Bronze icons of Nataraja cast during the Chola period invariably show the deity with

The correct answer is C because the Chola style Nataraja is characterized by a specific four armed iconography representing the cosmic dance of Tandava. Each of the four hands holds a symbolic meaning: the upper right hand holds the damaru drum representing creation, the upper left hand holds the fire representing destruction, the lower right hand is in the abhaya mudra signifying protection, and the lower left hand points toward the raised foot representing liberation. While other forms of Shiva may have different numbers of hands, the classic Chola bronze Nataraja invariably features four.