Classical dancer Rukmini Devi Arundale remembered by Google’s doodle
New Delhi, March 8 (IANS) Indian classical dancer Rukmini Devi Arundale was remembered in Googles doodle which was dedicated to mark the International Womens Day, celebrated on March 8.
Rukmini Devi, who led the revival of Bharatnatyam, was featured along with 12 other women, who may not be a household name but made immense contribution in their respective fields.
Born in 1904, Rukmini Devi realised the value of Bharatnatyam which was considered a low art in the early 1920s. Her upper caste status and strong public disapproval could not dampen her spirit for presenting the art form on stage.
She was one of the artistes who worked for the re-establishment of traditional Indian arts and crafts and revived the classical dance form from its original “sadhir” style. Rukmini Devi was awarded Padma Bhushan in 1956 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship in 1967.
She served as a member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) for two terms.
The other 12 women who have featured in the doodle are:
Ida Wells — American journalist, suffragist, and civil rights activist; Lotfia El Nadi — Egypt’s first female pilot; Frida Kahlo — Mexican painter and activist; Lina Bo Bardi — Italian-born Brazilian architect; Olga Skorokhodova — Soviet scientist and researcher in the field of deaf and blind communication; Miriam Makeba — South African singer and civil rights activist; Sally Ride — American astronaut and the first American woman in space; Halet Cambel — Turkish archaeologist and the first Muslim woman to compete in the Olympics; Ada Lovelace — English mathematician, writer, and the world’s first computer programmer; Cecilia Grierson — Argentine physician, reformer and the first woman in Argentina to receive a medical degree; Lee Tai-young — Korean lawyer and activist who was Korea’s first female lawyer and judge; and Suzanne Lenglen — French tennis champion who popularised the sport.
With eight slide shows, the doodle reminded of the female pioneers and their vast contributions in multiple fields — from arts to science.
Instead of bedtime lullabies and fairy-tale stories, Google this time brought a change in the art of story-telling through the doodle.
The doodle began with a grandmother narrating to her granddaughter the tales of real-life women who stood apart for their courage, made an identity in their respective fields and became inspiration for many.
On February 28, 1909, the Socialist Party of America observed the earliest Women’s Day in New York.
However, later on March 8, 1917, Women’s Day demonstration sparked the Russian Revolution and the day was eventually declared as national holiday in Russia in 1965.
In 1977, the UN adopted March 8 as the International Women’s Day and since then it celebrates women’s rights and world peace.