Dance guru B Bhanumati no more

Bharatanatyam dancer and teacher B Bhanumati breathed her last on Monday. She was 74.

She was hospitalised on May 16 after she complained of breathlessness. She had suffered a stroke last year and had returned to her feet after a tough battle.

Born into a musically inclined family, Bhanumati began her journey in classical dance when she was just 10. She studied under such legends as K N Dandayutapani Pillai, Dr K Venkatalakshamma and Kalanidhi Narayanan.

Bhanumati had won many accolades, including the Shantala Natya Sri award, Karnataka Kalashree award and the Rajyotsava award. As founding director of Nrityakalamandiram, her school in Jayanagar, she had groomed hundreds of students over four decades.

"Her most famous dance feature was Bharatanjali, presented at festivals across the world," said dancer Dr A V Satyanarayana.

“I have trained under her for 21 years, and she was like a mother to me. Her passing is a loss to the entire dancing community,” Josephine Savita, faculty at the school, told DH.