The ancient Chola town of Thanjavur has made its artistic and aesthetic contribution to the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN), which discovered the Higgins Boson particle, as the Lord Nataraja’s idol in the cosmic dance pose placed at the lab is made by sculptors from Swamimalai, near Kumbakonam here.
The 12-feet bronze idol was ordered by the Indian Government through the National Indian Arts and Crafts Corporation and gifted to the CERN research lab in Geneva. It was made of locally-sourced bronze weighing around two tonnes.A team of 80 sculptors took nearly 17 months to complete the magnificent bronze idol.
Speaking to ‘Express’, Suresh Kumar of Rajan Industries, whose sculptors created the statue, said that the bronze idol was sold to the government arts and crafts corporation in 2005.Later, officials from the culture ministry transported the idol to Chennai in a special truck and air-lifted it to Geneva.
According to Saivaite philosophy, Lord Nataraja symbolises cosmic dance, which is related to the subject observed and analyzed by the scientists in CERN.
The idol with Lord Shiva in Rudra Thandavam (cosmic dance) posture was placed in CERN lab. It may symbolise a link between Saivaite philosphy and modern science.