Google celebrates legendary Kathak dancer Sitara Devi's 97th birth anniversary with a Doodle

Google on Wednesday honoured legendary Kathak dancer Sitara Devi on her 97th birth anniversary with a Doodle.

Sitara Devi was bornas Dhannolakshmi on November 8, 1920, to Kathak dancer and Sanskrit scholar Sukhdev Maharaj and mother Matsya Kumari in Kolkata.

In Doodle, the Kathak legend is seen in a pink costume posing elegantly at the centre of the graphic, with the accompaniments of instruments -- ghungroo, tabla and sitar -- taking the place of the remaining alphabets in the word 'google'.

Known as Nritya Samragini,Sitara Devi started dancing at the tender age of 10. In fact, the title was given to her by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore after he watched her perform in Bombay where her family had shifted base. She was 16 at that time, yet her stage performance enthralled the likes of freedom fighter Sarojini Naidu, Parsi philanthropist Sir Cowasji Jehangir and Tagore.

Sitara Devi presented Kathak at international venues like the Royal Albert Hall, London, and Carnegie Hall, New York.

She has also been part of many Bollywood movies like Usha Haran, Nagina, Roti, Vatan, Anjaliand Mother Indiaand was a mentor to many Bollywood actresses and taught them Kathak. Madhubala, Mala Sinha and Rekha were some of her students.

A recipient of THE Padma Shri, Kalidas Samman, Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and Nritya Nipuna, Sitara Devi was also an accomplished dancer in many other styles including Bharatanatyam, folk dances of India, Russian ballet and other western forms.

After a period of prolonged illness, the Kathak maestro breathed her last on November 25, 2014 in Mumbai.