The 'Natyanjali' dance festival is celebrated in Tamil Nadu on the occasion of:

The Natyanjali Dance Festival is held every year at the Nataraja Temple in Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, on the occasion of Maha Shivratri, in February-March. It is a five-day festival in which classical dancers offer their art as a tribute to Lord Nataraja, the cosmic dancer.

The word "Natyanjali" means "an offering through dance" ("natya" means dance and "anjali" means offering). The festival was started in 1981 by the Natyanjali Trust. Dancers from across India and abroad, from well-known artists to young dancers, perform Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Odissi, Kathak, Mohiniyattam and other dance forms in the temple premises, in front of the deity. Unlike many other dance festivals, it is not a ticketed show for an audience, but a devotional offering to the Lord, and the dancers perform without payment. The festival has inspired similar Natyanjali festivals at other temples in Tamil Nadu, such as those at Thanjavur and Kumbakonam.

Lord Shiva as Nataraja ("Lord of Dance") is shown performing the Ananda Tandava, the cosmic dance of bliss, within a ring of fire, with one foot on the demon of ignorance (Apasmara). The Nataraja Temple of Chidambaram is one of the most important Shiva temples in India, and it represents the element of space (akasha) among the five elements (Pancha Bhuta Sthalams). The temple's gopurams have carvings of the 108 karanas (dance poses) described in the Natya Shastra, which is why it is closely associated with classical dance. A famous bronze statue of Nataraja stands at the CERN laboratory in Geneva, as a symbol of the cosmic dance of subatomic particles.

Maha Shivratri, the "Great Night of Shiva", falls on the 14th day of the dark half of Phalguna (Magha in the South Indian calendar).

Why not the other options?

• ✗Pongal is the harvest festival of Tamil Nadu in January.
• ✗Diwali is the festival of lights.
• ✗Navratri is celebrated in Tamil Nadu with Golu displays.