Veteran Bharathanatyam guru and exponent Adyar K. Lakshman passed away on Tuesday night at the age of 82. He was ailing for sometime and had been hospitalised. His daughter Induvadana Malli, also a dancer, said his last rites were performed on Wednesday.
He is survived by his wife Vasantha Lakshman, two sons and a daughter. Guru Lakshman, an illustrious disciple of Rukmini Devi Arundale, started learning Bharathanatyam at the age of 11. He has taken part in Kalakshetra’s world-famous dance productions including ‘Kutrala Kuruvanji’ and ‘Kumara Sambhavam’.
Apart from Bharathanatyam, he also trained in Kathakali under doyens such as Ambu Panicker and Chandu Panicker. His most notable appearance in Kathakali was as Sudhama in ‘Kuchela Vrittam’. In 1956, he was chosen to be a member of the Indian Cultural Delegation that visited U.S.S.R and Eastern Europe.
He was born in Kuppam village in Andhra Pradesh and later on settled in Adyar. His dance school, Bharata Choodamani, completed 45 years only this July. He received many awards including Padma Shri, Kalaimamani and Natya Kala Acharya.
