Saroja Vaidyanathan was an exponent and legendary titan of Bharatanatyam, a choreographer and guru from the southern state of Karnataka. Over a career spanning more than six decades, she served as a flawless performer on stage, a teacher, an influential choreographer, researcher, author, and cultural visionary who brought the classical traditions of South India deep into the heart of India’s capital. The Government of India honoured her with the Padma Shri in 2002 and the Padma Bhushan in 2013. She contributed more as a guru than a performer on stage.
Saroja Vaidyanathan: Exponent of Bharatanatyam
Her early days and studies
Her maiden name is Saroja Dharmarajan. She was born on 19th September 1937, Bellary, Ceded Districts, Madras Province in British India. Both her parents were writers. Her mother, Kanakam Dharmarajan, was a writer of detective fiction in Tamil. Though she grew up in a literal circle, she was drawn towards dance forms.
She received her initial training in Bharatanatyam at the Saraswati Gana Nilayam in Chennai. Later, she continued training under Kattumannar Muthukumaran Pillai of Thanjavur. She also learnt Carnatic music under Professor P. Sambamoorthy at Madras University. She also holds a D. Litt in dance from the Indira Kala Sangeet Viswavidyalaya, Khairagarh. She also holds a D. Litt in dance from the Indira Kala Sangeet Viswavidyalaya, Khairagarh.
Saroja was married to an IAS officer, Vaidyanathan. The couple has one son. Their daughter-in-law, Rama Vaidyanathan, is a well-known Bharatanatyam artist, nurtured by her. At present, her granddaughter, Dakshina Vaidyanathan Baghel, is carrying forward her legacy.
She gave up her dancing career soon after marriage and took up teaching
Till her marriage, Saroja was performing on stage. However, after marriage, she faced heavy conservative family pressure to step away from public stage performances. For years, she completely halted her solo dance career to fulfill the role of a traditional housewife. Finally, she took teaching as her career instead.
When her husband got transferred to Delhi in 1972, she also moved along with him. Very soon, she started an art institution, Ganesh Natyalaya, in 1974. Alongside Bharatanatyam, she also taught Tamil, Hindi and Carnatic vocal music to give them a holistic understanding of Bharatanatyam.
Her contributions as an author and choreographer
Saroja Vaidyanathan authored many books related to dance and music. The Classical Dances of India, Bharatanatyam – An In-Depth Study, Carnataka Sangeetham, and The Science of Bharatanatyam are her published works. Her books were based on Bharatnatyam and Carnatic music.
She was a wonderful choreographer and a blessed guru who taught numerous students. Her creative mind produced over 10 full-length grand dance ballets and nearly 2,000 individual Bharatanatyam compositions. When the Commonwealth Games were held in Delhi in 2010, she choreographed the cultural segment for its opening ceremony. She also choreographed the Queen’s Baton Relay (2009) held in Delhi.
Apart from two prestigious Padma awards, she received recognitions like Sahitya Kala Parishad Samman of the Government of Delhi, ‘Bharata Kalai Sudar’ in 2006, the Kalaimamani title by the Tamil Nadu Eyal Isai Nataka Manram and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award. She was conferred the title of ‘Bharata Kalai Sudar’ in 2006.
Saroja Vaidyanathan died from cancer on 21 September 2023, two days after her 86th birthday.
Also read: Padma Bhushan Kalanidhi Narayanan – Bharatanatyam Dancer and ‘Abhinaya’ Guru
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