Google Doodle honours legendary dancer and Padma awardee Mrinalini Sarabhai

NEW DELHI: Today's Google Doodle is honouring the legendary dancer and Padma Bhushan and Padma Shree recipient Mrinalini Sarabhai on her 100th birth anniversary.

Sarabhai was born on this day - 11 May 1918 – exactly 100 years ago. She trained in Bharatnatyam, Kathakali and Mohiniyattom. She pursued education at Shantiniketan under Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore. She also wrote many novels, poetry, plays, and stories for children.

She founded the Darpana Academy of Performing Arts in Ahmedabad in 1948, an institute that trains in dance, drama, music, and puppetry. She's reportedly trained over 18,000 students in Bharatnatyam and Kathakali.

In 1942, she later married famous Indian physicist Dr Vikram Sarabhai, also known as the architect of Indian space programme. Her son Kartikeya and daughter Mallika followed her footsteps to become dancers and theatre artists.

“Darpana was established as a dance academy by Mrinalini and Vikram Sarabhai in 1949. For nearly two decades it taught classical dance. With Mrinalini as the lead dancer, and ChatunniPanicker as her partner, the Darpana dance company toured across the world,” said the official website of Darpanaacademy.

On 21 January 2016, Mrinalini Sarabhai died. She was 97.