Ghungroo Ki Jhankaar

Perhaps the most elemental prop in Hindustani classical dancing is ghungroo. The delicate strings holding the bells resound to produce a soulful symphony with the gracious movements of the dancer teleporting its audience to an ethereal world. Are you ready to fall in love with a renowned classical dancer's jhankaar of ghungroo?

The Kathak legend, Sitara Devi; Image Source- Jansatta

Born in 1920 in Calcutta on the auspicious occasion of Dhanteras, Sitara Devi was initially named Dhanalakshmi. More popularly known as Dhanno to her family members, she grew up in a rich cultural backdrop of classical dancing, especially Kathak.

Her father, Sukhadev Maharaj, was a Brahmin who fell in love with Kathak and devoted all his life to the art form. The worst opposition came from the society that mocked and slandered Shukhadev for allowing his daughters to dance, a profession restricted to prostitutes during that era. Thinking ahead of his time, Sukhadev was not ready to give up. His family went back to his family town in Varanasi, where he established a school for classical dance. He welcomed students from all walks of life despite their social or class status.

Sitara Devi's first and foremost guru was her elder sister Tara, whom she admired from the very beginning. She would spend hours watching her sister dance away flawlessly. Sitara Devi picked on her moves in no time, and her talent showed itself at a young age, giving her all the time in life to refine herself.

Like every other girl child of her time, Sitara Devi was to marry at a young age. Her opposition to the idea met a positive response from her parents, and she earned the privilege of attending the Kamachhagarh High School. Her school was to conduct a dance drama on the myth of Savitri and Satyavan. Even though Sitara Devi was hesitant, she finally did audition for the event. Her gracious movements and spot-on expressions impressed her teacher a lot, who asked Sitara Devi to train others as well.

When the local newspaper Aaj published an article singing the praise of young Dhanno, her father saw her in a new light. He trusted Tara to teach Sitara Devi the nitty-gritty of Kathak. Re-christened as Sitara Devi, young Dhanno thus embarked on her dance journey.

By the age of 10, Sitara Devi was ready to rock the world with her astounding performances. Her performance at the Atiya Begum Palace in Bombay impressed Rabindranath Tagore so much that he felicitated her with the traditional shawl and a price of Rs. 50. Tagore became her all-time fan and bestowed her the title of Nritya Samragni or dance queen.

Her family's move to Bombay opened the doors of Hindi Cinema for Sitara Devi. After performing dance sequences in films like  Usha Haran, Nagina, Roti, Vatan, Anjali and Mother India, she quit as it hindered her from pursuing and refining Kathak.

Sitara Devi's lifelong devotion to dancing earned her much recognition, the most important one being the Padma Shree.

Sitara Devi's students reminisce her as a warm and kind teacher whose respect and devotion for Kathak knew no bounds. An inspiration for all Kathal enthusiasts, Sitara Devi holds a permanent place in the world of classical dancing, being the Kathak Queen of India.

Sitara Devi while teaching one her students; Image Source- Scroll