#Shakthi Series - Rukmini Devi Arundale

 

Shakthis Who Shaped our Society

#2 Rukmini Devi Arundale – An Artist and a path breaker (1904 -1986)

An idyllic afternoon in hot and humid Chennai. You see young girls and boys learning under a huge banyan tree. What are they learning? The ancient art of Bharatanatyam – propounded by Bharatha Muni and a dance form that Lord Shiva and Devi Parvati were fond of.

Was this art form always available so easily to everyone? Was it enjoyed and admired by so many? No. This revolution was brought about by a single woman who made it her life mission and institutionalized the learning and practice of this art form – Rukmini Devi Arundale.

Rukmini Devi Arundale, the founder of the great institution of dance ‘Kalakshetra’, a lover of animals and traditional textiles and the one who turned down the highest office in the country – being President of India.

“I was very intuitive from an early age. I responded to people just as I responded to art – through an inner feeling which is difficult to explain. I just felt some things were right and some were not…”

 

Rukmini- the Theosophist

Born on Leap Day, February 29, Rukmini was initiated at a very early age into the teachings of the Theosophical Society by her father, Neelakanta Sastry. Her childhood was spent in the environment of the Theosophical Society, inspired by people like Dr. Annie Besant. This was to shape her life. She remained close and connected to the Theosophical Society, marrying Dr. George Arundale, a distinguished theosophist.

Rukmini – the Dancer

Rukmini’s fascination with dance came when she watched the ballet by the legendary the Russian ballet dancer Anna Pavlova. She did learn ballet and aced it. She then turned towards the Indian dance form – then known as Thevaraatam / Sathiraatam. This art form was considered lowly at the time and restricted to certain communities. It was performed by private audiences or in temples by these practicing women.

Sathiraatam (as Bharatanatyam was known before 1932) seems to was refined art form as evidenced by South Indian temple sculptures right from the 6^th century. However, somewhere during the 16^th-17^th centuries, the dance form had been derogated to that which is performed by temple harlots and courtesans.

Sadiraattam to Bharatanatyam- The Renaming

Thanks to the efforts of Rukmini and E.Krishna Iyer, this art form got its respectable name as Bharatanayam in 1932 by the Madras Music Academy.

Bha = Bhavam; ra = feelings/ emotions; ra= melody; tam = thalam/rhythm; Natyam = dance.

History in the making

Rukmini gave her first Bharatnatyam performance at the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of the Theosophical Society in 1935.She faced a violent backlash for a upper caste woman doing a public performance. Many threatened to not only boycott but also disrupt the event. She weathered the storm with her commitment and resolve.

Those who were present in the open air Adyar Theatre (of the Theosophical Society) on that day in 1935, were mesmerized by the spiritual quality of her dance. Sir C V Raman, the Nobel Laureate said, “some of you, I hope – for your sakes all of you – must have been thrilled by what you just witnessed… grace brought down from the heights of the Himalayas and put on the earth of this platform”.

That day, she created history and completely changed the course of the art. It was the first time a dance performance was presented as a stage performance, with the main idea of propounding the aesthetic beauty of the dance.

The accompanying musicians were relegated to the back ground with the focus on the dancer. The earlier practice was everyone moving. This was accentuated with a plain screen in the back and aesthetic dressing and jewellery and not provocative as earlier. She was ushering in a period of renaissance in this art.

 Kalakshetra – The Birth

Rukmini strongly felt that a cultural revival, renaissance would greatly aid the freedom struggle of India. She was not satisfied with just performing herself. She wanted more and more young people to learn and revive the traditional arts of the country. This urge in her gave birth to the esteemed institution – Kalakshetra.

Kalakshetra was the dream child of Rukmini- a space for the expression of youth through artistic education, a center for the study and performance of fine arts. She wrote, “When I think about the events that led to the formation of Kalakshetra, I am more and more convinced that there is a divine destiny which shapes our lives. Many people have said many things about my being a pioneer. I can only say that I did not consciously go after the dance. It was the dance that found me.”

The rhythms of Bharatanatyam in the Kalakshetra style may be heard on almost every continent on the earth. The more than 30 dance dramas which she composed, are still being performed with reverence and strict adherence to her choreography. They retain their freshness and beauty and the power to entrance audiences and to create a sense of the temple on the stage, which was her intention. She brought alive mythology and lore through the finest sensibilities in art – be it in costumes, music, and stagecraft and of course in the dance itself.

No to Presidentship

Prime Minister Moraji Desai, nominated her to become the President of India, she immediately declined the offer. Her response was simple and clear. If she were to become President, it would take her away from her work, from Kalakshetra and she could not let that happen as she believed that the art and the institution needed her complete attention.

A Champion for the Voiceless

Rukmini Devi also championed for the welfare of animals. She felt, “the whole animal world is sending out one cry for help which very few human beings are answering.”. As a member of the Rajya Sabha she was instrumental in passing the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. And in 1957 the first World Vegetarian Congress was held in India under her Presidentship. “Animals are my friends and I do not eat my friends” was a line she often repeated, once even at the dinner table of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

An aesthetic eye for beauty

Involved in the revival of crafts, Rukmini established the weaving centre in Kalakshetra to help bring back traditional designs, colours and motifs along with traditional weaving practices. Whether it was the six yards of fabric or the 100 acres of land, she was a master architect who designed with the belief that beauty was in the detail, which had to be in tune with the composite (she preferred to use the phrase “in shruti”). Even today the Rukmini Devi saree is a famous weave that women aspire for.

We salute this artist, animal lover, reviver of tradition and a greate human being - Shakti -Rukmini Devi