Tandavam, also known as Tandava Nritya is a divine dance performed by Shiva.

Tandavam, also known as Tandava Nritya is a divine dance performed by Shiva. Shiva's Tandava is described as a vigorous dance that is the source of the cycle of creation, preservation and dissolution. While the Rudra Tandava depicts his violent nature, first as the creator and later as the destroyer of the universe, even of death itself. Ananda Tandava depicts him as enjoying. Tandava symbolizes the cosmic cycles of creation and destruction, as well as the daily rhythm of birth and death. The Tandava or celestial dance of Shiva is extremely thrilling and charming, exquisitely graceful in pose and rhythm and intensely piercing in effect. It is an inseparable, sacred movement of the various limbs of the body in accordance with the inner divine Bhava. The dance of Shiva is for the welfare of the world. The object of His dance is to free the souls from the fetters of Maya, from the three bonds of Anava, Karma and Maya. He is not the destroyer but He is the regenerator. He is the Mangala Data and Ananda Data, bestower of auspiciousness and bliss. He dances quite gently. If He dances vehemently the whole earth will sink down at once. He dances with His eyes closed, because the sparks from His eyes will consume the entire universe. Lord Shiva is an embodiment of wisdom. He is the Light of lights. He is Paramjyoti or supreme Light. He is self-luminous or Svayam-Jyoti. The dance of Siva represents the rhythm and movement of the world-spirit. At His dance the evil forces and darkness quiver and vanish.

The dance performed by Maa Parvati in response to Shiva's Tandava is known as Lasya, in which the movements are gentle, graceful and sometimes erotic. Some scholars consider Lasya to be the feminine version of Tandava. The Hindu scriptures narrate various occasions when Shiva or other gods have performed the Tandava. When Sati, (first wife of Shiva, who was reborn as Parvati) jumped into the sacrificial fire in Daksha's Yajna and gave up her life, Shiva is said to have performed the Rudra Tandava to express his grief and anger. The Shivapradosha stotra says when Shiva performs the Sandhya Tandava, the other gods like Brahma, Vishnu, Sarasvati, Lakshmi and Indra play musical instruments and sing Shiva's praises. Ganesha, the son of Shiva, is depicted as Ashtabhuja tandavsa nritya murtis (Eight armed form of Ganesha dancing the Tandava) in temple sculptures. The Bhagavata Purana talks of Krishna dancing his Tandava on the head of the serpent Kaliya. According to Jain traditions, Indra is said to have performed the Tandava in honour of Rishabha (Jain tirthankar) on the latter's birth. 🌈✨🎨✨🎨✨🌈

Hari Om Tat Sat ~ Har Har Mahadev ~ Jai Nataraja! ✨👁✨