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Question 34 of 94 · Early Medieval India & South Indian Kingdoms
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The famous bronze image of Nataraja (Shiva as the Lord of Dance) is characteristic of the art of the:

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Answer: Option D — Cholas

Detailed Solution

The bronze images of Nataraja, showing Shiva as the Lord of Dance, are among the finest and most famous works of Chola art.

About Chola bronzes:

  • The Chola period (9th-13th centuries) is known as the golden age of bronze sculpture in south India.
  • NCERT notes that Chola bronze images are considered among the finest in the world.
  • Most images were of deities, but sometimes they were made of devotees as well.
  • They were made to be carried in processions during temple festivals.
  • They were usually decorated with clothes, jewels and flowers.

The Nataraja image:

It shows Shiva performing the "ananda tandava" (dance of bliss), the cosmic dance of creation and destruction.

Shiva has four arms:

  • The upper right hand holds a "damaru" (small drum), symbolising the sound of creation.
  • The upper left hand holds "agni" (fire), symbolising destruction.
  • The lower right hand is raised in blessing.
  • The lower left hand points to his raised left foot, symbolising liberation.
  • His right foot stands on the demon "Apasmara" (or Muyalaka), who represents ignorance.
  • He is surrounded by a circle of flames ("prabhamandala"), representing the cosmos.
  • His matted hair flies outward, and contains the goddess Ganga and a crescent moon.

Chidambaram:

The temple at Chidambaram in Tamil Nadu is the most important Nataraja temple, where Shiva is worshipped as the cosmic dancer.

Nataraja today:

  • A two-metre-tall statue of Nataraja was gifted by India to CERN (the European research centre in Geneva) in 2004, as a symbol of the cosmic dance of subatomic particles.
  • A 27-foot-tall Nataraja statue, made at Swamimalai, was installed at the Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, for the G20 summit (2023).
  • Swamimalai (Thanjavur district) is still a centre for making bronze images in the traditional way.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗The Mauryas are known for stone pillars.
  • ✗The Kushanas are known for the Gandhara and Mathura schools.
  • ✗The Mughals are known for miniature paintings and architecture.

Quick tip

Remember: Nataraja bronze = Chola art (ananda tandava; damaru, fire, abhaya mudra; Apasmara); Chidambaram = Nataraja temple; Nataraja statue at CERN (2004) and Bharat Mandapam (2023).

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Early Medieval India & South Indian Kingdoms — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of Early Medieval India & South Indian Kingdoms, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.

This topic covers India from about the 7th to the 12th century: the Rajput dynasties, the tripartite struggle between the Palas, Pratiharas and Rashtrakutas, and the South Indian kingdoms of the Chalukyas, Pallavas, Cholas and Pandyas, along with the Sangam age and the temple architecture of the period. Questions often ask which dynasty built a temple (the Pallavas built the Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram, and Rajaraja Chola I built the Brihadeeswara Temple at Thanjavur), the capitals of dynasties, and the local self-government of the Cholas. Learning each dynasty with its capital, greatest ruler and one monument is the quickest way to answer these questions. Practise the early medieval India questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.

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