Mylapore Gowri Ammal
Indian dancer (1892–1971)
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Mylapore Gowri Ammal also known as Mylapore Gowri Amma (1892–1971) was a Bharathanatyam dancer from Mylapore India. She was a temple dancer in Kapaleeshwarar Temple in Mylapore. In 1959, she received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Bharathanatyam.
1892
Mylapore Gowri Ammal | |
|---|---|
| Born | Gowri Ammal 1892 |
| Died | 22 January 1971 (aged 78–79) |
| Other name | Mylapore Gowri Amma |
| Occupation | Bharatanatyam dancer |
| Awards | Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1959) |
Biography
Mylapore Gowri Ammal was born in 1892, in a Devadasi family of Mylapore, Tamil Nadu.[2] Her mother Doraikannu Ammal was also a dancer. She learned dance from Nelluru Munuswamy Nattuvanar and also from her mother. Born into a family of temple dancers, she was the last person to serve at the Kapaleeshwarar Temple in Mylapore.[3] She lived in a small house given to her by the Kapaleeshwarar temple, until a law was passed banning temple dancing.[3] Having lost her guardianship and home, she survived the rest of her life by teaching dance.[3]
She died on 22 January 1971.[4]
Career
Gowri Ammal started her dancing career as a temple dancer in Kapaleeshwarar Temple in Mylapore. Ammal is often referred to as the last devadasi of the Kapaleeshwarar temple.[5] She danced for the deity in the temple until the Indian government banned the Devadasi system in 1947, under the Madras Devadasis (Prevention of Dedication) Act.[6]
As part of E. Krishna Iyer's efforts to support Bharatanatyam and have it recognised as an art form, and not dismiss it as part of a social reform movement, since it was based on the Devadasi system, in 1932, Gauri Ammal danced at the Madras Music Academy.[3] Ammal gained fame in 1936 when Rukmini Devi Arundale, her first student approached her to become her Bharatanatyam guru.[7] Rukmini had come to the Kapaleeshwarar temple to ask her to come to the Kalakshetra, to teach her the subtleties of "abhinaya" (acting).[7]
Gauri Ammal's abhinaya (acting), bhava (face expression) and musical talent in the Bharatanatyam performance were widely noted.[8] She last performed on a public stage at the Silver Jubilee celebrations of the Indian National Congress in 1935.[3]
Notable disciples
Many notable dancers, including Balasaraswati,[3] Rukmini Devi Arundale,[3] Sudharani Raghupathy,[9] Kalanidhi Narayanan,[10] Sonal Mansingh,[11] Yamini Krishnamurthy[12] and Nirmala Ramachandran[13] were students of Gauri Ammal.
Awards and honors
She received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Bharathanatyam in 1959.[2] She also received award from Madras Music Academy.[3]