An Artistic Journey

Her Journey

The full dated timeline

4 Jan 1955
Garbo for the opening of AIR Rajkot. Choreographed by Pragnaben Oza and Kunjlataben Mehta. The article leaves unclear whether they or Jagdipbhai Virani wrote the words.
Yagnesh Acharya
Yagnesh Acharya
1958–59
Street garba begins in Diwanpara, Bhavnagar.
Yagnesh Acharya
Yagnesh Acharya
1960
Nupur Zankar brings garba onto the stage with the first continuous Baar Garba (twelve garbas) programme.
Yagnesh Acharya · Book
Yagnesh Acharya · Book
c. 1965
Nupur Zankar grows into age groups; Poyani dances in the younger groups and later choreographs them.
Yagnesh Acharya
Yagnesh Acharya
Late 1960s
Trains in Kathak under Guru Dharamshibhai Shah of Kalakshetra Dance and Music School, Bhavnagar.
Family
Family
14 Mar 1978
Parvani premieres at the inauguration of Aalap, Bhavnagar: about 75 women, three and a half hours.
Press: Gujarat Samachar 2-4-1978 · Saurashtra Samachar 20-3-1978
Press: Gujarat Samachar 2-4-1978 · Saurashtra Samachar 20-3-1978 · press-02 Press: Gujarat Samachar 2-4-1978 · Saurashtra Samachar 20-3-1978 · press-01
1978–80
Founds Khushboo Kala Vrind.
Family · Press: Rangprabha 25-12-1981
Family · Press: Rangprabha 25-12-1981
1980–1988
Judge for the Gujarat Nritya Natya Academy’s state and district competitions.
Book
Book
9 Oct 1981
Jhanjharno Jhankar staged at the Theosophical Lodge, Bhavnagar, holding an audience of 4,000–5,000 from start to finish.
Press: Gujarat Samachar 19-10-1981
Press: Gujarat Samachar 19-10-1981
12 Jan 1987
Parvani revived in Bharuch with the GNFC Ladies Club, with Matangi Oza.
Video
Video
1989–1998
Hong Kong: her garba with the Gujarati Samaj, Indian Arts Circle and Hindu Association.
Book
Book
2015–2017
Garba competition judge in Sydney.
Book
Book
18 Oct 2020
From Sydney, judges an online live garba competition for Shri Bhavnagar Nagar Mitra Mandal, Mumbai.
Video: Maulesh Oza
Video: Maulesh Oza
7 Oct 2021
She gives an ashirvachan (address and blessing) to Shri Nagar Mandal, Andheri, Mumbai, praising its work in linking Nagar mandals in Bhavnagar, Ahmedabad and Vadodara online during Garbotsav.
Video: Maulesh Oza
Video: Maulesh Oza
7 Oct 2021
24 Aug 2025
At 74, she led a workshop for the Abhivyakti group, organised by Ankita Vohra, speaking on stage and competition garba, prachin and arvachin garba, the live-music days of Bhavnagar from 1966, and why bhav matters.
Video: Maulesh Oza
Video: Maulesh Oza
24 Aug 2025
12 Sep 2025
Ankita Vohra posts a video thanking her.
Video
Video

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Until 1965

Roots

Lineage

Poyani Oza's family traces its lineage to Gaurishankar Udayshankar Oza, known as Gaga Oza (1805–1891/92), remembered in the family as her great-great-grandfather. He was chief minister of Bhavnagar State from 1850 to 1879. Under him Bhavnagar reformed its land revenue and customs, completed the Gaurishankar waterworks, and began a railway across Kathiawar. He helped found Rajkumar College, Rajkot. In retirement he studied Vedanta, wrote Svarupanu-sandhan (1884), and took sannyasa in 1887.

Gaurishankar Lake (Bortalav) in Bhavnagar bears his name.

Family

Wikipedia: Gaurishankar Udayshankar Bhavnagar's wider heritage

Three generations: Champaben Oza, Poyani Oza's paternal grandmother; her son Pravinchandra Oza, Poyani's father, and his wife Pragnaben Oza, Poyani's mother (Oza was her married name); and three of their daughters: Shobhanaben Oza (later Shobhanaben Mehta) and Yaminiben Oza, Poyani Oza's elder sisters, and Poyani Oza.

Family

Poyani was the youngest child of Pravinchandra and Pragnaben Oza. Her elder siblings, from the eldest, were Trushaben, Yaminiben, Shobhanaben and Jagdeepbhai.

Family

Garba in Bhavnagar began at home. Nagar Brahmin women held bethak garba in their homes: at Mangal Mahal, Diwanpara (Durlabh Lakshmiba); opposite the Bahucharaji temple (Rama Lakshmiba); in Nagar Pol (Bala Ba); and at Madhurikaben’s home at Ram Jharukha, later continued by her son Pinakinbhai Mehta.

