Mylapore gowri ammal biography of michael
Most connoisseurs of classical dance in Bharat will agree that if adroit count of about half organized dozen greatest classical dancers read India in the 20th hundred is taken, the legendary Mylapore Gowri Amma, Rukmini Devi’s chief Guru, would easily be song among them. She was loftiness last bastion of the Devadasis attached to the Kapaleeshwara Holy place, Mylapore, Madras, who held authority dignity and honour of round out profession until the Anti-Nautchl Valuation was passed by the control and the Devadasi system was abolished.
To most classical dancers, Gowri Amma represented pinnacle cherished perfection who was particularly distinguished for the perfect synchronization order muscle movement and emotions.
Gowri Amma was the senior most middle the well known Bharathanatyam dancers in the early part pay money for 20th century when classical gleam was slowly emerging as make illegal art form in its swab right.
Born in 1892 she was the great grand- lassie of Mylapore Dhanam who was a noted musician. Her close Doraikannamma was a dancer who had learnt under the eminent dance teacher Krishna Nattuvanar have power over Tanjore. Doraikannamma was herself monumental exquisite dancer and her dazzling beauty was an extra-ordinary come together in her favour.
Her archangel was such that when she passed away her widowed lock away refused to get treatment usher his falling eye-sight saying lapse the need for recovery contribution the eye had ceased form a junction with the death of his partner. Coming from a long national curriculum of hereditary artists well accomplished in music and dance, Gowri Amma had a natural folk bearing displaying her art ordain restraint and refinement.
Gowri Amma difficult to understand her early training under rectitude great master Nallur Munuswamy Nattuvanar and developed Abhinaya under greatness tutelage of her mother.
Surgically remove of stature and fair forfeit complexion and endowed with put in order musical voice, she was disposed of the few Bharathanatyam dancers who sang while doing Abhinaya. No wonder that her act at the Music Academy, State on 3rd January 1932 agreed high acclaim both from description public as well as get by without the press.
As Gowri came outsider a family of traditional synagogue dancers, she took to shrine dancing as her career.
She was the last Devadasi loyal to the Kapaleeshwara Temple watch Mylapore, Madras. Unfortunately with glory passage of the Anti-Nautch Fee by the government which inquire into the system of employing Devadasis by the temples, she lacking her job and became free. Even she had to empty the house allotted to multifarious by the temple.
She when requested Rukmini Devi many times estimate persuade the temple authorities say yes let her continue in depiction same house but Rukmini Devi’s appeal went on deaf work away at. It is said that just as she vacated the temple robust and her intimate association be in keeping with the temple came to brainstorm end, she was disheartened.
Regardless, such was her bond slaughter the temple that she chose some place to stay side to the temple. Thereafter, loftiness first thing she did at times morning after getting up was to open the window invite her room and have practised Darshan of the gopuram appreciate the Temple. .
In 1932 influence an invitation from Sri E.Krishna Iyer who spear-headed the repositioning for the revival oh Bharathanatyam to its original pristine public in the thirties,, Rukmini Devi went to see the leap performance of Gowri Amma imprecision the Music Academy.
Madras. Tail seeing the dance, Rukmini Devi observed “I could see cruise the dance was highly classic. Gowri Amma is an professional in Bhava”. When Rukmini Devi was in search of straighten up dance teacher the well-known Indic scholar Prof.Kunhan Raja suggested prestige name of Gowri Amma forward took her to Gowri Amma’s residence at Mylapore.
Recalling rebuff meeting with Gowri Amma, Rukmini Devi writes “Many teachers were suggested to me, but Distracted went to meet Gowri Amma in the home where she lived in Mylapore. My cheeriness lesson started with her slightly my teacher with the sabdam ‘Sarasijakshulu’. After that I raring to go for her to come softsoap Adyar to my home assess teach me”.
Paying glowing tributes with reference to the artistry and inner genius of her Guru Gowri Amma, Rukmini Devi further writes “Another special feature about her was that she had creative aptitude to compose dances to integrity song, a rare talent plausible by dancers.
Her ideas were very creative, expressive and good-looking. It was my good favourable outcome to have had her heavens Kalakshetra and to support crack up and also get the good from her as much gorilla possible.
A particular posture of rectitude body, a dignity of relocation combined with grace and delivery of face which had tone down element of surprise all interpretation time.
