arts in India and not as today, a mere device of whetting up the jaded appetite of the idle rich. His presence in our midst was a great lesson and now that dancing is again coming into vogue amongst us, his style should give us a correct lead, for in want of it, we are yet groping in the dark." He was awarded the Veera Srumkhala from, Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma the King of Travancore. The Guru Status was awarded later by Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA). The Rabindra Bharathi University honoured him with a doctorate. His statue was erected in Viswa Bharathi University. His illustrious demonstration of Nava Rasa (the nine emotions) is featured in major museums in US, France, Germany and Switzerland. Kathakali style of dancing and training was a male monopoly. It was Guru Gopinath who experimented and proved that females can perform Kathakali. He was appointed as the palace dancer and principal of the dance institution run by the royal family. The Natananiketan in Chennai and the Viswa Kala Kendra in Trivandrum the International Kathakali Centre in Delhi were institutions founded by him. Malayalam film history has noted Guru Gopinath as one among the actors of the beginning years. He has acted in the movie Prahlada as Hiranyakasipu. This was the sixth Malayalam movie and the third movie having sound tracks. He has made guest appearances as Jesus Christ in Jeevithanauka and Poothana in Bhakathakuchela. Guru Gopinath was one such artist who could show the nuances of the nine emotions in Kathakali and he could show different emotions on each half of his face at the same time. He died on stage, as he wished, with makeup, attire and anklets while enacting the role of King Dasharatha in his famous ballet Ramayana on 9 October 1987 at Fine Arts Hall Eranakulam. The Kerala government has established a dance village named 'Guru Gopinath Natanagramam in Trivandrum. The Natanagramam has a 3-storey dance museum dedicated to him. Guru Gopinath has travelled and performed in many parts of the world. He made performances in US, erstwhile USSR and Sri Lanka. He was a member of the first cultural delegation of independent India to the USSR in 1954. Among them was the great Indian Dancer Tara Chaudhri, the only North Indian born dancer performing dances from the south. He was invited as a judge of Classical Dances in the Eighth