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A
museum dedicated to Rukmini Devi at the Kalakshetra
campus was opened by the former President of India and
Chairman of Kalakshetra, R. Venkatraman on 1 March.
Shakuntala Ramani, Chairperson of the Crafts Education
and Research Centre, Kalakshetra, told KutcheriBuzz
"The museum houses the various art objects collected
by Rukmini Devi from various parts of the world. It
includes paintings, sculptures, art objects and the
sarees worn by Rukmini Devi among other precious collections.
Some of the art objects were gifted to her by her elder
brother Yagneswara Shastri while a huge collection was
bequeathed to her by the Irish poet James H. Cousins,
a theosophist and a friend of Arundale."
Amrit
Patel, a designer and artiste of the Lalit Kala Akademi
has designed the interior and helped to display the
collections at the museum.
Some
of the art objects on display here include bronzes of
Hindu Gods and Goddesses, Buddhist icons, statues of
Greek and Bali dancers, betelnut boxes, spice containers,
nut crackers, kumkum boxes, spons, incense stands, inkpots,
lamp holders, flower
baskets, holy-water pots, jewel boxes, porcelain and
glassware.
Also
on display are some of the silk sarees worn by Rukmini
Devi, her anklets, oddiyanam (waistbelt), mirror and
wooden foot-wear and some of the prestigious awards
received by her like the 'Padma Bhushan' and 'Kalidas
Samman'.
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