Nrithya sabha (also called Nritta Sabha, Natya sabha, or "Hall of Dance") is a "so-called 56-pillared" hall. It is in the south section of the second courtyard that circumambulates the Nataraja sanctum of the complex. This second courtyard is near the temple's flag mast ("kodi maram" or "dwaja sthambam"). The 13th-century Nritta Sabha is traditionally considered as the place where Shiva and Kali originally entered into a dance competition. Shiva won with the "urdhva-tandava" pose that raised his right leg straight up, a posture that Kali refused because she was a woman. The hall is rectangular consisting of three stacked squares, a 15-meter-sided square that is the main hall, which is connected to 4 meters by 8 meters rectangular "mukha-mandapa" to its north. The hall now has 50 pillars, but evidence suggests that it may have had 56 or more pillars earlier. These pillars are intricately carved from top to bottom. The lower levels have dancers in "Natya Shastra" mudras accompanied with expressive musicians as if both are enjoying creating the music and the dance. The pillars also have embedded narratives of legends from Hindu texts, such as of Durga fighting the buffalo demon, as well as humorous dwarfs frolicking. Below the kapota, the structures show reliefs of seated people, many in "namaste" posture, some with a beard and yogi like appearance representing saints and rishis. Nearly 200 of these are still visible, rest appear to have been damaged or eroded over time.