Today’s Google Doodle pays homage to the 100th birth anniversary of renowned Indian classical dancer Mrinalini Sarabhai. The legendary artist who was also a recipient of Padma Bhushan was born on May 11, 1918, in Kerala. She and her husband Vikram Sarabhai (Indian Physicist) both made India proud with their respective contributions.
The doodle designed by Delhi-based illustrator Sudeepti Tucker beautifully shows Mrinalini posing with her signature parasol while the students are dancing on the stage. It’s an animated view of the Darpana Academy of Performing Arts that was founded by the Sarabhai couple in 1949.
Talking about her skills, Mrinalini Sarabhai began her training at a very young age and learned Bharatnatyam, Mohiniyattom, as well as Kathakali. She completed her education from Shantiniketan under the guidance of none other than Rabindranath Tagore.
With a passion to share the art form with others, she along with her husband founded the Darpana Academy of Performing Arts in Ahmedabad. The Academy turned out to be more than a study centre as it helped in bringing out a positive change in the society.
Back at that time, she was one of the few artists to have received training in more than one art form. Regardless of the evolution in the dance forms, she enjoyed her multi-decade career with great pride. She choreographed more than 300 dance dramas with a strong classical tradition base behind them.
Throughout her career, Mrinalini received many accolades for her skills at national and international level. She was honored with Padma Bhushan in 1992 and Padma Shri in 1965. Apart from that, she was the first recipient of Nishagandhi Puraskaram which was awarded by the Government of Kerala.
At the international level, she won a gold medal for the choreography of Ballet Folklorico of Mexico and also became the first Indian to receive the medal and Diploma of French Association Archives Internationales de la Danse.
