It was an honour she never dreamed of but Hyderabad-based Bharatanatyam dancer and guru Rajeswari Sainath was ecstatic when she heard that she was conferred with the Sangeet Natak Akademi award in the category of dance for the year 2024. The award will be presented to her by the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.

“I learnt about it on Wednesday around 9.30 p.m. when the list was announced and felt deeply satisfied,” says the artiste who has been in the performing arts field for more than 50 years.

Congratulatory messages from across the world have kept Rajeswari busy since morning. “It was a lovely surprise to see the messages of my friends, students and members of the fraternity from across the world, ” says the grandmother who loves playing with her six-month-old grandson Veera Prabhu.

A graduate in commerce, law and a postgraduate in public-personal management, Rajeswari holds a Ph.D combining the mathematics aspect (layam) in dance with management.

The 65-year-old dancer, who continues to perform solo, has represented India in prestigious international dance festivals, including one at the Sydney Opera House main concert hall. Endowed with a fine rhythmic sense and artistic stimulation, Rajeswari, a disciple of Indira Rajan and Pandanallur Srinivasa Pillai, was further mentored by mridangam maestro (late) Karaikkudi Mani in layam. She considers the award a validation. “The award is all the more special because I received congratulatory messages from veterans and peers from the field. The award is motivating and I thank Sangeet Natak Akademi for it.”