New Delhi, Sep 16 Kapila Vatsyayan, Member of Parliament, a major scholar of art, architecture, Indian classical dance and Founding Director of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, passed away at the age of 92 at her home in New Delhi on Wednesday.
Recipient of the Padma Vibhushan honour (2011), the scholar, who authored around 20 books on various art forms and their histories including 'The Square and the Circle of Indian Arts' (1997), 'Bharata: The Natya Sastra' (1996) and 'Traditions in India Folk Dance' (1987)was also the Chairperson of the Asian Arts Project at the India International Centre.Trained in Kathak and Manipuri, she earned her PhD from the Banaras Hindu University after completing her MA English from Delhi University and MA in Education from the University of Michigan in the US.
The younger sister of poet and art critic Keshav Malik, Vatsyayan, being one of the country's earliest arts administrators, was instrumental in taking the best of Indian artists across the world under the aegis of Indian Council For Cultural relations.She was also awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship in 1970.
Writer and politician Pavan K. Varma tweeted, "Deeply grieved at her passing away this morning. She was a true scholar of the deep refinements of ancient Indian culture and civilisation. Her book 'The Square and The Circle of Indian Arts' is a classic. Om Shanti."
( With inputs from IANS )
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