16th century

Shiva as Nataraja (Lord of Dance)

The Hindu god Shiva has many names and forms. As Bhairava and Nataraja, Shiva reveals aspects of his ascetic nature. Shiva became Bhairava when he committed the foul deed of cutting off one of Brahma's heads. In punishment, he was forced to become an ascetic, wandering in agony with Brahma's skull stuck to his hand as a begging bowl and searching for mercy. A dog, considered an inauspicious animal, stands behind Bhairava attesting to his impure conduct. As Nataraja, Shiva performs his five-step cosmic dance, in which he creates, sustains, veils, unveils, and destroys the universe. As the dance becomes more frenzied, Shiva's scarves and hair fly about his body then join into a ring of fire.