Rukmini Devi Arundale (née Shastri; 29 February 1904 – 24 February 1986)was an Indian theosophist, dancer and choreographer of the Indian classical dance form of Bharatanatyam, and an activist for animal welfare.
She was the first woman in Indian history to be nominated as a member of the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Parliament of India. The most important revivalist of Bharatanatyam from its original 'sadhir' style prevalent amongst the temple dancers, the Devadasis, she also worked for the re-establishment of traditional Indian arts and crafts.
She espoused the cause of Bharata Natyam which was considered a vulgar art. She 'sanitised' and removed the inherent eroticism of Sadhir to make it palatable to Indian upper-caste elites and the British morality of the era.
Rukmini Devi features in India Today's list of '100 People Who Shaped India'.She was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1956, and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship in 1967.
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