Rukmini Devi Neelakanta Shastri | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Rukmani Neelakanta Sastri 29 February 1904 |
| Died | 24 February 1986 (aged 81) |
| Years active | 1920–1986 |
| Spouse | |
| Awards | Padma Bhushan (1956) Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship (1967) |
| Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha | |
| In office 3 April 1952 – 2 April 1962 | |
| Constituency | Nominated |
Rukmini Devi Arundale (née Shastri; 29 February 1904 – 24 February 1986)[1] was an Indian theosophist, dancer and choreographer of the Indian classical dance form of Bharatanatyam, and an activist for animal welfare.
She was the first woman in Indian history to be nominated as a member of the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Parliament of India. The most important revivalist of Bharatanatyam from its original 'sadhir' style prevalent amongst the temple dancers, the Devadasis, she also worked for the re-establishment of traditional Indian arts and crafts.
She espoused the cause of Bharata Natyam which was considered a vulgar art. She 'sanitised' and removed the inherent eroticism of Sadhir to make it palatable to Indian upper-caste elites and the British morality of the era.[2]
Rukmini Devi features in India Today's list of '100 People Who Shaped India'.[3] She was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1956,[4] and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship in 1967.
- ^ Sharma, Shoba and Gangadean, Ashok (January 31, 2004) Rukmini Devi Arundale Centenary Celebration at Haverford College, February 28, 2004. Naatya.org. Retrieved on 10 December 2018.
- ^ "Articles - Sensual sringara to bhakti boredom: The brahminisation of Bharatanatyam by Lada Guruden Singh".
- ^ Raman, N. Pattabhi. Rukmini Devi. India Today
- ^ "Padma Awards" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 October 2015. Retrieved 21 July 2015.