The Divine Cosmic Dance : Bhagwan Shiva As Nataraja

Two Metre Tall Nataraja Statue at CERN European Council for Nuclear Research, Meyrin, Switzerland. This 2 meters tall statue was a gift from the Govt of India celebrating CERN’s long association with India which started in the 1960s. This was unveiled on June 18th, 2004 at CERN.

Why it is there?

The Shiva statue was a gift from India to celebrate its association with CERN, which started in the 1960s and remains strong today.

In the Hindu religion, God Shiva practiced Nataraj dance which symbolizes Shakti, or life force.

This deity was chosen by the Indian government because of a metaphor that was drawn between

the cosmic dance of the Nataraj and the modern study of the ‘cosmic dance’ of subatomic particles.

India is one of CERN’s associate member states. CERN is a multicultural organization that

welcomes scientists from more than 100 countries and 680 institutions.

The Shiva statue is only one of the many statues and art pieces at CERN.