As India became independent on August 15, 1947, many people contributed to the country’s freedom from British rule. One such individual who not only took the country forward on the creative front but also in terms of national affairs was Rukmini Devi Arundale. She contributed on her own to the country’s development. Rukmini Devi was offered to be the President of India, but she chose to dance over it.
Rukmani Devi was born on February 29, 1904, in a Brahman family in Tamil Nadu. Her father was an engineer. During her childhood, she didn’t spend much time with her father, as he was busy with work. But her childhood was full of music and dancing, thanks to her mother. She was brought up in an artistic environment, and she learned Bharatnatyam and singing at a young age. However, things took a major turn when she was married at the age of 16 to 42-year-old Dr. George Arundhale. At that time, her family received a lot of criticism for marrying their daughter at such a young age.
Despite getting married, she continued to remain active in Bharatnatyam throughout her life. After that, she was also made president of the Young Theosophical Society. In the 1970s, Rukmini was offered the presidency of India by Prime Minister Morarji Desai. But the only condition was that she had to quit dancing. But her love and devotion for dancing made her choose it over her position.
Rukmini Devi received a lot of accolades throughout her career as well. In 1965, she was honoured with the Padma Bhushan award. Apart from that, she was also awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1957 for her contribution to music and dance. In 1967, she was also awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship. Her legacy transcends time and has inspired a lot of people to follow their passion. She also became India’s first woman MP to become a member of the Rajya Sabha. Her whole life was dedicated to art, and she breathed her last in February 1986.
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