One of the most brilliant and perfect embodiments of Hinduism’s theosophy concerning creation and destruction, the Nataraja figure of Shiva dancing – an act of ‘ananda tandava’ that came from Chidambaram – has been beautifully presented in this bronze image. Created in the ‘madhuchista vidhana’ lost wax fashion, this sculpture presents the supreme lord of destruction, Shiva, performing his victorious dance after vanquishing a group of heretic sages that dared challenge the might of the gods. Nataraja is seen dancing over a dwarf Apasmara, who is said to represent the vice of ignorance; the dance is the act of conquering such a vice. Shiva’s front left hand points towards the place Shaivite devotees should rest and take refuge for the troubled soul – and to that end, his front right hand is raised in the ‘abhaya mudra’ gesture that dispels fear. Nataraja holds onto the eternal fire that cleanses our soul (also embodied in the large ring of fire under which Shiva dances), and the ‘damru,’ from which the devout listen to the sound of the universe in making. Nataraja’s hair, flowing as the are symbolise the fluidity of the divine Ganga River. This bronze sculptural image, one of the most famous and recognisable forms of Shiva and Hinduism, truly symbolises the power of our faith and the victory of good over evil. The bacchic revelry that Shiva projects signifies that the virtuous shall always be rewarded.