https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Sumitra_Charat_RamSumitra Charat Ram - Revision history2026-08-18T06:33:43ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.43.6https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sumitra_Charat_Ram&diff=103482&oldid=prevHembram Bakhul: Created page with "{{EngvarB|date=September 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}} {{Infobox person | name = Sumitra Charat Ram | image = <!-- just the filename, without the F..."2021-07-06T01:12:18Z<p>Created page with "{{EngvarB|date=September 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}} {{Infobox person | name = Sumitra Charat Ram | image = <!-- just the filename, without the F..."</p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{EngvarB|date=September 2014}}<br />
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{{Infobox person<br />
| name = Sumitra Charat Ram<br />
| image = <!-- just the filename, without the File: or Image: prefix or enclosing [[brackets]] --><br />
| alt = <br />
| caption = <br />
| birth_name = <br />
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1914|11|17}}<br />
| birth_place = [[Meerut]], [[United Provinces of Agra and Oudh|United Provinces]]<br />
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2011|08|08|1914|11|17}} <br />
| death_place = <br />
| nationality = <br />
| other_names = <br />
| occupation = <br />
| known_for = Founder [[Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra]] (established 1952)<br />
}}<br />
'''Sumitra Charat Ram''' (17 November 1914 – 8 August 2011) was a noted Indian [[arts patron]], [[impresario]] and the founder of [[Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra]] (SBKK) established in 1952. She played a key role in the revival of performing arts, especially [[Kathak]], in the post-independence era, for which she received a [[Padma Shri]] Award. <ref name=":0" /><br />
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She was the wife of industrialist Lala Charat Ram of [[DCM Shriram group|DCM Shriram Group]]. <br />
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==Early life and background==<br />
She was born on [[Diwali]] day in 1917 to Raja Jwala Prasad and Rani Bhagyawati in Meerut in [[United Provinces of Agra and Oudh|United Provinces]], now in [[Uttar Pradesh]]. Her father was the Chief Engineer of Canals and Irrigation of United Province (U.P). She was the youngest of her five siblings: brothers [[Dharam Vira]], Kanti Vira and Satya Vira, and sisters Yashoda and Sushila.<ref name=nar>{{Cite web |author=Ashish Khokar | title = Sumitra Charat Ram: Doyenne of art patronage dies | url = http://www.narthaki.com/info/profiles/profl128.html | publisher = narthaki.com| date =9 August 2011 | access-date = 11 June 2013 }}</ref><br />
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He elder brother [[Dharma Vira]] (1906–2000) joined [[Indian Civil Service|ICS]] (1906–2000) and was [[Cabinet Secretary (India)|Cabinet Secretary]] of the [[Government of India]], as well as a governor of [[Punjab, India|Punjab]], West Bengal and [[Karnataka]]. <br />
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==Career==<br />
After her marriage to Lala Charat Ram, son of [[Lala Shri Ram]], she gradually became an art patron. In 1947, upon the suggestion of [[Ravi Shankar]], she took a loan of Rs. 10,000 from her father-in-law, and started the Jhankar Committee in Delhi. At the turn of the [[independence of India]], [[princely state]]s were abolished, which also left a large of number of musicians and dancers without patronage. Thus in the coming years, Jhankar provided patronage to leading musicians and artists of the time by organising musical concerts and dance performances. This included [[Siddheshwari Devi]], Ravi Shankar, [[Hafiz Ali Khan]], Baba [[Allaudin Khan]], [[Shambhu Maharaj]], Sunder Prasad, [[Birju Maharaj]], [[Durga Lal]] and [[Aminuddin Dagar]].<ref name=nar/><ref name="times11"/><br />
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[[File:Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra.jpg|thumb|[[Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra]], Delhi founded by Sumitra Charat Ram in 1952]]<br />
She went on to establish [[Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra]], a performing arts and music school in 1952, where noted gurus of the time were teachers,<ref name="times11"/> with noted classical singer Nilina Ripjit Singh, later known as [[Naina Devi (singer)|Naina Devi]], acting as its director.<ref name="Khokar1998">{{cite book|author=Ashish Khokar|title=Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra: a history : Sumitra Charat Ram reminisces|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=k_9kAAAAMAAJ|access-date=11 June 2013|page=52|date=1 January 1998|publisher=Lustre Press|isbn=978-81-7436-043-4}}</ref><ref name=tele12>{{cite news |title=A Tale of Two Women: In search of their own songs|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120311/jsp/opinion/story_15229162.jsp#.UbBLt9I3CHg |newspaper=The Telegraph |date= 11 March 2012 |access-date=6 June 2013}}</ref> Throughout the 1950s, SBKK remained a focal point for the top dancers and musicians of the period, especially among leading gurus of Kathak [[gharana]]s, and Delhi became a centre of cultural revival as well new creative bursts in performing arts.<ref name="ChakravortyGupta2012">{{cite book|author1=Pallabi Chakravorty|author2=Nilanjana Gupta|title=Dance Matters: Performing India on Local and Global Stages|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KQly7wn0C5sC&pg=PT526|access-date=11 June 2013|date=21 August 2012|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-136-51612-2|pages=526–}}</ref> The [[National Institute of Kathak Dance]] or Kathak Kendra was originally established as the [[Kathak]] wing of the Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra in 1955, and was later taken over by the [[Sangeet Natak Akademi]], India's National Academy for Music, Dance and Drama in 1964.<ref>[[#Ma|Massey, p. 29]]</ref><br />
