Registered with the Registrar of Newspapers for India under R.N.I 53640/91
Vol. XXVI No. 15, November 16-30, 2016
Recalling Rukmani Devi in Besant Nagar
Rukmani Road is at the end of Muthulakshmi Salai in Besant Nagar, the road on which the Kalakshetra Foundation is.
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Who is Rukmini Devi?
Rukmini Devi was born on February 29, 1904, to Neela-kanta Sastri and Sesham-mal. Sastri was an engineer with the PWD, and also a committed member of the Theosophical Society. After his retirement, he shifted to Madras, to a house near the Theosophical Society in Adyar. Through her father, Rukmini came under the influence of Annie Besant at a very young age.
Rukmini Devi first met Dr. George Arundale, in 1917. He was an active member of the Theosophical Society, and was in charge of their newspaper. Dr Arundale, in 1920, married her with the approval and support of her family. This inter-caste marriage created a furore in the Brahmin community.
Though a Brahmin, Rukmini Devi took up the cause of Bharata Natyam, which was considered a vulgar art practised by devadasis during that period. She began to learn dance from Mylapore Gauri Ammal. She also persuaded Meenakshi-sundaram Pillai to come to Madras to teach her. Rukmini Devi gave her first performance at the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of the Theosophical Society in 1935.
Within a year after her first performance at the Theosophical Society, Rukmini Devi and Dr George Arundale founded the Kalakshetra to foster classical music, dance and the traditional crafts. The name was decided by Pandit S. Subramania Sastri, a Sanskrit scholar and member of the music academy. There was a lot of overlap between the Theosophical Society and Kalakshetra – most of the people in Kalakshetra were committed to Theosophy as well. S. Sarada, Radha, Leela-vati (Rukmini’s niece) were among the first to join Kalak-shetra. Many renowned dancers, including Meenakshi-sundaram Pillai, Muthukumara Pillai and Karaikkal Saradambal Ammal, joined Kalakshetra as its teachers.
In 1956, she was awarded the Padma Bhushan and in 1967, received the ‘Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship’. She also featured in India Today’s list of ‘100 People Who Shaped India’. Her contribution to the arts have made her a notable figure in Indian Classical music as well as dance. Rukmini Devi was also known for her efforts towards the protection of animal rights. She was instrumental in the passing of the bill for the prevention of cruelty to animals and the establishment of Animal Welfare Board. She died on February 24, 1986.
Archana Venkatesh
