Rukmini Devi Arundale (29 Feb 1904 – 24 Feb 1986) he story of Rukmini Devi others of her high standards as a and others in the smooth transition and Kalakshetra is now part teacher, mentor, head of institution, to Kalakshetra’s continued state of Tof the cultural history of she perhaps failed to put in place a stability are well known to people contemporary India. Her life was part proper succession plan. In her own familiar with the history of the fairytale, part heroic saga, a life lived by words, “Often people exclaim and Foundation. True there have been lofty ideals and unshaken conviction. say: ‘What will happen after you!’ My moments of uncertainty and some steps She played a large role in the revival answer is twofold; firstly, one must do perhaps taken in the wrong direction, of Bharatanatyam, redefined its stage the best one can while one is alive and but few can complain of any great and costume aesthetics as well as its even that is worthwhile. Secondly, we loss of identity or decline of standards grammar and spiritual underpinnings. must not stop working just because over the decades after Rukmini Devi, A brilliant choreographer and we may not find the kind of successors especially when we consider the designer, she created the genre of we expect. I feel sure that there will serious depredations globalisation has dance-drama, collected around her be some who will carry on the work made into institutions and traditions some of the finest artists and teachers and that, if our destiny is good, there all around. from a variety of disciplines, to teach will be some one or more outstanding This profile of Rukmini Devi Arundale, and practise at Kalakshetra. She personalities to take over, who will written by Gowri Ramnarayan as a did a magnificent job of preserving make their own contribution.” three-part serial in the first year of traditional arts and crafts, making the Rukmini Devi’s faith in a benign Sruti’s publication, takes the reader Kalakshetra weaving department a destiny seemed misplaced for a while through her journey of discovery centre of excellence. She was a strong and there were anxious moments and excellence, while also providing and vocal advocate of vegetarianism about the future of the institution insights into her holistic philosophy and compassion to animals. She when she died in 1986. The roles of art truly rooted in nature, and her became an effective, often inspiring played by several individuals like the compassion for all things living. speaker on all the subjects dear to much loved Sankara Menon, former her. Above all, she was an institution EDITOR president of India R. Venkataraman builder par excellence. And like many “The first time I saw her was when she invited me to India. The second time I saw her was when she gladdened the eyes of the children of my school in Europe by the beautiful presence of her Indian womanhood. I saw her again a third time from an aeroplane on the sacred land of India and her hands were covered with garlands of roses and jasmine, and then I lived next to her. I have seen her in all the beauty of her unsurpassing Art of Kalakshetra which she cares for with the generous goodness of her exceptional spirit. Today the occasion of her birthday, which, however, comes only every four years, I have felt the miracle of being here in her domain and of seeing her in glory among her pupils and have wished her with all my heart, all the good that can be obtained in this world and the triumph of her ideals.” Dr. MARIA MONTESSORI 1 z SRUTI And today, at the mellow, age of When you partake of an art, four-score plus one, she still somewhere, somehow, perhaps like remains an extraordinary source of a hairline, there is a development kinetic energy, a trend-setter, a of your own nature, your higher revolutionary who battles with all self. The change is so subtle that the power at her command to you cannot easily define it. It is a preserve the purity of tradition and gradual but sure change of keep the insidious encroachment of civilization itself." he imperious voice rings out a ugliness in both life and art at bay. Trefusal. "No. I cannot spare the Ultimately what genuine art strives time to give interviews. There is so Rukmini Devi's missionary zeal has to communicate is the sense of much important work to be done been channelized into many and beauty and a joy in that beauty. and here come all these people varied streams of activity. They When highly created art evolves, pestering and pressurizing me." have borne fruits in several spheres she says, "its beauty is such that it Another voice implores: "This is a and not only in the aesthetic realm will gradually penetrate into your very special occasion. You have which has received the greatest nature." This may not be an just turned eighty and it's a attention. But she herself draws no instantaneous transfiguration and landmark...." At this, Kukmini Devi, dividing lines between the various perhaps not occur in one lifetime. who has been walking away to get activities to which she has paid The human collective unconscious into her car turns around. All attention. Hers is a holistic is enriched by it for "it will surely traces of annoyance have vanished. approach towards life which does penetrate into the nature of our With a broad smile she asks: "Is not look upon animal welfare and civilization." The poet Shelley had turning eighty such an Bharatanatyam as separate, observed that imagination is a achievement? All men and women watertight compartments. Her great moral force operant in the grow old. Some live longer than involvement with education is not arts, which impels man towards others. Completing eighty is not a segregated from her interest in the goodness because it unfolds vistas sacred landmark in my life! I don't handicrafts. Working for the of hitherto unperceived beauty. even feel old! My work is by no vegetarian cause is as important as Art contributes to the effect by means complete. I am looking giving lectures on theosophy. A acting upon the imagination, he e forward to achieving more and heuristic sensibility makes her said. Kukmini Devi avers that it is more worthwhile goals in the various activities an authentic not so much the power of future." contribution of the individual imagination as the power of art to towards changing the course and make man more sensitive that She is old, no doubt. Her freshly direction of the world. With this develops the human qualities of washed silver hair proclaims her approach, she has brought to the compassion and fellow feeling. She years, as do the wrinkles and world of art, which is a world of elaborates: pouches under the eyes. She had illusion and make-believe, the been leaning on a colleague's thrust and force of real life. "Artists have a deep emotion- shoulders during the short walk to charged sensitivity. They are the car. Yet, when she talks of the She feels strongly on the sensitive to everything, to beauty, future and the work to be done, she importance oi art and articulates to sorrow, to cruelty. So they seems to shed all traces of the her views with passion. cannot stand ugliness in life and passage of years. There is a glow in "People say that art makes you cruelty is an ugliness in life. With her eyes, a youthfulness in her grow. But anything that inspires their natural instincts tuned to this voice and a zest and power of you makes you grow. Learning and fine, sensitive pitch, they get a eloquence in her speech. practising any of the arts will add better mental understanding of life. But since the change wrought by Assuredly, unpredictability is the to your poise and make you more artists is neither preceded by a main streak in Kukmini Devi's graceful, expressive and articulate. sudden upheaval nor followed by a nature. She eludes entrapment by But the personality doesn't grow by total change, you may think that eulogy. She refuses to permit the the attention given to a subject. It there is no change. But the change ossification that sets in with grows by an inner understanding. is taking place all the time and excessive adulation which would Artists and art lovers are artists are helping civilisation to 'monumentalize' her and cut her off sometimes very cruel. So don't change. I think art is essential for from the mainstream of life. think that a mere learning of music or dance will make a person more human development because it It is often said that personalities compassionate. contributes, immeasurably yet make destiny. This truism is imperceptibly, like a drop in the applicable with special force in "But the arts have a much more ocean, to the evolution of noble Rukmini Devi's case. It is surely important role to play in human and good character in people." her own dynamic nature, with its life and human endeavour than the multifaceted interest in the varied development of individuals. In an These words gain meaning and aspects of life and art, that has invisible overall way, art fosters the validity in the light of the speaker's made her a unique "cult figure'. spiritual growth of humanity. own life. Rukmini Devi was born on 29 student of Vedanta who wrote and that she used to enjoy watching February 1904 — a leap year — in commentaries on some of the the rehearsals as well as the actual Madurai during the auspicious Upanishads.