Dancing away her worries!

In this space, we have had enough talks about oppression and injustice; and why and how women should fight for what is rightfully their. But today I recount the story of Ritha Devi and what she has achieved in life by standing up for herself.

She was born in a family of erudite scholars who have ruled the literary histories of Bengal and Assam. Ritha Devi is the granddaughter of Lakshminath Bezbaroa, father of modern Assamese literature, and great-grand-niece of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore. As was the family tradition, she was married off to a rich, successful professional – considered an extremely suitable match for a lady of such stature.

But Ritha Devi had always nurtured this secret desire to be a dancer, to which her father had vehemently objected. In those days, dancing was considered against the norms of a respectable family. Her husband to-be promised to help her pursue her dream, but only till the wedding. As a newly-married wife, Ritha Devi realized her folly. Her husband turned out to be quite a tyrant in his personal life as he was a difficult task-master in his professional life. Not only was she not allowed to dance, she was tortured enough to suffer miscarriages.

So she made it a point to continue with her dream career by hook or by crook. She ended up studying seven forms of Indian classical dance - Manipuri, Bharathanatyam, Kathakali, Mohiniattam, Sattriya Nritya, Kuchipudi and Odissi - from the most orthodox guru for each style. When her son was only but a child, she walked out on her husband and found home in another city.

Today, she is acknowledged internationally for reviving Mahari (Devadasi of Shri Jagannatha temple in Puri, Orissa) tradition of Odissi dance style. She is the first woman to teach the sacred Sattriya Nritya of Assam, and the first dancer to take it out of Assam and also India. She even studied and promoted certain traditional dances of Assam, like Deodhani and Deonati, that were on the verge of extinction.

Over the years she has received many honours and accolades. Her art has taken her to 12 European countries, the US and Russia. On her fourth tour to the US, she was invited by New York University to teach Indian dance, which she did for 10 years.

She now lives a retired life in Pune. But even at 84 she hasn’t given up teaching and performing her favourite art. When I approached her to teach my three-year-old some of her skills, she offered to teach me instead, saying, “I have taught 60-year-olds to dance because it’s the best exercise you will ever get!”

Unfortunately, I could not take up her offer as I left the city soon after. But her indomitable spirit and awe-inspiring personality continue to inspire me wherever I live.

PS: Dear readers, make sure you pay her a visit the next time you are in the city. It will be worth your time and effort.