The first-ever Indian transgender woman recipient of the prestigious Padma Shri award and noted Bharatanatyam guru, Dr Narthaki Nataraj, was honoured in Dhaka on Friday, reports UNB.
Bandhu Social Welfare Society, a Bangladeshi charity and community-based organisation, arranged the felicitation ceremony at the main auditorium of the National Museum in honour of the dancer.
UNDP Country Director Sudipto Mukherjee handed over the crest of honour at the ceremony to the dancer. Bandhu Social Welfare Society Chairperson Anisul Islam Hero and Executive Director Saleh Ahmed were also present on the occasion.
Dr Narthaki presented a dance performance at the event and expressed her heartfelt gratitude to the organisers and people of Bangladesh.
Bandhu’s transgender community dance group, “Shatta’ (Essence of Soul), also performed at the ceremony.
Born in Tamil Nadu, India, Dr Narthaki Natarah became the first-ever transgender woman in the world to receive a top civilian award, after being felicitated with the Padma Shri in 2019. She received an Honorary Doctorate degree from Periyar Maniammai University, India in 2016.
Honouring her legacy and career as an icon empowering the marginalised transgender community, Tamil Nadu School Education Department introduced a lesson about Nataraj in the Tamil textbook for Plus One (11th Standard) students in 2018.