Karnataka - Bangalore   

Guru Narmada passes away

Special Correspondent

Guru Narmada

Bangalore: Guru Narmada, who has trained some of the finest Bharatanatya dancers such as Lakshmi Gopalswamy, Manju Bhargavi, Sathyanarayan Raju, Nirupama Rajendra, Malathi Iyengar, Praveen and Anuradha Vikranth, died of a heart attack on Friday. She was 64.

She was recently awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi award by the President for her contribution to the field of dance. A recipient of the Karnataka Government's Shantala Award, this veteran guru has been teaching Bharatanatya for more than 25 years. She herself trained initially under V.S. Kaushik in the Thanjavur style, and then from the legendary K.P. Kittappa Pillai for 18 years.

A profile in courage, she lost her husband in an accident in Hyderabad when she was just 25 and pregnant with her only child. She returned to Bangalore, and encouraged by her mother, began to teach Bharatanatya. "She would go all the way to Whitefield and teach dance at a doctor's house. That family encouraged her a lot," her grieving sister told The Hindu . "She has seen so many ups and downs in life."

Guru Narmada started her dance school, Shakuntala Nruthyala, named after her mother in 1978. Inspiring her students to be creative using a particular adavu without sacrificing classicism was a notable factor in her

Narmada's teaching. She has encouraged her students to retain their individuality and creative freedom within the classical framework.

She leaves her son Rajesh, a doctor settled in the United States, and three sisters and two brothers.

Ammanni Iyengar

Veteran social worker Ammanni Iyengar, who was ailing for some time, died on Saturday. She was 96.

She was the president of MEWS and was closely associated with several education, religious and cultural organisations. She was the founder of Kanya, the shop famous for its designer saris.

She leaves her daughter Vimala Rangachar and son S.R. Krishna Prasad.

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