Google on Friday, May 11th, celebrated the birthday anniversary of Padma Bhushan recipient Mrinalini Sarabhai's. She is a renowned Indian classical dancer, choreographer, and instructor. The doodle depicts Sarabhai with her signature parasol standing at the Darpana Academy of Performing Arts, seeing her students dance.
1. Sarabhai was born in Kerala on 11 May 1918 to a social worker and former parliament member Ammu Swaminathan and Dr. Subbarama Swaminathan, Mrinalini, spent her childhood in Switzerland.
2. Sarabhai who was born in Kerala founded the Darpana Academy of Performing Arts in 1949 with her husband and Indian physicist Vikram Sarabhai as she hoped to share her passion for the craft with future generations in Ahmedabad.
3. Over 18,000 students have graduated from her academy in Bharatnatyam and Kathakali the two forms of Indian classical dancing.
4. She is trained in Bharatanatyam, Kathakali, and Mohiniyattom and was educated at Shantiniketan under the guidance of Rabindranath Tagore.
5. Later, she learnt Bharatanatyam under the tutelage of legendary Meenakshi Sundaram Pillai and Kathakali under Guru Thakazhi Kunchu Kurup.
6. She was the first Indian to be honoured with a medal and Diploma of the French Archives Internationales de la Danse. She was also presented with a gold medal by the Mexican Government for her choreography for the Ballet Folklorico of Mexico.
7. In 1942, Mrinalini married notable physicist Dr. Vikram Sarabhai who is considered to be the Father of the Indian Space Program. She has two children, Mallika and Kartikeya.
8. Mrinalini Sarabhai was honoured with the Padma Bhushan award by the Indian government in 1992 and the Padma Shri in 1965.
9. In 2013 she was the first recipient of the Nishagandhi Puraskaram, an annual award of the Government of Kerala.
10. She left for her heavenly adobe on January 21, 2016, at the age of 97.