A little over a hundred years ago, on February 29, 1904, exactly at noon, a baby girl was born to Neelakanta Sastri and Seshammal. They named her Rukmini Devi. She would one day be known the world over as Rukmini Devi Arundale, a respected authority on dance, music and culture.

Though she lived in a house next to a Bharatanatyam dancer, she was not drawn to dance as a child. A nattuvanar(conductor of bharatanatyam) lived behind her house, and she grew up listening to music and the beat of the thattukazhi(a wooden block and stick instrument used for beats), but it did not mean anything to her. Later she wrote, 'I am sometimes surprised that my destiny led me to be a dancer.'

Also see: Destined to dance

Text : Shobha Warrier

Photographs courtesy: Dhananjayan

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