum vibrating along with the beat of his steps.
The Nataraja story reveals his family, comprising his wife Parvati and their two children Ganesha and Kartikeya. They together lived in Mount Kailash. His life was an ideal example of discipline and austerity. His wife Parvati is the reason behind the equanimity of Lord Nataraja. She is the one who can calm him and his divine children.
SHIVA NATRAJ- ART, CULTURE, HISTORY AND CELEBRATION
As he is the god of yoga, meditation, and arts thus, bestowing him the title of Adiyogi Shiva. Worshipped as a Lingam, Hindus look him up to in India, Nepal, and Sri-Lanka.
It has also known as Lord Shiva as Parabhrahman which means magnanimous. The god himself said that he is infinite and eternal as he is always there in everyone’s heart. They have enriched Tamil literature with the words of his devotees known as the 63 Nayanmars. Panchabootha is the 5 temples in Tamil Nadu which are dedicated to Shiva.
Shaivism is a major part of Hinduism, across the Indian subcontinent. We have also found the term Shiva in the Rigveda. They used the word Rudra for Shiva in the oldest surviving text of Hinduism that dates between 1100 BC and 1700 BC. Some texts in the Upanishads also mention Rudra.
We consider Shiva to be a great yogi. He is the only one who teaches the profundity of silence in order to realize your innermost self.
We celebrate a major Hindu festival Shivratri to overcome the ignorance and darkness that ruins man and the world around him.
THE ESSENCE OF SHIVA NATRAJ
Shiva Natraj gracefully performs the ‘dance of bliss’ or ‘Ananda Tandavam’, creating and destroying the cosmic world in an endless cycle of regeneration. It demonstrates those physical qualities of his dance within the cosmic fire which is a constant sign of formation and elimination in the universe.
Nata– means act or dance, raja means king or lord. Shiva Nataraja- lord of the dance represents a combined role of being a creator, preserver, and destroyer. Shiva as lord of dance first appeared in an Indian stone temple sculpture dating around the 5th or 6th century. Slowly, this creation of art became a symbol of royalty in Tamil Nadu, around which festivities and rich customs developed.
In the contemporary Hindu culture of Bali in Indonesia, we see Shiva Natraj as a conqueror who conquered the world with his dance. Hinduism, as clear from Indonesia’s culture, once flourished in the land. He was also referred to as Nrittesvara in Cambodia. Lord Nataraja is actually the medium or shape through which the power of Shiva can be experienced.