Mrinalini Sarabhai gets first Nisagandhi award

Thiruvananthapuram: Renowned classical dancer and choreographer Mrinalini Sarabhai has been chosen for the first `Nisagandhi Puraskaram` award, instituted by the Kerala Tourism department.

She was being honoured for her overall contribution to Indian classical dance, an official release here said. The annual award, instituted from this year, is meant to honour a classical dancer or singer of national and international repute. A Jury chaired by former additional chief secretary D Babu Paul selected Sarabhai for the award, which carries a cash prize of Rs 1.50 lakh, citation and a statuette. Mrinalini was born in Kerala as the daughter of social worker and former parliament member Ammu Swaminathan. She was educated at Santiniketan under the guidance of Rabindranath Tagore where she realised dance was her true calling. She had her training in the south Indian classical dance form of Bharatanatyam under Meenakshi Sundaram Pillai and the classical dance-drama of Kathakali under the legendary Guru Thakazhi Kunchu Kurup. PTI