Nataraja or Nataraj ('The Lord - or King - of Dance'; Tamil: Kooththan) is a depiction of the Hindu god Shiva as the cosmic dancer Koothan who performs his divine dance to destroy a weary universe and make preparations for god Brahma to start the process of creation.

A Tamil concept; Shiva was first depicted as Nataraja in the famous Chola bronzes and sculptures of Chidambaram. The dance of Shiva in Tillai; the traditional name for Chidambaram; forms the motif for all the depictions of Shiva as Nataraja. He is also known as 'Sabesan' in Tamil which means 'The Lord who dances on a dais'. The form is present in most Shiva temples in South India; and is the main deity in the famous temple at Chidambaram.

The sculpture is usually made in bronze; with Shiva dancing in an aureole of flames; lifting his left leg (and in rare cases; the right leg) and balancing over a demon or dwarf (Apasmara) who symbolizes ignorance. It is a well known sculptural symbol in India and popularly used as a symbol of Indian culture.

The two most common forms of Shiva's dance are the Lasya (the gentle form of dance); associated with the creation of the world; and the Tandava (the violent and dangerous dance); associated with the destruction of weary worldviews - weary perspectives and lifestyles. In essence; the Lasya and the Tandava are just two aspects of Shiva's nature; for he destroys in order to create; tearing down to build again. Pictures From History