Nataraja: The Cosmic Dancer

Govind Singh Rathore · 1721

Medium

Gouache and gold on paper

Dimensions

45 × 33 cm

From the Pahari school of miniature painting — Shiva as Nataraja, dancing within a ring of fire that represents the cosmos. Each of the four arms holds a cosmic symbol: the drum of creation, the flame of destruction, the gesture of protection, the foot raised in liberation.