Book

4 January 1955: for the opening of All India Radio Rajkot, the garbo “O re paschimna vayra vaya re, ane mayure malhar raag gaya re”, sung by Tarlikaben Bhatt of Saptakala and chorus. Choreographed by Pragnaben Oza and Kunjlataben Mehta. The article leaves unclear whether they or Jagdipbhai Virani wrote the words.

Yagnesh Acharya

1958–59: street garba began in the courtyard of a grand house in Diwanpara, singing around an image of the Mother Goddess. It moved to the Mahajan vando in the lane beside the Ruvapari police gate, with a lamp in the garbo and the aarti sung together. It then moved to the Nagar community hall, Shri Hari Nagar Niwas (Bhojavado), where Chandraprabhaben Vora, Sudhaben Desai, Harshvinaben Desai and Rasheshwariben Desai joined. Nupur Zankar was born there.

Yagnesh Acharya

1960: Pragnaben and Kunjlataben brought garba from the street onto the stage with Bhavnagar’s first continuous Baar Garba (twelve garbas) programme. The actor Manish, later famous for Saraswatichandra, attended and praised it.

Yagnesh Acharya

Invitations followed from Central Salt Research, the Rotary Club and the Doctors’ Association.

Yagnesh Acharya

Between 1960 and 1965 garba costumes could not be hired, so Pragnaben Oza, Champaben Oza and Ratiben Desai had their own white saris dyed, added trimmings and borders, had them tailored, and made jewellery from brass leaf by hand. Nupur Zankar never took a donation; Pragnaben and Kunjlataben paid for the programmes themselves and gave the girls small gifts.

Yagnesh Acharya

Nupur Zankar won many prizes at district and state level in the Gujarat State Nritya Natya Academy’s annual garba competitions.

Yagnesh Acharya

Do you remember this time? Share a memory.

Pragnaben Oza (seated, right, in a checked sari with the end over her head) with the young dancers of her group, among them three of her daughters. Standing directly behind her, smiling, is Poyani Oza. In the front row, second from left, is Yaminiben Oza, and at the far right is Shobhanaben Oza (later Mehta), both Poyani's elder sisters. Probably Nupur Zankar, 1960s. Do you recognise anyone else, including the other seated woman?A mother and three of her daughters, Nupur Zankar.Group of about eighteen young women in saris and head coverings, standing and seated, with two older women seated in the centre. The print is creased and marked. Black-and-white.
Family
Family
Do you recognise anyone?

Pragnaben Oza, her mother, co-founder of Nupur Zankar.Close portrait of Pragnaben Oza in later life: grey hair drawn back, round gold-rimmed glasses, a red bindi, and a lilac sari with a woven gold border. Colour.
Family
Family

Bhavnagar remembers them as the Oza sisters, known for garba and dance.

Memory: Professor Atul Bhatt

Pragnaben Oza and Kunjlataben Mehta, who planted the pillar of garba culture in Bhavnagar. Article by Yagnesh Acharya, City Anchor page, 4 October.
Press: City Anchor, Yagnesh Acharya, 4 October
Press: City Anchor, Yagnesh Acharya, 4 October

The full text of this clipping is Yagnesh Acharya’s article, reproduced in his own words on Yagneshbhai’s memories.

Read the full Gujarati text

૨

c. 1965 · Late 1960s

Finding her voice

c. 1965: demand from parents led Nupur Zankar to form age groups, rehearsing room by room at Pravin Palace. The repertoire: prachin and arvachin garba, dandiya raas, the divda (lamp) garbo, mandvi garba, taali-chapti garba, supda, tippani and beda garba.

Yagnesh Acharya

Poyani danced in the younger groups, and later choreographed them. The older group was choreographed by Shobhana Oza (Poyani's elder sister) and Sohini Virani.

Yagnesh Acharya

Once, when a dancer had to drop out at the last minute, Poyani stepped in like a cricket team's twelfth man and danced three garbas at a moment's notice.

Yagnesh Acharya

She trained in Kathak under Guru Dharamshibhai Shah (1921–2017) of Kalakshetra Dance and Music School, Bhavnagar.

Family

He was the foremost disciple of Pt Sundarlal Gangani and received the Government of Gujarat’s Gaurav Puraskar in 1989.

Narthaki obituary, 2017

In her school years she won a gold medal at a youth festival in Dahod. In college she choreographed and performed in competitions.

Video, 2021

She was among the artists of Saptakala (founded 1953 by Jagdipbhai Virani), with Sohini Virani, Trusha Oza, Yaminiben Oza (Poyani Oza's elder sister), Shobhanaben Oza (Poyani Oza's elder sister), Varna Desai, Kamal Virani, Tarun Mehta, Trupti Desai, Sadhana Desai and Bharati Pandya.

