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{{Short description|Indian dancer (1936–2011)}}
{{Given name hatnote|Nirmala|Ramachandran|lang=Tamil}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2025}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2025}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Nirmala Ramachandran
| birth_name = Nirmala Viswanathan
| alias =
| image =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1936|02|09}}
| birth_place = [[Mylapore]], [[British Raj|British India]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|2011|02|23|1936|02|09}}
| death_place = [[Chennai]], [[Tamil Nadu]]
| father = Viswanathan
| mother = Sivakamu
| spouse = S. Ramachandran
| children = 2
| occupation = [[Bharatanatyam]] dancer, dance teacher
| known for =
| awards = [[Sangeet Natak Akademi Award]] (2004)
}}
'''Nirmala Ramachandran''' is a [[Bharathanatyam]] dancer from [[Mylapore]], [[Tamil Nadu]]. In 2004, she received the [[Sangeet Natak Akademi Award]] by [[Sangeet Natak Akademi]], Government of India, for her contributions in the field of Bharatanatyam.

==Biography==
Nirmala Viswanathan was born on 9 February 1936, at [[Mylapore]], [[Tamil Nadu]].<ref name="Hindu">{{cite news |title=Epitome of grace |url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/dance/Epitome-of-grace/article14943238.ece |work=[[The Hindu]] |date=10 March 2011 |language=en-IN}}</ref><ref name="Mylapore">{{cite news | title=MYLAPORE TIMES - Obit: Nirmala Ramachandran |url=https://www.mylaporetimes.com/2011/02/obit-nirmala-ramachandran/ |work=MYLAPORE TIMES |date=25 February 2011}}</ref> Nirmala's father Vishwanathan, a businessman, was descended from [[Needamangalam]] in [[Thanjavur district]].<ref name="Mylapore"/> Her mother, Sivakamu, was a lover of music and dance. Sivakamu's connection with dancer [[Mylapore Gowri Ammal]], who was a regular visitor to their home in Mylapore and later Egmore, brought her closer to Carnatic music and Bharatanatyam.<ref name="Mylapore"/> Nirmala came to be known as Nirmala Ramachandran after she married Ramachandran, an [[Air India]] officer posted abroad.<ref name="Hindu"/>

Nirmala did her initial Bharatanatyam training under [[Mylapore Gowri Ammal]] and Pandanallur Chokkalingam Pillai.<ref name="Mylapore"/> She had her arangettam (first public stage performance) in 1947, when she was 11 years.<ref name="Hindu"/> She continued her studies and trained under T. Jayamma and T. Murthamma of the Dhanammal school from 1955 to 1963.<ref name="SNA">{{Cite web |title=Wayback Machine |url=https://www.sangeetnatak.gov.in/public/uploads/awardees/docs/Nirmala_Ramachandran.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250520190051/https://www.sangeetnatak.gov.in/public/uploads/awardees/docs/Nirmala_Ramachandran.pdf |archive-date=2025-05-20 |access-date=2025-07-03 |website=sangeetnatak.gov.in |url-status=live }}</ref>

Nirmala, who was also interested in [[Carnatic music]], did her [[Bachelor of Arts]] in Carnatic music from the [[Queen Mary's College, Chennai|Queen Mary's College]] in Chennai under [[University of Madras]], in 1956, and did her advanced training under [[K. V. Narayanaswamy]] and [[T. Muktha]].<ref name="Hindu"/><ref name="Mylapore"/>

===Personal life and death===
In 1958 she married S. Ramachandran, an Air India officer.<ref name="Mylapore"/> The couple have two sons, Dr. Ram Gopalakrishnan and Siddhartha Ramachandran.<ref name="Mylapore"/> She died on 23 February 2011, at [[Chennai]], [[Tamil Nadu]].<ref name="Mylapore"/>

==Career==
Nirmala got the opportunity to participate in a dance program by the famous dancer [[Balasaraswati]], but neither Sarangapani Iyengar nor her guru Chokkalingam Pillai were in favor of it.<ref name="Mylapore"/> This later led to a rift with Chokkalingam Pillai and his Panthanallur dance style. It was [[E. Krishna Iyer]] who facilitated his return to the Panthanallur dance style by providing him with the opportunity to study dance under Thiruvalaputhur Swaminath Pillai.<ref name="Mylapore"/> She performed a full length concert once at the [[Madras Music Academy]] on 28 December 1954.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=2011-03-17 |title=Kamala, the queen |url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/history-and-culture/Kamala-the-queen/article14950869.ece |access-date=2025-07-03 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

Nirmala, who had to live in various countries with her husband Ramachandran, continued her artistic career and spread the art of Bharatanatyam in those countries as well through her performances, lectures, and classes.<ref name="Hindu"/> She had performed in various venues worldwide including the India festival in the [[Soviet Union]] in 1987-88.<ref name="Hindu"/>

Nirmala Ramachandran, who is also a Bharatanatyam teacher, has trained many dancers at her institution, Nirmala Niketan.<ref name="SNA" />

==Awards and honors==
In 2001 Nirmala received Certificate of Merit award from the [[Madras Music Academy]].<ref name=":0" /> In 2004, she received the [[Sangeet Natak Akademi Award]] for Bharatanatyam.<ref name="SNA" />

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nirmala, Ramachandran}}
[[Category:1936 births]]
[[Category:2011 deaths]]
[[Category:Bharatanatyam dancers]]
[[Category:Indian female classical dancers]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian dancers]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian women artists]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award]]
[[Category:Dancers from Tamil Nadu]]

Nirmala Ramachandran - Revision history

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