Kuchipudi exponent Rama Devi honoured by AP Government

Kuchipudi exponent Dr P Rama Devi was honoured with the Kala Ratna Hamsa Award by the Andhra Pradesh government, recognising her contributions as a performer, scholar and teacher, along with her efforts in promoting the classical dance form

Hyderabad: Well-known Kuchipudi exponent Dr (Mrs) P Rama Devi was conferred with the Kala Ratna Hamsa Award by the Andhra Pradesh State Government in Vijayawada on Thursday.

The city-based classical dancer, who is the wife of former Andhra Ranji cricketer Prasanna Kumar, was presented the award by the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh N Chandrababu Naidu at the Ugadi celebrations in Amaravati.

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Rama Devi is an ‘A’ Grade artiste from Doordarshan and is well known for her contributions to Kuchipudi as a performer, guru, scholar, choreographer, author and organiser.

She started learning dance at the age of four under the guidance of the Kuchipudi guru late Mahankali Shrimannaraya garu, at Bapatla in Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh.

After completing her Bachelor’s degree from Arts and Science College, Bapatla, she married cricketer P Prasanna Kumar and shifted to Hyderabad. She took a break for six years and resumed her dance journey by pursuing courses such as Certificate and Diploma in Kuchipudi Dance from Government Music and Dance College, Secunderabad. She then went on to complete her M.A., M.Phil., and Ph.D. in Kuchipudi Dance. She is currently pursuing D Lit from Gangubai Hangal Music and Performing Arts University, Mysore.

Rama Devi established her own institution, “Sri Sai Nataraja Academy of Kuchipudi Dance,” in 1989 at Secunderabad, with the objective of propagating the rich cultural heritage of India through the medium of the Kuchipudi art form and training students. Her academy has branches in Calicut (Kerala), Nagpur (Maharashtra), and Philadelphia (USA).

She is also working as a Kuchipudi dance professor at ARIA University, California, USA, where she teaches Master’s and Diploma programmes. She is also serving as an Adjunct Professor, guiding scholars (currently five scholars) in the Ph.D. programme at Alliance University, Bangalore, and Vedic Wellness University, Bangalore, which is affiliated with the University of Vedic Wellness, Florida, USA.

As a script writer, Dr Rama Devi has penned nine dance ballets and five songs in the Kuchipudi dance tradition. As a scholar, she has contributed several articles to newspapers, prestigious art magazines, and various souvenirs. She has choreographed 30 ballets so far to her credit.

She is also a recipient of many prestigious honours, including the National Tagore Fellowship 2026 from the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, New Delhi. She is also a recipient of the Kerala State Sangeet Natak Academy’s “Kalasri” Award and Senior Fellowship (2002) from the Ministry of Culture, New Delhi.