Book

B.A., B.Ed.

Book

Do you remember this time? Share a memory.

Poyani Oza on stage, in classical costume. Late 1960s (estimated).Poyani Oza as a young dancer on stage in classical costume, one arm stretched high and the other forward, ankle bells on her feet, a draped curtain behind. Children watch from the wings on the left. Black-and-white.
Family
Family

Poyani Oza (centre, bending forward with one arm stretched out, in a dark skirt with a light border, a white odhni and jasmine in her hair) dancing garba on stage with her group. Singers and musicians sit on the floor at the back. Undated. Do you recognise the other dancers?Poyani Oza at the centre, bending forward with one arm stretched out, in a dark skirt with a light border, a white odhni and jasmine in her hair, dancing garba on stage with her group; singers and musicians seated on the floor at the back. Black-and-white.
Family
Family
Do you recognise anyone?

On stage, in classical costume and in garba.

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1978–1987

Bhavnagar years

She co-founded the institution Aalap with Rajababu, Sureshbhai Buch, Dr Nilubhai Vaishnav, advocate Akshay Oza and other leading Bhavnagar artists.

Book

14 March 1978: Parvani premiered at Aalap’s inauguration.

Press: Gujarat Samachar 2-4-1978 · Saurashtra Samachar 20-3-1978

Press: Gujarat Samachar 2-4-1978 · Saurashtra Samachar 20-3-1978 · press-02 Press: Gujarat Samachar 2-4-1978 · Saurashtra Samachar 20-3-1978 · press-01

Parvani

She founded Khushboo Kala Vrind. It performed in Bhavnagar; in Ahmedabad and on Ahmedabad Doordarshan; in Mumbai at Bhaidas Hall (Vile Parle) and Tejpal Auditorium (Gowalia Tank); in Sihor and Palitana; on Mumbai Doordarshan; and in an AIR Rajkot concert.

Family · Book

In 1981 the press wrote that Khushboo Kala Vrind blended folk music, folk dance and group dance, ancient and modern.

Press: Rangprabha 25-12-1981

Khushboo’s rehearsals were the first to begin in Bhavnagar each season.

Yagnesh Acharya

At Bhaidas Hall, Mumbai, in a joint show with Kala Sangam, one of her garbas used three or four different taals. The lead rhythmist, Suresh Vaghela, kept the taal sequence on a slip of paper tucked under the dhol’s rope. The slip fell out during a fast entry and could not be read under the coloured stage lights. Poyani Oza held the performance together, and the audience never noticed.

Yagnesh Acharya

Her works: Parvani, Garbe Ramva Nisarya Madi, Raag Taal Ni Harmala, Raat Din Nindar Vina, Khedu.

Book · Family

Her Work

After Parvani and a further production, Jhanjharno Jhankar (ઝાંઝરનો ઝણકાર), the press placed her among the leading arvachin garba artists of Mumbai and Ahmedabad: Veena Mehta, Shubhaben Swadia, Sudhaben Divetia, Jayshreeben Anilbhai, Smita Shastri, Chitra Shah and Meera Menon.

Book

Bhavnagar called her the pioneer of arvachin garba. Her garba was semi-classical and dance-based.

Book

Do you remember this time? Share a memory.

The day of Parvani. Poyani Oza (front, gold sari) and Mohammadbhai Dekhaiya (back row) among the group.A large group standing in rows in front of a decorated backdrop: Poyani Oza at the front in a gold sari, with men in suits and shirts and women in saris around her. Colourised.Colourised from the original photograph
Family
Family

Poyani Oza on the day of Parvani. From a colourised copy.Poyani Oza standing in a gold sari with heavy gold jewellery, hands folded in front, with men behind her. Colourised crop.Colourised from the original photograph
Family
Family

Rangprabha, 25 December 1981, on Khushboo Kala Vrind, and Saurashtra Samachar, 29 October 2007, recalling Parvani, as quoted in Shri Garba-Raas Puran. Full text transcribed beside the image. — Rangprabha, 25 December 1981, on Khushboo Kala Vrind, and Saurashtra Samachar, 29 October 2007, recalling Parvani, as quoted in Shri Garba-Raas Puran.
Press: Rangprabha, 25 December 1981; Saurashtra Samachar, 29 October 2007 · Book: Shri Garba-Raas Puran
Press: Rangprabha, 25 December 1981; Saurashtra Samachar, 29 October 2007 · Book: Shri Garba-Raas Puran

Rangprabha, 25 December 1981, and Saurashtra Samachar, 29 October 2007, as quoted in Shri Garba-Raas Puran, p. 190

English translation

Rangprabha, 25 December 1981: Bhavnagar's Khushboo Kala Vrind, which holds a leading place in the arts in Saurashtra and Gujarat, has for the past two years been steadily watering the soil of our cultural heritage with a meeting of three streams: folk music, folk dance and group dance. Its works bring novelty and originality together with a graceful blend of ancient and modern cultures. The guiding spirit of this troupe is Shrimati Poyani Oza. Under her direction, vision and guidance, Khushboo Kala Vrind has made great strides in a short time. Shrimati Poyani Oza has presented her garba compositions on Doordarshan in Mumbai and Ahmedabad, and her garbas won much praise at an All India Radio (Akashvani) concert in Rajkot.

