Mylapore Gawri Amma- The Promoter of Bharatnatyam

Bharatanatyam is a mesmerising Indian classical dance whose roots are perched in Tamil Nadu. Traditionally, this elegant dance style was practised by the Devadasis within the four walls of temples. Mylapore Gawri Amma was the devadasi who held its hand and helped it to step outside the confinement.

Mylapore Gawri Amma was a dazzling Bharatanatyam dancer, who believed that sharing knowledge aids to multiply it. She employed teaching as the medium to promote Bharatanatyam. She blessed and touched numerous dancers through her pristine art. 

Gawri Amma’s dance was chaste and exquisite. She used to sing in her melodious voice while performing abhinaya. She is still a respected personality who is admired by the true art lovers. Gawri Amma’s exceptional talent was the gift of her hard work and blood. Art rested in the heart of her family. She belonged to the family of devadasis, who devoted their life for the service of lord and danced in his honour. In the beginning, she was also faithful towards the traditions. She was a beautiful devadasi who gracefully served God.  But with the Anti- Nautchl bill the Devadasi system came to an end and Gawri Amma was exposed to the world. 

Doraikannamma – The Mother

Gowri Amma’s mother, Doraikannamma, was a beatific dancer and her first teacher. Gowri Amma was taught the art of abhinaya by her mother and thus she knew exactly how to play with her expressions to impress the audience. The melodious synchronization of body movements and facial expressions was the secret behind her brilliant performances. Her stance was wonderous and her postures were astounding. She could steal your breath within a beat and skip your beat in just a breath. She was blessed with this excellence. Her Guru, Nallur Munuswamy Nattuvanar, left no techniques untaught, in order to bestow the best upon his student. Along with elegance Gawri Amma portrayed compassion and strength.

Teacher in Kalakshetra

The humble Gawri Amma wanted to spread the love and art of Bharatanatyam. She chose the path of teaching to return her debt to the art. She was a teacher in Kalakshetra and she gifted India with some of the eminent Bharatanatyam dancers. Also, she was the first teacher of the renowned dancer Rukmini Devi Arundale.

Amma was determined and lived her life with dignity. Her life was not the same after the abolition of Devadasi system. She had to leave the accommodation provided by the temple and find a new life with the support of her art. Since the conditions at home were not favourable for the delightful training sessions of Bharatanatyam she used to go and teach at her pupils’ place. She helped in the revival of Bharatanatyam as a glorious dance form and adorned Indian culture with this splendid art form. 

It was the strength of her art that supported Gawri Amma through the sorrows of life. She always believed in hard and faultless work. As a child, she devoted her time to worship the Lord and her art. And once she was able to showcase her talent eloquently, she decided to preach the world. Her performances were impeccable and her hold on Bharatanatyam and abhinaya was inimitable. She was a quintessential dancer who had mastered the art of body control. She knew how to regulate her movements to amaze the audience and how to gracefully employ her expressions to add the magical effect. Her contribution to Bharatanatyam will always be unrivalled. And her name will always be remembered as a legend inscribed in the pages of Indian art