Jayanti Mala

🪔 About

Jayanti Mala, also known as Jayantimala Mishra, is a highly renowned Indian classical Kathak dancer, guru, and cultural icon, often referred to as "Kathak Queen" and "Urvashi". Born in Banaras (Varanasi) into the illustrious musical family of Acharya Pandit Sukhdev Maharaj, she represents the tenth generation of the Banaras Gharana and is also a torchbearer of the Lucknow Gharana. Her training began at the remarkably young age of two and a half years, giving her first performance under the guidance of Sukhdev Maharaj. She received extensive training from several legendary figures, including her mother Smt. Sitara Devi Ji, Tara Devi Ji, her uncle and father-figure Acharya Chowbey Maharaj Ji, Ustad Allah Rakha Khan Sahab, and Guru Ganeshi Heeralal. With over five decades of dedicated service to Kathak, Jayanti Mala has significantly enriched the art form through her performances, teaching, and choreography. She is celebrated for her versatile Abhinaya (expression) and Laya Kari (rhythmic play), precise hand mudras, and clear, neat chakkaras (spins), combining both tradition and modernity in her presentations. She has mastered both mythological temple style and the Mughal Darbari Nritya styles of Kathak. Her extensive career includes performances and workshops across the globe in countries such as Hongkong, Fiji Islands, East Africa, USA, UK, Mauritius, Japan, and various Gulf countries. Jayanti Mala is the chairwoman of the dance institute "KALA KRITI KENDRA," where she continues to inspire and train new generations of Kathak dancers, preserving the purity and grandeur of classical Kathak. She has also directed dance ballets for Indian television, including "Krishna Leela Dance" and "Menka dance ballet," and choreographed for films like "Badhaai Ho Badhaai" (2002) and the TV serial "Amrapalli". Her contributions to Kathak have been recognized with numerous prestigious awards from the Government of India and other musical conferences. Awards & Honours: SINGARMANI AWARD, NATYA NARTIKI AWARD, NRITYA VILAS AWARD, SWAMI HARIDAS AWARD, URVASHI AWARD, SANGEET DEVI AWARD, KATHAK QUEEN AWARD (1994), BHARAT NIRMAN AWARD, NRITYA GAURAV Award.