Review
"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
Product Description
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.
