The Dance of Siva: Religion, Art and Poetry in South India

by David Smith

Overview

The Dance of Siva is a complete account of Siva's Dance of Bliss, which is based on a remarkable Sanskrit poem written by Umapati Sivacarya about 1300 AD. Siva is one of the two main gods of Hinduism. The book deals with the famous Chola Nataraja bronze—today the best-known Hindu image, the key location of Siva's Dance in South India, and the temple of Cidambaram. Dr. Smith explores all aspects of Nataraja and the Goddess, and the temple, its priests and ritual. Relevant contemporary art from Cidambaram and neighboring sites illuminates the text.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521482349
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	07/26/1996
Series:	Cambridge Studies in Religious Traditions , #7
Pages:	316
Product dimensions:	6.22(w) x 9.33(h) x 0.83(d)

Table of Contents

List of illustrations; Acknowledgements; Introduction; 1. The Natarāja bronze; 2. The Cidambaram myth; 3. Temple, priests and ritual; 4. The Hall of Consciousness, the Heart of the Universe; 5. Śaiva Siddhānta and Vedānta; 6. The Goddess; 7. Bhiksātana; 8. Bhairava the Terrible and other forms of Śiva; 9. Saints, dancing girls, ganas and Apasmāra; 10. Last words; Notes; Bibliography; Index and glossary.

Editorial Reviews

"David Smith has written a wide-ranging study of Siva's Dance of Bliss. Perceptive and scholarly, the work deals not only with the iconography of the Dancing Siva, but with the temple architecture and worship at Cidambaram, the god's major South Indian Temple....an illuminating tour de force." Choice

From the Publisher