Sundari Krishnalal Shridharani

🪔 About

Sundari Krishnalal Shridharani (born Sundari Bhavnani) was a pioneering Indian classical dancer, institution builder, and cultural figure, renowned for her profound contributions to the performing arts in India. Born on April 6, 1925, in Hyderabad, Sindh, in undivided India, Shridharani's artistic journey began at Santiniketan. She further honed her skills at the Uday Shankar Indian Cultural Centre in Almora, where she received training in Kathakali under Guru Shankaran Namboodiri and Manipuri dance under Guru Amubi Singh. Her diverse training also included Greek dance at the Ginner Mawer School of Dance and Drama in London. In 1947, Shridharani performed at the first International Youth Festival in Prague. Following the Partition of India, she found herself in Bombay with limited resources, where she began teaching dance to young students. After her marriage to poet, playwright, and journalist Krishnalal Shridharani, she moved to Delhi. In 1950, driven by a vision to create an accessible and inclusive arts hub, she founded Triveni Kala Sangam in Delhi. Starting in a single room above a coffee house with two students, her dedication soon garnered the attention of Pandit Nehru, who allotted land for the institution. The present building of Triveni Kala Sangam, designed by architect Joseph Allen Stein, was inaugurated on March 3, 1963, becoming a cornerstone of Delhi's cultural landscape. Throughout the 1950s, Shridharani received a Fulbright Fellowship, enabling her to travel across universities in the United States, giving lecture-demonstrations of Indian dances. She was a strong advocate for making art accessible to all, fostering an environment where various art forms could be learned and discussed. Her contributions to the arts were recognized with the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 1992, and posthumously, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2011 for her overall contribution to the performing arts. Sundari Krishnalal Shridharani passed away on April 7, 2012, in New Delhi, at the age of 93, leaving behind a lasting legacy through Triveni Kala Sangam, which continues to thrive under the leadership of her son, Amar Shridharani. Awards & Honours: Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2011), Padma Shri (1992).