Amidst a life-sized ringlet of flames, on the back of a lotus on an engraved quadrilateral plinth, the Lord Nataraja breaks into tandava on the back of the avidya-roopi Apasmara. Note the uniqueness of the handiwork with which this murti has been executed. The shape of the handsome, wide-set eyes. The density of His snake-like locks flying about His head and shoulders from the momentum of His tandava. The lifelike language of His body.
All of this puts together the undying image of the Nataraja. He is the divine revealer of the art of nata (which translates to dance, but refers to the performing arts in general), over which He is king (‘raja’). Nataraja is the most popular, the most widely recognised roopa (form) of the great Lord Shiva. Presiding deity over cosmic annihilation, He is said to accomplish this through tandava, the name given to the passionate, wrathful dance He breaks into. The murti that you see on this page captures the beauty of this tandava.
The iconography of Nataraja remains uniform throughout the subcontinent. This Nataraja murti has been handpicked from the studios of South India, of which the medium of bronze is a dead giveaway. The South has a rich bronze sculptural tradition, dating back to the time of the Pallavas and the Cholas. The sharp curves that define His body and the electric blue undertones of His naked complexion are highly characteristic of bronze.
Eternal Brilliance Unveiled: The Mystique of Panchaloha Bronze and Artful Maintenance Rituals
Bronze is a metal alloy that has the primary composition of Copper and Tin. There is also an addition of other metals such as Manganese, Aluminium, Nickel, and some non-metals such as Phosphorus. This composition of several metals and non-metals makes Bronze an extremely durable and strong metal alloy. It is for this reason that Bronze is extensively used for casting sculptures and statues. Since Bronze has a low melting point, it usually tends to fill in the finest details of a mould and when it cools down, it shrinks a little that makes it easier to separate from the mould.
" If you happen to have a bronze statue, simply use a cotton cloth with some coconut oil or any other natural oil to clean the statue. "
A village named Swamimalai in South India is especially known for exceptionally well-crafted Bronze icons of Hindu Gods and Goddesses. The skilled artisans of this place use Panchaloha Bronze for casting the icons. Panchaloha Bronze is made of five metals; Copper, Zinc, Lead, and small quantities of Gold and Silver. Zinc gives a golden hue to the finished figure and Lead makes the alloy softer for the easy application of a chisel and hammer. The common technique for producing these statues and sculptures is the “Lost-wax” method. Because of the high durability of bronze sculptures and statues, less maintenance is required, and can still last up to many decades.
Exotic India takes great pride in its collection of hand-picked Panchaloha Statues. You will find the murtis of Gods (Krishna, Hanuman, Narasimha, Ganesha, Nataraja, and Kartikeya) and Goddesses (Saraswati, Lakshmi, Durga, and Parvati), and Buddha statues. You can also buy Ritual paraphernalia (Wicks lamp, Puja Kalash, Cymbals, and Puja Flag) on the website. All these statues and items have been made with a lot of care and attention, giving them a flawless finish. Their fine carving detail represents the rich tradition of India.
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