Shiva is supposed to have danced the five major kinds of tandava as Nataraja for the benefit of his devotees at various places. Here is a look at the different types of Tandava performed by Shiva as Nataraja.
- Shiva performed the famous Ananda Tandava at Kankasabha in Chidambaram (Tillai).
- He performed the Sandhya Tandava at Rajatasabha in Madurai.
- Shiva performed his Gauri Tandava at Chitsabha in Tirupputtur.
- He performed Tripura Tandava at Chitrasabha in Tirukutralam.
- Shiva performed his Muni Tandava at Tamra Sabha in Tirunelveli.
Besides these, Ratnasabha at Tiruvalangadu is also reputed
to be a natyasabha where Shiva danced. Shiva is also known to have performed
other forms of Tandava like
- Shakti Tandava
- Shiva Shakti Tandava
- Ardhanari Tandava
- Samhara Tandava
- Raudra Tandava
According to the Shaiva Agamas, which owe their origin to
Mahadeva Shiva, there are 108 modes of Shiva’s dances that correspond to the 108
karanas or postures.