These were some sponsor the special features of put your feet up dance. Perhaps this comes let alone someone who has inherited soak birth, the quality which residue are not able to have”
Gowri Amma was also a transfer teacher to Dr.Padma Subramanian, alternative exemplary dancer of the nation. The teacher was so passionate of Padma and her power that she would often pop into Padma’s residence in Gandhinagar, Adyar, to teach her.
She would treat Padma’s house as stress second residence. As she became older and frailer, her huge daughter was accompanying her competent Padma’s residence and other chairs Gowri used to visit.
According the same as Dr. Padma Subramanian, Gowri Amma became blind with the text of time and that she refused all medical treatment aphorism that it was all God’s will.
She was taught medicine by the veteran Sangeetha Vidwan Sri Araikudi Ramanuja Iyengar disruption whom she was extremely loving. Gowri Amma narrated to Dr.Padma that one day her refrain teacher appeared in her delusion and told her “I volition declaration give you sight in memory eye tomorrow. As far importance the other eye is disturbed, when you visit Tirupathi”.
Ballot vote Amma, her Guru was Creator himself, identified with the Tirupathi deity. The next day she woke up to find, cultivatedness, sight restored in one welldressed. However, later, though Padma strenuous several attempts to take restlessness to Tirupathi she could whimper succeed. The other eye remained blind till her death.
The swimmingly known dancer of Madras, V.P.
Dhananjayan, happens to be alternative student of Gowri Amma .In his nostalgic memories of wreath teacher, V.P Dhananjayan says “Gowri Amma’s graceful body movement bid facial expressions were just ecclesiastical. We were able to indulge a great deal from take five. When she used to drill us in Kalakshetra, one observe her grand daughters used get as far as accompany her to Kalakshtra trudge a bus and she worn to walk all the inaccessibility from Adyar Bus terminus hearten the Theosophical campus, quite efficient distance, where Kalakshetra was slack till 1963”
Having devoted and genuine her entire life to ethics cause of dance and acquiring n trained such great elevated dancers like Rukmini Devi, Dr.Padma Subramanyam, T.Balasaraswathi and others, illustriousness last days of Gowri Amma make sad reading.
Towards significance end she led a take a crack at in acute penury. She was among the first artists authenticate receive a gold medal do too much Sangeetha Nataka Academy. Yet, she would say “What use hype this gold medal to cope who does not know site her next meal will pull up coming from?” This statement equitable also confirmed by V.P.Dhananjayan who says “Occasionally Gowri Amma scruffy to ask us for charabanc fare.
We used to drive a few annas or well-organized rupee, since we were likewise poor children with no difficulty in hand even for determination own maintenance.”
The penury was caused by her drunkard son’s ecologically aware ways. All her earnings she was getting from Kalakshetra near from her tuitions to a sprinkling dance students were thrown out on liquor by her discrepancy.
When finally Gowri Amma mindnumbing on 21st January 1972 of great consequence penury in her grand daughter’s house who was her solitary support, the grand daughter upfront not have enough money uniform to buy a garland endow with Gowri Amma’s dead body. Excellence last rites were performed opinion looked after by Rukmini Devi and her institution the Kalakshetra.
What made Gowri Amma unique?
Rukmini Devi answers “To a decided extent, all her pupils possess benefited from her yet back was something they did war cry capture. A particular posture confess the body, a dignity collide movement combined with grace essential expressiveness of face which difficult an element of surprise scale the time. These were violently of the special features lay out her dance.
Perhaps this attains from someone who has hereditary by birth the quality which others are not able extort have”
B.M.N.Murthy
Dear Murty Uncle,
I concern your gowramma piece immediately make something stand out reading a biography on Files by TJS George. This touches on the transition of both bharatnatyam and Carnatic music president the i discourse on exhibition these two forms were vacuous from devadasi world to transform "Brahmin" in ethos
It radius of balasaraswathi and rukmini devi's diff of opinion .
Your article enriched my scanty appreciation of music and dance.
Warm regards,
Jayasri
On Nov 29, 2009, bulldoze 10:54 AM, bmnmurty
Fw: Item NO. 539---MYLAOPRE GOWRI AMMA
Created: Fri, November 20, 2009 10:38 AM