Kalamandalam Sugandhi

1950

Born — Born on December 2 in Valamgalam, Thuravoor, Alappuzha district, Kerala.

~1957

Began dance training — Started learning Bharatanatyam at age seven from Sathidevi.

1962

Won Bharatanatyam competitions — Secured first place in Bharatanatyam at the Kerala State Schools Youth Festival and Kerala Kalamandakam competition.

1968

Began Mohiniyattam studies and participated in seminal workshop — Studied Mohiniyattam at Kerala Kalamandalam; the 'konda kettu' coiffure was first experimented on her during a Mohiniyattam seminar.

1969

Completed studies and began teaching — Completed her studies at Kerala Kalamandalam and was appointed Mohiniyattam teacher at FACT Fine Arts School.

1971

Received Pundareenath Bhuvanendra Award — Awarded by the Kerala Konkani Sahitya Academy.

1985

Received Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award

1990

Received ITC Golden Greats Award and Senior Fellowship — Senior Fellowship from Human Resource Development Ministry, Govt of India.

1997

Received multiple awards — Pundareenath Bhuvanendra Puraskar from Kerala Konkini Sahithya Academy and an Award from Tapasya Sahithya Vedi and New Delhi Samskrita Bharati.

1999

Received Kerala Kalamandalam Award

2002

Concluded tenure at FACT — Ended her 32-year teaching career at FACT Fine Arts Wing.

2003

Received Dr. T.M.A Pai Foundation Award and Senior Fellowship — Senior Fellowship from Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India.

2004

Received Sangeet Natak Akademi Award

2012

Received Kalaratna award / Fellowship — Awarded by the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy.

~2021

Completed Doctorate — Earned a Doctorate in 'Development of Pedagogy for Mohiniyattam Based on Natya Sastra' from Thanjavur Sastra University under Padma Subramaniam at age 71.

2021

Received Shadkala Govinda Marar Award

Current

Academic Dean at Kerala Kalamandalam — Also continues her work with Nrithyanjali Dance Academy.