This item depict Hindu Shiva Nataraja performing his divine dance as a part of his divine duties of creation and destruction. The Lord Shiva is shown here dancing in a circle of flames, lifting his left 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 form is present in most Shiva temples in South India, and is the main deity in the famous temple at Chidambaram. The upper right hand holds a small drum shaped like an hourglass that is called a damaru in Sanskrit. It is called Dhamarukha in Hindi. A specific hand gesture (mudra) is used to hold the drum. It symbolizes sound originating Creation. The upper left hand contains Agni or fire, which signifies destruction. The opposing concepts in the upper hands show the counterpoise of creation and destruction. The second right hand shows the Abhaya mudra (meaning fearlessness in Sanskrit), bestowing protection from both evil and ignorance to those who follow the righteousness of dharma. The second left hand points towards the raised foot, which signifies uplift and salvation. The hand also symbolises the trunk of the elephant-headed Ganesha, son of Shiva, known as the remover of obstacles and a symbol of strength. The dwarf on which Nataraja dances, is the demon Apasmara, which symbolises Shiva's victory over ignorance. As the Lord of Dance, Nataraja, Shiva performs the tandava, the dance in which the universe is created, maintained, and resolved. Shiva's long, matted tresses, usually piled up in a knot, loosen during the dance and crash into the heavenly bodies, knocking them off course or destroying them utterly. The surrounding flames represent the manifest Universe. The snake swirling around his waist is kundalini, the Shakti or divine force thought to reside within everything.