CAPF AC 2022 Q81: Art & Culture – Sculpture & Iconography
- (a) Trimurti at Elephanta Caves
- (b) Kaliyamardan of Krishna
- (c) Bodhisattva Maitreya at Gandhara
- (d) Bronze Nataraja of the Cholas
Answer: (d) Bronze Nataraja of the Cholas
Explanation
The King of Dance
How to think: translate the Sanskrit.
Nata means dance and raja means king.
So Nataraja is the King of Dance: Shiva performing the cosmic dance.
The most famous Natarajas are the bronze images of the Chola period.
| Part of the image | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Drum (damaru) in the upper right hand | Creation |
| Fire in the upper left hand | Destruction |
| Raised right hand (abhaya) | Protection |
| Raised left foot | Release, salvation |
| Dwarf under the right foot (Apasmara) | Ignorance crushed |
| Ring of flames | The cosmos |
How they were made: by the lost-wax (cire perdue) method.
The great Nataraja temple is at Chidambaram in Tamil Nadu.
Answer: (d) Bronze Nataraja of the Cholas.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. The Trimurti at Elephanta shows three faces of Shiva, not a dance.
- (b) Incorrect. Kaliyamardan shows Krishna subduing the serpent Kaliya.
- (c) Incorrect. Maitreya is the future Buddha in Gandhara art.
- (d) CORRECT. Nataraja literally means King of Dance; the Chola bronzes are its finest form.
Key point
Chola bronze Nataraja: Shiva as Lord of Dance, lost-wax casting, drum (creation), fire (destruction), abhaya hand, foot on Apasmara (ignorance), ring of flames. Chidambaram temple. A Nataraja statue stands at CERN, Geneva.
Remember
Nataraja = nata (dance) + raja (king).
Common mistakes
- Marking Kaliyamardan because Krishna dances on the serpent's hood.
- Not seeing that Nataraja is simply King of Dance in translation.
- Dating the Nataraja bronzes to the Pallavas instead of the Cholas.
Exam tip
Educated guess: translate each option into English in your head. Only one of them is a name that means King of Dance.
Sources
- NCERT Class XI Fine Arts — An Introduction to Indian Art, Chapter 7: Indian Bronze Sculpture (Nataraja)
- NCERT Class VII History — Our Pasts II, Chapter 2: New Kings and Kingdoms (Chola bronze sculpture)