Google Doodles Rukmini Devi Arundale’s 112th Birth Anniversary
The renowned classical dancer was once nominated for the post of President of India, which she refused.
advertisement
It’s the leap day of 2016 and Google has marked this special occasion by dedicating its Doodle to renowned dancer, Rukmini Devi Arundale. The classical dancer’s Doodle celebrates her 112 birth anniversary.
Rukmini Devi helped in shaping the Indian classical music scene, giving it the popularity that we know of.
Rukmini Devi’s heritage goes a long way, with her father, Neelakanta Sastri said to have worked with women’s rights activist, Annie Besant. Rukmini Devi’s immense talent was first observed at the Diamond Jubilee celebration of the Theosophical Society in 1935 and the rest is history.
In January 1936, she along with her husband, Dr George Arundale, established Kalakshetra, an academy of dance and music, built around the ancient Indian Gurukul system, at Adyar, near Chennai, the academy is a deemed university under the Kalakshetra Foundation.
But that’s not all, Rukmini Devi was nominated as a member of the Indian Parliament’s Council of States (the Rajya Sabha) in April 1952, and re-nominated in 1956.
She is also said to have been nominated for the post of the President of India in 1977 by Morarji Desai, which she turned down. Rukmini Devi Arundale died on 24 February 1986 in Chennai.