Many moons ago, my great grandmother - Bala Chitti as she was popularly known - had composed an incredible song in the praise of Nataraja. The lyrics went:
Ananda Tirunatanam, Aranudanai Parvatiyum
Arputhamay Aadi Nindral, Anay varam Kondada
Shobhaa ne..
(And it continues in the same vein describing the dance. essentially celebrating the Beauty & Joy of the Celestial Dance. i could translate it, but it ends up sounding so bland and contrived that the beauty of the description is lost.)

This was traditionally sung in the family during oil baths. What is the connection - i know not. But, it was one of those songs that has been with me since childhood. Shiva as Nataraja - needless to say - is one of the forms of God for whom I have tremendous affection. The following is a Tanjore painting of Nataraja -accompanied by Vishnu, Parvati and the rest of the pantheon. A different kind of representation from the Chola bronzes that we are all used to seeing.

Today, i came across this lovely drawing of the Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram. It is part of the British Museum Collection and was sketched in 1762.

Do visit the site it is a treasure trove of images of India from a long time ago.