Nataraj statue (Dancing Shiva) (bronze) with stone inlay, as shown in the photo, 29 cm high.

Nataraja (Sanskrit: नटराज, romanized: Naṭarāja Tamil: நடராஜர், romanized: Naṭarājar), also known as Adalvallan (Tamil: ஆடல்வல்லான், romanized: Ādalvallāṉ), is a depiction of Shiva, one of the main deities in Hinduism, as the divine cosmic dancer. His dance is called the tandava. The pose and artwork are described in many Hindu texts such as the Tevaram and Thiruvasagam in Tamil and the Amshumadagama and Uttarakamika agama in Sanskrit and the Grantha texts. The dance murti featured in all major Hindu temples of Shaivism, and is a well-known sculptural symbol in India and popularly used as a symbol of Indian culture, as one of the finest illustrations of Hindu art. This form is also referred to as Kuththan (Tamil: கூத்தன், romanized: Kūththaṉ), Sabesan (Tamil: சபேசன், romanized: Sabēsaṉ), and Ambalavanan (Tamil: அம்பலவாணன ், romanized: Ambalavāṇaṉ) in various Tamil text The word Nataraja is a Sanskrit term, from नट Nata meaning "act, drama, dance" and राज Raja meaning "king, lord"; it can be roughly translated as Lord of the dance or King of the dance.According to Ananda Coomaraswamy, the name is related to Shiva's fame as the "Lord of Dancers" or "King of Actors". The form is known as Nataraja in Tamil Nadu and as Narteśvara (also written Nateshwar) or Nṛityeśvara in North India, with all three terms meaning "Lord of the dance". Narteśvara stems from Nṛtta same as Nata which means "act, drama, dance" and Ishvara meaning "lord". Natesa (IAST: Naṭeśa) is another alternate equivalent term for Nataraja found in 1st-millennium sculptures and archaeological sites across the Indian subcontinent.