What is Indira Rajan?
{{infobox dancer |birth_date=1939 |death_date=29 April 2022 |nationality={{flag|India}} |occupation=Dancer and Choreographer |awards=[[Sangeet Natak Akademi Award]] |dances=[[Bharatnatyam]] |years_active=1955–2022 |birth_place=[[Karaikal]], [[Tamil Nadu]], India |death_place=[[Chennai]], India }} '''Indira Rajan''' (1939–29 April 2022) was an Indian [[Bharatanatyam]] dancer and teacher. She was the recipient of [[Sangeet Natak Akademi Award]] which she received in 1996 for her contributions in [[dancing]]. In her dance academy at [[Chennai]], she has taught more then 1000 students.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Guru Mahima- A tribute to Guru Indira Rajan|url=https://abhinaya.org/portfolio-item/guru-mahima-a-tribute-to-guru-indira-rajan/|access-date=7 February 2024|website=Abhinaya Dance Company of San Jose|language=en-US|archive-date=7 February 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240207092425/https://abhinaya.org/portfolio-item/guru-mahima-a-tribute-to-guru-indira-rajan/|url-status=dead}}</ref> ==Early life== Rajan was born in the year 1939 in [[Karaikal]], [[Puducherry (union territory)|Puducherry]], India. She was born in an [[Isai Velalar]] family. Isai Velalar is a [[community]] found in the [[Tamil Nadu]] region of India. They are traditionally involved as performers of [[Classical Dance|classical dance]] and [[Classical music|music]] in [[Mandir|Hindu temples]]. Her grandmother Sundarambal was a famous Sadir dancer of her time, while her mother Sundara Kamakshi was a well-known musician and her uncles KN Dandayudhapani Pillai and KN Pakkiriswami Pillai were noted [[Natyacharya|natyacharyas]]. Indira left her home to learn dance at the age of six. She started dancing under [[Guru]] Ganesh Pillai and had learnt [[Arangetram]]. She [[Debut|performed in public for the first time]] at the age of nine. She continued her training with guru while also starting an independent dance career at the age of 13.<ref>{{Cite web|date=13 January 2016|title=Indira Rajan|url=https://www.sangeetnatak.gov.in/public/uploads/a