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{{Short description|Indian classical dancer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2018}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Rani Karnaa
| image = Rani Karnaa.jpg
| imagesize =
| caption =
| birth_date = 1939
| birth_place = [[Hyderabad, Sindh|Hyderabad]], [[Sindh]], [[British India]]
| death_date = 7 May 2018
| death_place = Kolkata
| restingplace =
| restingplacecoordinates =
| othername =
| occupation = Kathak dancer
| yearsactive =
| spouse = Nayak
| domesticpartner =
| children =
| parents = Assandas Karnaa
| website =
| awards = [[Padma Shri]] Vice-President's Gold Medal Order of the Queen of [[Laos]] [[Sangeet Natak Akademi Award]] ''Sangeet Varidhi'' ''Vijay Ratna'' Senior Fellowship - Govt of India
}}
'''Rani Karnaa''' was an Indian classical dancer, known for her proficiency in the Indian dance form of [[Kathak]], and regarded by many as one of the greatest exponents of the art form.<ref name="PAD MA" /><ref name="Sindhistan" /> She was honoured by the [[Government of India]], in 2014, by bestowing on her the [[Padma Shri]], the fourth highest civilian award, for her services to the field of dance.<ref name="Padma">{{cite web |url=http://www.pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=102735 |title=Padma Awards Announced |publisher=Press Information Bureau, Government of India |work=Circular |date=25 January 2014 |access-date=23 August 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222101141/http://www.pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=102735 |archive-date=22 February 2014 }}</ref>

[[File:Rani Karnaa Portrait.jpg|thumb|Portrait of Rani Karnaa]]
==Biography==
{{quotebox|align = right|width=21em|''Rani polished her Kathak into an instrument of elegance and grace in which she has few equals.'', Late Dr. Charles Fabri, art crtitic, wrote about Rani Karnaa in the [[Statesman Journal|Statesman]].{{cn|date=February 2020}}}}

Rani Karnaa was born in 1939, in a [[Sindhi people|Sindhi]] family of amirs<ref name="New Indian Express" /> in [[Hyderabad, Sindh|Hyderabad]],<ref name="Rani Karnaa bio">{{cite web | url=http://www.ranikathak.net/about1.htm | title=Rani Karnaa bio | publisher=Rani Karnaa.net | date=2012 | access-date=25 September 2014}}</ref><ref name="Meri News" /> in the present day Pakistan and erstwhile [[British India]].<ref name="PAD MA">{{cite web | url=http://pad.ma/DEO/info | title=PAD MA | publisher=PAD MA | date=12 June 2013 | access-date=25 September 2014}}</ref><ref name="Sindhistan">{{cite web | url=http://www.sindhishaan.com/article/music/musi_01_02b.html | title=Sindhistan | publisher=Sindhistan | date=2012 | access-date=25 September 2014}}</ref><ref name="Seher Now">{{cite web | url=http://sehernow.in/ananya2012htmls/oct7.html | title=Seher Now | publisher=Seher Now | date=7 October 2012 | access-date=25 September 2014}}</ref> Her father, Assandas Karnaa belonged originally to the Karnamalani family of [[Larkana]] region. The family name of Karnamalani, over a period of time, got abbreviated to Karanani and eventually to Karnaa. In 1942, her family moved to Delhi when the young Rani was three years old.<ref name="Sindhistan" /> She had her early schooling in Delhi and graduated in [[Botany]] from the Hindu College, Delhi. She also did Honours degree in Botany later but forsook academics to concentrate on her dance career.<ref name="Sindhistan" />

Rani Karnaa's family moved from Sindh to Delhi when she was three<ref name="Interview" /> and settled at [[Connaught Place, New Delhi|Connaught Place]].<ref name="New Indian Express" /> She soon grew a fancy for dance seeing a neighbor dancing,<ref name="Interview" /><ref name="IUE Mag" /> insisted on learning the art and started learning dance from the age of four,<ref name="Meri News">{{cite web | url=http://www.merinews.com/article/rani-karna-life-long-affair-with-kathak/15764663.shtml | title=Meri News | publisher=Meri News | date=7 April 2009 | access-date=25 September 2014 | archive-date=4 March 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304212123/http://www.merinews.com/article/rani-karna-life-long-affair-with-kathak/15764663.shtml | url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="The Telegraph">{{cite web | url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100707/jsp/orissa/story_12648317.jsp | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304070841/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100707/jsp/orissa/story_12648317.jsp | url-status=dead | archive-date=4 March 2016 | title=The Telegraph | publisher=The Telegraph | date=7 July 2010 | access-date=25 September 2014}}</ref> learning [[Kathak]], [[Odissi]], [[Bharatanatyam]] and [[Manipuri dance|Manipuri]].<ref name="Sindhistan" /> Her early teachers were ''Nrityacharya'' Narayan Prasad and Sundar Prasad. She continued her studies to master the Jaipur gharana style under Guru Hiralal and the Lucknow gharana ethos from [[Pandit Birju Maharaj]].<ref name="Sindhistan" />

