Shyamala Mohanraj

🪔 About

Shyamala Mohanraj (1941-2015) was a distinguished Indian classical dancer and guru of Bharatanatyam, renowned for her mastery of the T. Balasaraswati tradition. Born in 1941 into a family of teachers who had migrated to Sri Lanka, her father recognized her talent for dance and brought her to Madras (now Chennai), India, at the age of thirteen to pursue classical dance and music studies. She began dancing at seven and, at fourteen, commenced her rigorous training under the legendary T. Balasaraswati, a tutelage that continued until Balasaraswati's passing. Mohanraj had her Arangetram, her ceremonial debut performance, in 1978. A senior and prime disciple of Balasaraswati, Shyamala Mohanraj became an expert in both the Thanjavur and Pandanallur Baani (styles) of Bharatanatyam, with a particular specialization in Abhinayam, the expressive aspect of dance. She taught, performed, and lectured extensively, generously sharing the profound depth and beauty of the temple arts of South India. Beyond her dance career, she also taught Botany for many years, was an adept practitioner of Yoga, and studied Vastu Shastra under eminent gurus like Ganapathy Sthapathi. Shyamala Mohanraj founded The Koothambalam School, an institution dedicated to Bharatanatyam. She was based primarily in Chennai, India, where she lived and taught. Although she did not receive major national awards, her dedication to her art and her teaching legacy were widely recognized. She passed away on July 14, 2015, at the age of 74. Her students include Laurissa Vibhuti, who now directs The Koothambalam School in Longmont, Colorado, and was the only non-Indian to complete the formal arangetram margam in Mohanraj's lineage; Neela Bhaskar, a Bharatanatyam dancer and scholar; Vasugi Singh, a South African student who had her arangetram under Mohanraj in 1975 and now directs the KZN Dance Theatre; and Ashwini Kaarthikeyan.