Darshana Jhaveri

🪔 About

Darshana Jhaveri, born on January 9, 1939, in Mumbai, India, is a renowned Indian exponent, choreographer, scholar, and teacher of Manipuri dance, and the youngest of the four acclaimed Jhaveri sisters. Raised in a Gujarati household, she began her Manipuri dance training at the age of six, inspired by her elder sisters, Nayana and Ranjana, who were learning from Guru Bipin Singh. She, along with her sister Suverna, also became a disciple of Guru Bipin Singh, who became her central mentor. Jhaveri furthered her training by learning traditional Raslila dances from Sutradhari Kshetritombi Devi, Nata Pung from Guru Meitei Tomba Singh, and traditional Maibi Jagoi from Kumar Maibi. By the 1950s, the Jhaveri sisters began performing together across India and internationally. In 1956, they made history as the first non-Manipuris to perform their dances at the sacred Govindji Temple in Imphal. Darshana Jhaveri, along with her sisters, Guru Bipin Singh, and Kalavati Devi, co-founded the Manipuri Nartanalaya in 1972, with centers in Mumbai, Kolkata, and Imphal. This institution has been instrumental in popularizing Manipuri dance and preserving its classical tradition. Jhaveri has dedicated her life to preserving and propagating Manipuri dance, assisting her guru in research, teaching, and choreography, and later taking on the mantle herself. She has published numerous books and articles on the dance form, including seminal works like "Manipuri Nartan" and "Manipuri Tal Prakash," and has documented oral traditions. She has performed extensively in over 40 countries and is recognized for bringing the temple tradition of Manipuri dance to urban stages without compromising its original form and spirit. Awards & Honours: Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1996), Padma Shri (2002), Kalidas Samman (2018), Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship (Ratna) (2023), Manipur Chief Minister's Distinguished Artist Award (2023), Lifetime Achievement Award (2024), ITDC Life Time Achievement Award (2026), Nishagandhi Award (2026), Honorary Degree of D.Litt. – Rabindra Bharati University (2026).