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In February 2011, the first 'Sumitra Charat Ram Award for Lifetime Achievement' established by Shri Ram Bhartiya Kala Kendra was awarded to Pandit [[Birju Maharaj]] .<ref name="Times11">{{cite web |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-02-25/music-events/28633768_1_kathak-lifetime-achievement-felicitated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131215064215/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-02-25/music-events/28633768_1_kathak-lifetime-achievement-felicitated |url-status=dead |archive-date=15 December 2013 |title=Pt. Birju Maharaj felicitated |date=25 February 2011 |newspaper=[[The Times of India]] |access-date=11 June 2013}}</ref><br />
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==Awards==<br />
For her contributions to the arts, in 1966, she was awarded the [[Padma Shri]] Award, fourth highest civilian honours, by [[Government of India]].<ref name=":0">{{cite web|title=Padma Awards Directory (1954–2009)|publisher=[[Ministry of Home Affairs (India)|Ministry of Home Affairs]]|url=http://www.mha.nic.in/pdfs/LST-PDAWD.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130510095705/http://www.mha.nic.in/pdfs/LST-PDAWD.pdf|archive-date=10 May 2013|df=dmy-all}}</ref><br />
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==Personal life==<br />
Her husband Charat Ram built companies like Shriram Pistons, Jay Engineering, Usha International and Shriram Industrial Enterprises Ltd. (SIEL). He died on 16 May 2007, at the age of 89, survived by his sons Deepak and Siddharth, and daughters Shobha and Gauri.<ref name="HTimes">{{cite web|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Dr-Charat-Ram-passes-away/Article1-222974.aspx|title=Dr Charat Ram passes away|newspaper=Hindustan Times|access-date=11 June 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130618083152/http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Dr-Charat-Ram-passes-away/Article1-222974.aspx|archive-date=18 June 2013|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Her father-in-law [[Lala Shri Ram]] had established educational institutions like [[Lady Shri Ram College]] (established 1956), [[Shri Ram College of Commerce]] (established 1926). [[The Shri Ram School|Shri Ram School]] in Delhi, was founded by [[Manju Bharat Ram]], wife of Arun [[Bharat Ram]], Lala Bharat Ram's son.<ref name="HTimes"/><br />
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She died on 8 August 2011 in New Delhi, after a brief illness at the age of 96. She was survived by her centenarian sister Sushila, and her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.<ref name="times11">{{Cite web | title = Sumitra Charat Ram passes away| url =http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-08-09/delhi/29868341_1_ravi-shankar-jhankar-birju-maharaj | archive-url =https://archive.today/20130620210919/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-08-09/delhi/29868341_1_ravi-shankar-jhankar-birju-maharaj | url-status =dead | archive-date =20 June 2013 | date =9 August 2011 | newspaper = [[The Times of India]]| access-date = 11 June 2013 }}</ref> Her daughter, [[Shobha Deepak Singh]], continues to run Bhartiya Kala Kendra.<ref name="express">{{Cite web | title =Taking Centre Stage | url = http://www.indianexpress.com/news/taking-centre-stage/992822/0 |newspaper = Indian Express| date = 25 August 2012 | access-date = 11 June 2013 }}</ref><br />
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==Bibliography==<br />
* {{cite book|author=Sumitra Charat Ram|title=The essence of memories: a collage of renowned industrialist Dr. Charat Ram's life and work|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zcPsAAAAMAAJ|year=1995|publisher=Oxford & IBH Pub. Co.|isbn=978-81-204-1042-8}}<br />
* {{cite book|author=Ashish Khokar|author2=Sumitra Charat Ram |title=Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra: a history : Sumitra Charat Ram reminisces|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=k_9kAAAAMAAJ|year=1998|publisher=Lustre Press|isbn=978-81-7436-043-4}}<br />
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== References ==<br />
<references /><br />
* {{cite book|last=Massey|first=Reginald |title=India's kathak dance, past present, future |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yFXkPk3zMeYC&q=Kathak+Kendra&pg=RA1-PA29|year=1999|publisher=Abhinav Publications |isbn=81-7017-374-4|ref=Ma}}<br />
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==External links==<br />
*[http://www.sbkk.in/ Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra, Official website]<br />
*[http://www.shriramcenterart.org/ Shri Ram Centre for Performing Arts, website]<br />
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{{Padma Shri Award Recipients in Art}}<br />
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{{Authority control}}<br />
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ram, Sumitra Charat}}<br />
[[Category:1914 births]]<br />
[[Category:2011 deaths]]<br />
[[Category:Impresarios]]<br />
[[Category:People from Meerut]]<br />
[[Category:Indian patrons of the arts]]<br />
[[Category:Patrons of schools]]<br />
[[Category:Founders of educational institutions]]<br />
[[Category:Indian philanthropists]]<br />
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts]]<br />
[[Category:Lady Shri Ram College alumni]]<br />
[[Category:20th-century philanthropists]]</div>Hembram Bakhul