Rani Karnaa shifted her residence to [[Bhubaneshwar]] when she got married into an [[Odia people|Odia]] family in 1963<ref name="PAD MA" /><ref name="The Telegraph" /> and this gave her an opportunity to meet [[Kumkum Mohanty]], the famous Odissi dancer. Through her, Rani Karnaa got in touch with the renowned guru, [[Kelucharan Mahapatra]] and learnt [[Odissi]] from the master from 1966 to 1985.<ref name="Sindhistan" /><ref name="New Indian Express" /><ref name="Rani Karnaa bio" /> She has also trained under various other famous gurus such as Amubi Singh, Narendra Kumar and [[Lalita Shastri]], a disciple of the renowned [[Rukmini Devi Arundale]].<ref name="New Indian Express" /><ref name="The Hindu">{{cite web | url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-fridayreview/in-a-swirl/article5004423.ece | title=The Hindu | website=[[The Hindu]] | date=9 August 2013 | access-date=25 September 2014}}</ref>

Rani Karnaa performed extensively across India and outside,<ref name="The Telegraph" /> performing at almost all the major classical dance festivals in India.<ref name="Seher Now" /><ref name="The Telegraph" /> Her performances are said to have received acclaim in places like UK, Russia and many other European countries.<ref name="Seher Now" /><ref name="IUE Mag" /><ref name="The Telegraph" />

Rani Karnaa lived in Kolkata, since shifting from [[Bhubaneshwar]] when her husband, Nayak, was transferred to Kolkata in 1978,<ref name="Interview" /> attending to her duties as the director of ''Samskritiki Shreyaskar'' and was active until recently, her last public performance was in 2013, at the age of 74.<ref name="Interview">{{cite web | url=http://www.narthaki.com/info/intervw/intrv129.html | title=Kathak guru Rani Karnaa's journey of life and dance | publisher=Narthaki.com | date=3 July 2011 | access-date=25 September 2014}}</ref> She died on 7 May 2018, aged 79.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Kothari|first=Sunil|date=2018-05-11|title=Rani Karnaa, an erudite ambassador of Kathak|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/dance/an-erudite-ambassador-of-kathak/article23840121.ece|access-date=2021-06-03|issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

==Legacy==
Apart from contributing to the propagation of Kathak through her performances, Rani Karnaa is credited with integrating the traditions of [[Jaipur]] and [[Lucknow]] [[gharanas]].<ref name="PAD MA" /><ref name="Seher Now" /><ref name="IUE Mag" /><ref name="The Telegraph" /><ref name="Buzz in Town">{{cite web | url=http://www.buzzintown.com/kolkata/events/grace-balance-kathak-workshop-smt-rani-karnaa/id--916358.html | archive-url=https://archive.today/20140925151901/http://www.buzzintown.com/kolkata/events/grace-balance-kathak-workshop-smt-rani-karnaa/id--916358.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=25 September 2014 | title=Buzz in Town | publisher=Buzz in Town | date=2013 | access-date=25 September 2014 }}</ref> Many critics have acknowledged her contributions in bringing different cultural traditions into Kathak, by integrating their literature, music and dance.<ref name="PAD MA" /><ref name="Interview" /> She is said to have combined artistry with creative expression.<ref name="Sindhistan" /> She has done research on the aesthetics of Kathak<ref name="Sindhistan" /> with Professor S. K. Saxena of [[Delhi University]] and the body of that research work is well recognized.<ref name="Buzz in Town" />

She established a dance academy, ''Samskritiki Shreyaskar'',<ref name="New Indian Express" /> 1995, and also guides the ''Sangeet and Nritya Sikshan Bharati'', a division of [[Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan]], Kolkata.<ref name="Buzz in Town" /> She is also the founder and the first director of [[Calcutta School of Music]] and worked there from 1978 till 1993.<ref name="Seher Now" /><ref name="The Telegraph" /> She established the dance division of Aurobindo Bhavan, Kolkata, by name, ''Ahana'' and headed the department from 1980 to 1987.<ref name="PAD MA" />

