Kathak exponent Kumudini Lakhia passes away
Renowned Kathak dancer and choreographer Kumudini Lakhia, founder of the Kadamb Centre for Dance in Ahmedabad and a 2025 Padma Vibhushan awardee, passed away on 12 April 2025; the President and Prime Minister condoled her death.
Summary
Kumudini Lakhia, a Kathak dancer whose career spanned over 75 years, passed away on 12 April 2025 at her home in Ahmedabad. Born on 17 May 1930, she began dancing as the partner of the dancer Ram Gopal and later trained in Kathak under Shambhu Maharaj at the Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra, New Delhi, on a Government of India scholarship. She founded the Kadamb Centre for Dance in Ahmedabad in 1964 and began choreography in 1973, giving Kathak contemporary interpretations. She received the Padma Shri (1987) and Padma Bhushan (2010), and her Padma Vibhushan of 2025 is listed as posthumous in the official citation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu condoled her passing.
Key facts
- Art form
- Kathak
- Born
- 17 May 1930
- Passed away
- 12 April 2025, Ahmedabad
- Guru
- Shambhu Maharaj (Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra, New Delhi)
- Institution founded
- Kadamb Centre for Dance, Ahmedabad (1964)
- Padma awards
- Padma Shri 1987, Padma Bhushan 2010, Padma Vibhushan 2025 (posthumous)
Practice MCQs 3 questions
Kumudini Lakhia, who passed away on 12 April 2025, was a renowned exponent of which classical dance form?
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Correct answer: D — Kathak
Kathak: her dance career spanned over 75 years and she founded the Kadamb Centre for Dance in Ahmedabad.
Under which guru did Kumudini Lakhia train in Kathak at the Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra, New Delhi?
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Correct answer: A — Shambhu Maharaj
Shambhu Maharaj, on a Government of India scholarship, according to her official Padma citation.
Consider the following statements about Kumudini Lakhia: 1. She received the Padma Bhushan in 2010. 2. She was conferred the Padma Vibhushan in 2025. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: C — Both 1 and 2
Both are correct. Her official citation lists the Padma Shri (1987) and Padma Bhushan (2010); the 2025 Padma Vibhushan is marked posthumous.