A career in dance spanning over seventy years today Kumudini Lakhia’s name is synonymous with Kathak. Kumudini Lakhia, an Indian Kathak dancer and choreographer based in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, where she founded Kadamb School of Dance and Music in 1967, has been conferred with the prestigious Padma Vibhushan award. Padma Awards – one of the highest civilian Awards of the country, are conferred in three categories, namely, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri. The Awards are given in various disciplines / fields of activities, viz.- art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, civil service, etc. ‘Padma Vibhushan’ is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service; ‘Padma Bhushan’ for distinguished service of high order and ‘Padma Shri’ for distinguished service in any field. The awards are announced on the occasion of Republic Day every year.
Padma Bhushan Smt. Kumudini Lakhia is widely celebrated as one of the greatest luminaries of Kathak. Her unparalleled technical finesse, artistic depth, and relentless pursuit of innovation have earned her a lasting place in the history of Indian dance. After a distinguished solo career, she established Kadamb Centre for Dance in Ahmedabad in 1964, shifting her focus towards choreography, technique, and expanding the vocabulary of Kathak. It was at Kadamb that she focused her energies and vision on the development of the technique, vocabulary, and repertoire of the Kathak dance. Starting with a small group of students whom she trained in a rigorous routine, she started doing choreography in 1973. Her endeavour was to transform the presentation of Kathak dance with innovative ways for contemporary expression.
Born with an innate talent and an insatiable hunger to learn, Kumudini Lakhia began her Kathak training at the tender age of seven under Sohanlal of the Bikaner Gharana. Her artistic journey continued with rigorous training under Ashiq Hussain of the Benaras Gharana and Sunder Prasad of the Jaipur school. She further honed her craft under the legendary Shambhu Maharaj, absorbing the nuances of the dance style that would later define her life’s work.
She is particularly known for her multi-person choreographies. Some of her most famous choreographies include Dhabkar (Pulse), Yugal (The Duet), and Atah Kim (Where Now?), which she performed at the annual Kathak Mahotsav in Delhi in 1980. She was also a choreographer in the Hindi film, Umrao Jaan (1981), along with Gopi Krishna.
Reflecting on receiving Padma Vibhushan accolade, Lakhia, now 94, expressed profound gratitude. “This recognition is not just mine, but belongs to all my students, supporters, and those who have contributed to the upliftment of dance. The work of decades has culminated in this honor, and I am happy to see Indian dance thriving and inspiring new generations.”
