Ananda Thandavam: the symbol of bharatha natyam

Subashini Pathmanathan

The temples of south India are famous for the tower sculptures. The tall kopurams (towers) of the temples are full of sculptures. So too within the temples, in the temple pillars, temple walls, and in and around the mandapams and madams, there are sculptures.

Most of the sculptures on the temple towers depict the puranic stories and epic. Whilst the sculptures inside the temples, mainly depict dance poses of various gods, as well as the humans. Of all the sculptures the most famous sculptures are found on the tower of the Chidambaram temple.

The outstanding fact about the Chidambaram kopura (tower) sculptures is that they depict 108 thandava karnas of lord Siva. Ananda Thandava is the symbol of bharatha natyam which is not included in the 108 thandava karnas of lord Siva.

The popular belief is that lord Siva danced these 108 thandava karnas in 64 temples. But all have been brought together in the Chidambaram temple kopura sculptures.

A remarkable feature is all these karnas, are danced by women dancers only. Whilst in the famous Bragatheeswarar temple in Thanjavur, the same thandava karnas are depicted, by Lord, himself. Unfortunately only 83, thandava karnas (poses) still exist at the Bragatheeswarar temple.

It is believed that the emperor Raja Raja Cholan, who built the Thanjai Bragatheswarar temple, installed the sculptures of 83 karnas of lord Siva. With the end of his rule, these works ceased. Among these 108 karnas, some karnas are difficult ones, and whilst others are easy.

In Bharatha Natyam generally, Ananda Thandava pose is used to symbolize lord Siva as the symbol of Bharatha Natyam. This particular Ananda Thandava pose of Lord Siva is commonly known as Lord Nataraja.

Lord Siva is generally believed to have performed five functions, namely creation, protection- in two thandavas, (bestow in happiness), and (protection from sorrow), destruction, dispelling egoism, sins, and illusion and bestow blessings, are the main five functions of the lord.

All these five were expounded in the six thandavas but all these six thandavas are finally expounded in one single thandava namely Ananda Thandava, together with the sixth thandavas, the Ananda Thandava, becomes the seventh thandava.

All these seven thandavas are collectively called ‘Sabtha Thandavams’. That’s why, the Ananda Thandava is used in Bharatha Natyam, because it embraces, all the essential five functions of the creator of the universe.

Besides this, the Lord Nataraja bears the five important Pancha Boothams (the five elements) which are believed to be the most important elements for the creation of the world. The five elements are sky, water, fire, wind, and earth.

The Lord bears the moon on his head, which indicates the sky; similarly the river Ganga flows from the terrace of the Lord which indicates water.

In his left hand, the Lord bears the fire, meanwhile in his right hand the Lord holds the Udeki, from where the wind originates, and he presses the right leg on the earth which reveals the earth. These five elements are the basic fundamental aspects of the world’s origin.

Each Pancha Bootham is connected to different temples.

The sky is connected to Kanchipuram Sivan temple; the water is connected to Thiruvaanaika Sivan temple, the wind is connected to Kilsha temple, the earth is connected to Kanchipuram.Hence all the Pancha boothams are connected to five important Sivan temples.

The dancer of the Ananda Thandava is called by several names connected with dance namely lord Nataraja King of dance) kuthapiran, Kootharasan, Aadal Valaan, Ampala Koothan, are some of the other names of the dancing deity.

In almost every Bharatha Natyam recital, this particular dance pose of lord Nataraja, adorns the stage. And it is the universally acknowledged symbol of Bharatha Natyam.

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