Shiva Nataraja

Gadaladeniya Temple

Shiva Nataraja, with flowing locks, dances the measures of Time in this relief from Gadaladeniya. Although it is a Buddhist temple, Hindu deities like this are included in the decoration, and there is even a subsidiary Hindu shrine on the grounds. The making of temples, with provision for both Hindu and Buddhist shrines in the compound, is characteristic of Sri Lanka's multicultural heritage.