==Samskritiki Shreyaskar==
[[File:Kathak 3511900193 986f6440f6 b retouched.jpg|thumb|A Kathak dancer performing the chakkarwala tukra, one of the many popular highlights of Kathak]]
Samskritiki Shreyaskar is a dance academy founded in 1995, by Rani Karnaa,<ref name="New Indian Express">{{cite web | url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/on_stage/Rani-Karnaas-life-Long-Affair-with-Kathak/2013/12/07/article1932265.ece | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140122190432/http://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/on_stage/Rani-Karnaas-life-Long-Affair-with-Kathak/2013/12/07/article1932265.ece | url-status=dead | archive-date=22 January 2014 | title=New Indian Express | newspaper=New Indian Express | date=7 December 2013 | access-date=25 September 2014}}</ref><ref name="The Telegraph" /> with the aim to propagate the dance form of Kathak and to develop the performing arts in general. The academy stands along [[Jodhpur Park]], Kolkata and offers various courses in various dance forms. The academy and its students have participated in various cultural festivals across India such as:<ref name="Rani Karnaa bio" />
* [[Konarak Sun Temple|Konarak]] Festival - 1994
* [[Jaipur]] Kathak Festival, New Delhi - 1995
* [[Rabindranath Tagore|Rabindra]] Janmotsav, Calcutta - 1996, 1998 and 1999
* Vasantotsav, New Delhi - 2000
* Natyanjali Festival, Chidambaram - 2000
* [[Puri]] Beach Festival - 2000
* Kathak Mahotsav, Calcutta - 2000
* [[Thyagaraja]] Festival, Tirupati - 2000
* Virasat Festival, Mangalore - 2000.

The academy, apart from the courses it offers, conducts workshops and live demonstrations. It has associations with [[Rabindra Bharati University]] and Nehru Children's Museum, New Delhi, for conducting regular workshops.<ref name="Rani Karnaa bio" /> It also has a subsidiary centre in Odisha, started in 2005.<ref name="New Indian Express" />

==Awards and recognitions==
[[File:Kathak 3394879526 09db68a66e o.jpg|thumb|Music to Kathak is normally provided by tabla and sitar players]]
Rani Karnaa was honoured by the [[Government of India]] by awarding her the [[Padma Shri]], in 2014, in recognition of her efforts to the cause of [[Kathak]] dance.<ref name="Padma" /><ref name="Receiving the Padma Shri">{{cite web | url=http://english.v6news.tv/padma-shree-padma-bhushan-awards-2014/prof-biman-bihari-das | title=Receiving the Padma Shri | publisher=V6 News TV | date=2012 | access-date=25 September 2014 | archive-date=4 March 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304091313/http://english.v6news.tv/padma-shree-padma-bhushan-awards-2014/prof-biman-bihari-das | url-status=dead }}</ref> She has also received many other awards and honours such as:
* Vice-President's Gold Medal - [[Shankar's Weekly]] - 1954<ref name="Sindhistan" /><ref name="IUE Mag">{{cite web | url=http://m.iuemag.com/august2014/is/rani-karnaa.php | title=IUE Mag | publisher=IUE Mag | date=28 August 2014 | access-date=25 September 2014 | archive-date=4 March 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304064504/http://m.iuemag.com/august2014/is/rani-karnaa.php | url-status=dead }}</ref>
* Order of the Queen of [[Laos]] - 1964<ref name="IUE Mag" />
* ''Sangeet Varidhi'' - [[Bharatiya Kala Kendra]], New Delhi - 1977<ref name="IUE Mag" />
* ''Vijay Ratna'' - Indian International Friendship Society, New Delhi - 1990<ref name="IUE Mag" />
* Senior Fellow - Department of Culture, Ministry of Human Resources Development - Government of India<ref name="Sindhistan" />
* [[Sangeet Natak Akademi Award]] - 1996<ref name="Sindhistan" />
* Honorary Award - Akhil Bhartiya Sindhi Boli and Sahitya Sabha - 1998<ref name="Sindhistan" />

==See also==
* [[Pandit Birju Maharaj]]
* [[Kumkum Mohanty]]

{{portal|India}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{cite interview | title=Kathak guru Rani Karnaa's journey of life and dance | date=3 July 2011 | access-date=25 September 2014 | last=Rani Karnaa | subject-link=Kathak guru Rani Karnaa’s journey of life and dance | interviewer=Nita Vidyarthi | location=Kolkata | url=http://www.narthaki.com/info/intervw/intrv129.html}}
* {{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCN04G8YunY | title=Rani Karnaa at her best - YouTube video | publisher=YouTube | date=14 April 2009 | access-date=25 September 2014}}
* {{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSLz8mztmQ0 | title=Rani karnaa at Chidambaram - YouTube video | publisher=YouTube | date=9 April 2009 | access-date=25 September 2014}}
* {{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofLKOmUyIF4&t=25s | title=Rani Karnaa's interview on Rajya Sabha TV - YouTube video | publisher=YouTube | date=6 November 2016 | access-date=23 November 2016}}

{{Padma Shri Award Recipients in Art}}
{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Karnaa, Rani}}
[[Category:1939 births]]
[[Category:2018 deaths]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts]]
[[Category:Kathak dancers]]
[[Category:Artists from Sindh]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian dancers]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian women artists]]
[[Category:Artists from Bhubaneswar]]
[[Category:Women artists from Odisha]]
[[Category:Indian female classical dancers]]
[[Category:Dancers from Odisha]]

Rani Karnaa - Revision history

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