The digitised image is held online by Wikimedia Commons, sourced from the University of Toronto’s digitised copy of the 1914 book. This does not establish the physical location of the original artwork.
Shiva’s cosmic dance, called Nataraja is one of the images in Hindu thought. It shows the rhythm of life. Creation, keeping, destruction and rebirth. Shiva’s dance isn’t a god’s show. It’s how the universe is born, changes. Goes back to where it started. In the Chola bronze art the ring of fire around him his raised foot and the drum and fire in his hands make this idea clear and powerful. In Kshitindranath Mazumdar’s painting The Dance of Shiva this same cosmic idea is shown with a poetic style. Made for the book Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists in 1914 the image comes from the Bengal School. That group tried to bring Indian spiritual ideas using Indian and Asian art forms.
Shiva’s body is long and graceful. His lines flow. His limbs are strong but calm. He moves,. He stays centered. The fine lines and quiet colors give him a look. The curves of his body suggest the dance goes on without end. Like he’s caught between two steps. Mazumdar doesn’t use size or busy backgrounds. He focuses on the body of the god showing how it can express, equally compelling. The painting focuses, balance in movement and stillness. Shiva’s dance is not a story. It shows the push and the pull between breaking down and starting over. It says that ending is not the end. It is a part of the change. With lines and quiet beauty Mazumdar turns a big idea into a quiet thoughtful picture. Shiva here is both a force and a rhythm. He lets us feel the cycle of life through the soft touch of his painting.
Kshitindranath Mazumdar's The Dance of Shiva, as an illustration for Myths of the Hindus & Buddhists (1914) Shiva is depicted as an energetic, otherworldly dancer with feet off the ground in this illustration. The strange composition-with clouds, swirling hair, multiple arms, and a demon beneath his feet-is meant to evoke action, not physical reality.
The sketch reminds us of Shiva in his Nataraja form, the cosmic dancer. His performance captures the rhythm of life. Here there is no dichotomy between creation and destruction (destruction removes the old to create space for the new) and the dance is also a reminder that nothing in the universe is still and stagnant. Shiva's dance normally symbolises creation, preservation, destruction, concealment and emancipation.
What I particularly like is the difference between the gentle introspective face of Shiva and the hectic movement of the figure. It seems to imply that deep within the turmoil of life there is a fundamental stillness.
To me, this picture is the ultimate illustration of life – all is in motion, all pass away, and yet there is still something that is a piece of a bigger rhythm of life, of the universe. Shiva's dance is a symbol of this inevitable change of life.
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By: Jyotirmaya Samanta
One of the representations of Shiva’s cosmic dance is through the representation of ‘Nataraja’. This shows the rhythmic nature of life. Creation, preservation, destruction and. Shiva’s dance is an example of the creation, transformation and return to the beginning of the universe. In the Chola bronze sculptures Shiva has a halo of fire, a lifted foot and the drum and flames in his hands which clearly show this concept. In Kshitindranath Mazumdar’s painting ‘The Dance of Shiva’ the same cosmic representation is shown through a poetic style. The painting was created in 1914 for the book Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists and represents the Bengal School group who were trying to represent Indian spiritual ideas through Indian and Asian art forms. Shiva has a long, flowing body with strong yet calm limbs. The flowing lines and delicate detail have given Shiva a certain aesthetic. His curved body gives the impression that he is dancing infinitely. As though he is stuck between two steps. Mazumdar doesn’t use large scale or busy backgrounds. Instead Shiva’s body is the focus to show how his body can be expressive. There is a clear focus in this painting, the balance between motion and stillness. Shiva’s dance is not a narrative instead it represents the tension between destruction and creation. It shows that the end is not the end but a part of the transformation. Through the flowing lines and subtle aesthetic, Mazumdar has created a thoughtful depiction of a large concept. Shiva represents a force and rhythm here. We can feel the cycle of life through the gentle touch of his painting.
