Tandava

Mudras and postures of sculptures in ancient Indian temples are a mere depiction of spirituality (invoked spirit, the kundalini), which actually is supposed to occur in the person as a fruit of his practices.

Shiva Tandava is described as a vigorous dance that is the source of the cycle of creation, preservation and dissolution.

Some scholars consider that Tandu himself must have been the author of an earlier work on the dramatic arts, which was incorporated into the Natya Shastra.

Whatever the origins of Shiva's dance, it became in time the clearest image of the activity of God which any art or religion can boast of."

- Ananda Coomaraswamy[9] The dance is described as a pictorial allegory of the five principle manifestations of eternal energy:[9] The dance performed by Shiva's wife Parvati in response to Shiva's Tandava is known as Lasya, in which the movements are gentle, graceful and sometimes erotic.

[18] The similarly correlated Buddhist deity Acala is shown in some depictions to trample upon Vighnarāja, a demon of obstacles, in the manner of Tandava.

[23][24] In the Krishna Tandava in Raslila performance of Manipuri dance is graceful yet with swift movement and acrobatic gestures.

[26][27] Shiva as Nataraja or Krishna dancing the Tandava is a recurring theme in the Chola period bronzes.