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It is considered the earliest known Hindu sculpture (pdf) and is from around the second century BCE. The Gudimallam linga in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh has an erect phallus on which an image of a standing Shiva is carved, a clear merging of Shiva’s aniconic and anthropomorphic forms. Linga or phallus: Another feature seemingly inherited from Indus Valley.

Husband of Sachi, whose father he slays.Pasupati, lord of all animals (livestock perhaps) or just king.Destroyer of Vritra, the demon of darkness.Practitioner of Indrajaala, the art of illusions.Sahasraksha: one with a thousand eyes on his body (how he got them is another lustful tale).Purandara: destroyer of forts or fortified towns.The traits and avatars attributed to Indra by the ancient Hindu texts include: Vajra (thunder)-wielding Indra, “is the immortal dancer, who, enveloping the earth by his glory, bestows prosperity, as the abode of all treasures,” the late art historian Calambur Sivaramamurti wrote in his 1974 book Nataraja in Art, Thought and Literature. The favourite was probably Indra, who loosely corresponded to ancient Greece’s Zeus.

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It wouldn’t be surprising if talented performers like the ones from the above tribe turned cultural icons and, perhaps, even gods (Why not, if Elvis Presley can be imagined as an alien and Indian movie stars can be gods?).ĭancing icons like the Maruts, the Ashwins, and the Adityas, were clearly in vogue in the Vedic age. In these profound philosophical works, fighting prowess, generosity, creative talent, leadership, and many more such qualities-all aspirational-get attributed to gods. Somewhere in the region, the Vedas are being composed around this time. Why wouldn’t the primitive audience be impressed? Such imageries, ritualised and awe-inspiring, are wont to have entered the tribe’s oral tradition: hymns, poetry, and chants.

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Throw in an oracle or two in full reverie. The leaping campfire flames and enraptured shrieks are accentuated by the sun’s farewell drama in the sky. They strike ferocious warrior poses and boogie to aggressive drumbeats. Inebriation, music, dance, songs, and general revelry follow as the best of the performers with graphic makeup take the lead. Soma, their favourite ritual drink, is generously served. As the sun begins to set, a campfire is kindled. The men have just returned from battle and are preparing to celebrate victory. For the purpose of charting the possible path these new gods took towards popularity, let us briefly imagine a day in one such tribal settlement. On the other hand, the central Asian nomadic tribes had their own religious iconography, often aggressive and martial. Over centuries, the matted-haired, animal-skin-wearing, hash-smoking god has evolved into many things, including a hermaphrodite, for many people. The dead are believed to be finally joining “Koothu Perumal,” the lord of dance in the Tamil language, which is one of Shiva’s many epithets. Instead, he directed me to Ragothaman, a priest at a local Shiva temple.Ī trained engineer, the priest said Savukoothu is symbolic of Shiva’s primordial performance. I am still a novice when it comes to the porul (crux) of koothu,” Rajkumar told me. “My grandpa could have given you more details. But he was too modest to hold forth on the subject itself. For the 38-year-old, who uses only his first name, giving rhythm to “death dancers” has been a family tradition. Curiosity kindled, I began visiting the city’s many crematoria.Īt one such facility, I met the wiry Rajkumar, head of a group of percussion artistes who lead Saavukoothu processions. It is at the Government Museum in the city’s Egmore locality that one expert hinted that even something as raw as Saavukoothu could be linked to Shiva. My search took me to Chennai, the capital of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu and home to perhaps one of the greatest collections of ancient Nataraja statues under one roof.

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