CHENNAI: Indian classical and Bharatanatyam dancer Sudharani Raghupathy has been conferred the Akademi Ratna Sadasyata.President Droupadi Murumu conferred the honour upon her at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on Aug 13.Akademi Ratna Sadasyata (The Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship) is India’s highest honor in the performing arts. Conferred by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, it is restricted to a maximum of 40 living individuals at any given time. It is given for lifetime achievement and supreme contribution to music, dance, theater, or traditional/folk/tribal arts.Prof Sudharani has been a recipient of several awards including Padma Shri (1981), Central Sangeet Natak Akademi award (1984) and Kalaimamani (1981 – Tamil Nadu state award). She founded the fine arts institute Shree Bharatalaya in 1970.
