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Who was Sitara Devi, the doyen of Kathak dance ?

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New Delhi : Sitara Devi, the doyen of Kathak dance, would have celebrated her 97th birth anniversary on November 8 this year. Google, known for the fascinating illustrations it comes up with to honour significant people and historic events, decided to dedicate a doodle to the prolific dancer who died at the age of 94 on November 25, 2014. Also known as the ‘Empress of Dance’ or ‘Nritya Samrajni’ after Rabindranath Tagore named her thus, Devi was one of the pioneers who brought the classical Indian dance into the context of Bollywood.

Born in 1920 in Kolkata as Dhanno, Devi was the daughter of Matsya Kumari, who was from the royal family of Nepal and Sukhadev Maharaj, a Vaishnavite Sanskrit scholar whose vocation was to teach and participate in kathak dance performances in different parts of the country.

Maharaj’s in-depth understanding of the Bharatanatyashastra made him pass on his passion for performance art to his three daughters and two sons as well, in spite of how the dance was considered lowly and undignified in general public opinion back then.

Dhanno was enthusiastic in learning the dance observing her sister who was twenty years older to her. She also challenged the regressive practice of child marriage when she was about to be married off at the tender age of eight. She, however, insisted that she wanted to study further.

When her father came to know that Dhanno’s role in a dance drama depicting the lives of Savitri and Satyavan had left the audience enthralled, her father realised her potential and re-christened her as Savitri Devi. She began performing at an early age of ten and because of her commitment towards learning and finessing her art, she had to discontinue schooling. Devi’s dance performance in Bombay’s Atiya Begum Palace bowled Tagore over, who then gave her the opportunity to perform at the Tata Palace of the Tata Group and felicitated her there.

Devi also performed dance sequences in many films like Nagina, Roti, Vatan, Anjali, Mother India etc., after debuting in Usha Haran in 1940. She was conferred with prestigious honours like Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1969, Padma Shree in 1973, Kalidas Samman in 1995 and the India Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011 for her imminent contribution ranging over six decades to classical dance.

The danseuse was first married to Mughal-e-Azam director K Asif and later to Pratap Barot.

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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma

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World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.

Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.

During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.

On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”

Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.

It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.

Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.

Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”

On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”

The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.

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