Dancer Narthaki Nataraj: First transgender to receive Padma award

Chennai: Narthaki Nataraj, a renowned dancer from Tamil Nadu, is the first person from the transgender community to be honoured with the Padma Shri, one of the top civilian awards in India. The 54-year-old Bharatanatyam dancer was born in the temple town of Madurai. Nataraj learned the art under Tanjore Shri KP Kittappa Pillai and also has established a dance school. In her website, Nataraj recounted the social ridicule and rejection she faced earlier. However, her passion for dance took her to Pillai, who agreed to become her mentor.