Ananda Coomaraswamy
Written in the early twentieth century, The Dance of Shiva was a remarkable book for its time. It discussed in depth the unique nature of the Indian ethos, understood by so few in the Western world and misinterpreted by so many. A collection of fourteen lectures, these essays on Indian art and culture offer a lucid representation of the opinions and attitudes held by Indian intellectuals during the British Raj.Ranging from topics such as music during Vedic times, Indian attitudes towards family, women and love, analyses of the symbolism of Nataraja and the many-armed gods of India, to the Indian concept of beauty, The Dance of Shiva is an effervescent account of the Indian experience through the ages.
