Rukmini Devi
A commemorative postage stamp on Rukmini Devi Arundale, an Indian classical Bharatanatyam dancer :
Issued by India
Issued on Dec 27, 1987
Description of Designs : The 60p. stamp is designed by India Security Press, Nashik Road. The design of the first day cover is prepared by Shri Sankha Samanta and the cancellation by Smt. Alka Sharma.
Type : Stamp, Mint Condition
Colour : Single colour
Denomination : 60 Paise
Overall size : 3.91 x 2.90 cms.
Printing size : 3.55 x 2.54 cms.
Perforation : 13 x 13
Paper : Indigenous unwatermarked P G Matt coated stamp paper
Number Printed : 10,00,000
Number per issue sheet : 35
Printing Process : Photogravure
Printed : India Security Press
Name : Rukmini Devi Neelakanda Sastri
Born on Feb 29, 1904 at Madurai, Madras Presidency, British India
Died on Feb 24, 1986 at Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
About :
- Rukmini Devi was born on 29th February, 1904 into a South Indian family with a tradition of culture and scholarship. Her parents were deeply influenced by the Theosophical Movement. Rukmini Devi’s own involvement with Theosophy increased with her marriage to Dr. G.S. Arundale.
- A meeting with Anna Pavlova, the famous Russian ballerina, kindled her interest in dance. Against tremendous opposition Rukmini Devi trained herself in Bharatanatyam, fired by the desire to revive this art among young people. This led in 1936 to the establishment of Kalakshetra, which has since become one of the premier institutions of India where dance, music, sculpture and the crafts are taught in a Guru-kula atmosphere. The institution under Rukmini Devi maintained the purity and beauty of the spirit embodied in the great art traditions of India, combined with the highest standards of technique and learning, preparing artistes and teachers for a cultural revival.
- In the course of this endeavour Rukmini Devi created a new genre based on old traditions – the Dance Drama. She choreographed 25 dance dramas.
- She invited Dr. Maria Montessori to India to start teachers’ training courses. Thus the first Montessori School and a teachers’ training course were established in India.
- Nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 1952, she introduced the Bill for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in the Parliament and the Animal Welfare Board was established with her as Chairman.
- Her efforts to educate people in many matters ranging from artistic taste to humanitarian feeling were exemplified in her involvement with the Theosophical Movement, Vegetarian Congress, Unesco work, Tibetan Relief work, the founding of the weaving department, dye research laboratory, a publication department, a Kalamkari unit, Dr. U.V. Swaminathan Iyer Library of Tamil Manuscripts etc.
- She received some of a nation’s highest honours for her multifaceted contributions, in India and abroad such as the Padma Bhushan; Fellowship of the Sangeet Natak Akademi; Queen Victoria Silver Medal of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals; Deshikothama from Vishwabharathi University, Shantiniketan; Thanipperum Kalaignar award from the Tamil Nadu Eyal Isai Manram; and the Kalidas Samman by the Madhya Pradesh Govt. She passed away on 24th February 1986.
