SOLD Dancing Shiva With Kali 16"

Shiva is dancing the wild tandavam with his Kali.  His whole left side of the statue is a light green which contrasts beautifully with the dark red hue of the rest of Shiva.  Shiva has 10 arms which hold variety of weapons including a large trident.  The trident  represents the Hindu trinity of Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu.  It is also said to represent the threefold qualities of nature: creation, preservation and destruction, although preservation is usually attributed to Vishnu.

The Story Behind the Wild Thandavam:  Kali was the patron goddess of Thillai Forest. Lord Shiva came to the forest to dance for two of his devotees, Patanjali and Vyaaghrapaada who worshipped the svayambhu-linga, now in the inner sanctum of the temple.  Kali challenged Shiva to a dancing contest on the condition that the loser had to leave the forest. The contest was judged by Lord Vishnu.  The dance contest went on for hours with every one of Shiva's dance postures being matched by Kali.  Shiva performed a posture with his left leg lifted over his head in the Ananda Thandavam exposing his genital area.  Kali, being a respectable woman, was unable to go into this compromising position. Thus, Kali admitted defeat and left the forest.

About Gorora Stone:  Gorora stone or Red marble is a wonderful stone for sculpture because of its wide color range.  It is rarer than most soft stones and must be shipped into Tamil Nadu from Uttar Pradesh in the north.  The stone has wonderful cream/yellow/green veins in it contrasting to the beautiful deep red to sometimes pink natural coloration of the stone.  The stone is extremely glossy.  When a red marble statue is polished it has a disarming shimmer.