This exceptional bronze presents Dashabhuja Rishabha Tandavamoorthy, a rare and powerful form of Shiva preserved at the temple of Melaikadambur under Kulottunga Chola. Although the shrine lies in the Chola heartland, the iconography of this image belongs unmistakably to the Pala artistic tradition, making it one of the most fascinating cross-cultural forms in South Indian sacred art.
Shiva is shown dancing upon Rishabha (Nandi), his body alive with movement and command. With ten arms, he holds a range of attributes, while his posture captures the charged moment where cosmic order is both sustained and renewed through dance. The expressive face, poised balance, and dynamic limbs convey a vision of Shiva not as a solitary dancer, but as the very axis of the universe in motion.
Surrounding him is an extraordinary divine assembly. Devas, sages, and attendants participate in the dance: Vishnu, Bhairava, Veerabhadra, Ganesha, Murugan, Narada, Bhringi, Gandharvas, Bhootas, and others animate the composition, transforming the sculpture into a living mandala of sound, movement, and devotion. Parvati, as Meenakshi, perched on her parrot, accompanies her lord. The flaming prabhavali frames this divine theatre, intensifying the sense of energy radiating outward from the central form.
Tradition offers two compelling histories for this image. Some believe it reached Tamilakam with Rajendra Chola I after his victory in Bengal, brought back as a symbol of imperial triumph and spiritual authority. Others associate it with Srikanda Sivan, the Rajaguru of Kulottunga, whose lineage is said to have originated in Bengal.
Whichever its path, this bronze stands today as a rare vision of Shiva dancing with the cosmos itself- a convergence of cultures, devotion, and artistic mastery, rendered in metal with extraordinary depth and power.
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