Nirmala Ramachandran
Nirmala Ramachandran | |
|---|---|
| Born | Nirmala Viswanathan February 9, 1936 |
| Died | February 23, 2011 (aged 75) |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation(s) | Bharatanatyam dancer, dance teacher |
| Spouse | S. Ramachandran |
| Children | 2 |
| Parents |
|
| Awards | Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2004) |
Nirmala Ramachandran is a Bharathanatyam dancer from Mylapore, Tamil Nadu. In 2004, she received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award by Sangeet Natak Akademi, Government of India, for her contributions in the field of Bharatanatyam.
Biography
Nirmala Viswanathan was born on February 9, 1936, at Mylapore, Tamil Nadu.[1][2] Nirmala's father Vishwanathan, a businessman, was descended from Needamangalam in Thanjavur district.[2] Her mother, Sivakamu, was a lover of music and dance. Sivakamu's connection with dancer Mylapore Gowri Ammal, who was a regular visitor to their home in Mylapore and later Egmore, brought her closer to Carnatic music and Bharatanatyam.[2] Nirmala came to be known as Nirmala Ramachandran after she married Ramachandran, an Air India officer posted abroad.[1]
Nirmala did her initial Bharatanatyam training under Mylapore Gowri Ammal and Pandanallur Chokkalingam Pillai.[2] She had her arangettam (first public stage performance) in 1947, when she was 11 years.[1] She continued her studies and trained under T. Jayamma and T. Murthamma of the Dhanammal school from 1955 to 1963.[3]
Nirmala, who was also interested in Carnatic music, did her Bachelor of Arts in Carnatic music from the Queen Mary's College in Chennai under University of Madras, in 1956, and did her advanced training under K. V. Narayanaswamy and T. Muktha.[1][2]
Personal life and death
In 1958 she married S. Ramachandran, an Air India officer.[2] The couple have two sons, Dr. Ram Gopalakrishnan and Siddhartha Ramachandran.[2] She died on February 23, 2011, at Chennai, Tamil Nadu.[2]
Career
Nirmala got the opportunity to participate in a dance program by the famous dancer Balasaraswati, but neither Sarangapani Iyengar nor her guru Chokkalingam Pillai were in favor of it.[2] This later led to a rift with Chokkalingam Pillai and his Panthanallur dance style. It was E. Krishna Iyer who facilitated his return to the Panthanallur dance style by providing him with the opportunity to study dance under Thiruvalaputhur Swaminath Pillai.[2] She performed a full length concert once at the Madras Music Academy on December 28, 1954.[4]
Nirmala, who had to live in various countries with her husband Ramachandran, continued her artistic career and spread the art of Bharatanatyam in those countries as well through her performances, lectures, and classes.[1] She had performed in various venues worldwide including the India festival in the Soviet Union in 1987-88.[1]
Nirmala Ramachandran, who is also a Bharatanatyam teacher, has trained many dancers at her institution, Nirmala Niketan.[3]
Awards and honors
In 2001 Nirmala received Certificate of Merit award from the Madras Music Academy.[4] In 2004, she received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Bharatanatyam.[3]
References
- ^ a b c d e f "Epitome of grace". The Hindu. 10 March 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j MyTimes, Team (25 February 2011). "MYLAPORE TIMES - Obit: Nirmala Ramachandran". MYLAPORE TIMES.
- ^ a b c "Wayback Machine" (PDF). sangeetnatak.gov.in. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2025-05-20. Retrieved 2025-07-03.
- ^ a b "Kamala, the queen". The Hindu. 2011-03-17. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2025-07-03.