Saurashtra Samachar, 29 October 2007, "25 years ago": the year's best programmes from an artistic point of view. Parvani. Production: Aalap. Direction: Shrimati Poyani Oza. Choreography, arvachin: Shrimati Poyani Oza. Choreography, prachin: Jitubhai Bhatt. Music direction: Shri Mohammadbhai Dekhaiya. Poems from the devotional poet Dayaram to the poet Narmad…

The book does not mark where the newspaper quotation ends; the boundary shown here is our best reading.

Translator's notes

8. Clipping B, Aalap. Printed અલગ ("alag", meaning "separate"), a misprint for આલાપ, Aalap. The 2007 item in Clipping C names Aalap as Parvani's producer, and the book (p. 189) names the institution as Aalap.
12. Clipping C, "the guiding spirit". Printed કસુંબી ("kasumbi"); the book photograph confirms it. Kasumbi is the deep saffron-red colour that in Gujarati stands for spirit, courage and devotion (as in Meghani's "Kasumbino Rang"). Used here of Poyani Oza's role in the troupe, it means the troupe's spirit or creative force. It may also be a misprint for કસબી ("master craftsperson") or કર્ણધાર ("helmsman, leader"); "the guiding spirit" covers all three readings.
13. Clipping C and Clipping D, "triveni sangam". ત્રિવેણી સંગમ, literally the meeting of three rivers (as at Prayag), is a stock phrase for any blend of three things. It is translated by its sense ("a meeting of three streams", "a matchless blend") rather than transliterated.
14. Clipping C is cut short. The transcription stops mid-sentence at "Poems from the devotional poet Dayaram to the poet Narmad". In the book (pp. 190–191) the sentence goes on: "…folk songs and garbas are included in prachin garba", followed by a description of claps and props. So this last sentence is probably the book author's own text about prachin garba, not part of the 2007 newspaper item.
15. Clipping C, 2007 item, is a list of credits. It is a "twenty-five years ago" retrospective, so the year in question is about 1982. Parvani is listed among "the year's best programmes" (plural). The credits are: produced by Aalap; directed by Shrimati Poyani Oza; arvachin (modern) dance direction by Shrimati Poyani Oza; prachin (traditional) dance direction by Jitubhai Bhatt; music direction by Shri Mohammadbhai Dekhaiya.
16. Names standardised to the site's spellings: Mohammadbhai Dekhaiya (printed મહમદભાઈ દેખૈયા in Clipping A and મહમદભાઈ દેખાયા in Clipping C); Pragnaben Oza (printed પ્રજ્ઞાબેન, more exactly "Pragnyaben"); Khushboo Kala Vrind (printed ખુશ્બુ કલાવૃંદ); Jhanjharno Jhankar (printed ઝાંઝરનો ઝણકાર; the title means "the jingle of anklets"). Other names: Professor Simson (printed સિમ્સન; possibly "Simpson"); Sir John Griffith (printed ગ્રીફિથ); Sir Visvesvaraya (printed વિશ્વેશ્વરૈયા, the engineer M. Visvesvaraya).
20. Small misprints not marked [sic] in the transcription were read in their obvious sense: પોયણીએ ઓઝાનો for પોયણી ઓઝાનો and વ્રતોથી for વ્રતોની (Clipping B); અરવાચીન for અર્વાચીન (Clipping C).
22. Consistency with the book chapter. Clippings A, B and C are the same texts quoted in the book on pp. 189–190. Wherever the two quote the same newspaper sentence, the English is identical to v2 of book-chapter-EN.md. The only difference is the last sentence of Clipping C, which the clipping transcription cuts short.

Transcribed from the printed page.

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1980–1988

Mentor and judge

1980–1988: judge for the Gujarat Nritya Natya Academy’s state and district competitions.

Book

She later described nine years judging state-level finals held by Gujarat’s cultural department and the Youth Festival.

Video, 2021

She judged in Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Vadodara, Navsari, Bengaluru, Hong Kong and Sydney.

Video, 2021

12 January 1987: she revived Parvani in Bharuch with the GNFC Ladies Club, travelling there every week to train the dancers. She worked with Matangi Oza (known earlier as Matangi Dholakia), who had danced with her as a girl in Nupur Zankar.

Video · Family · Yagnesh Acharya

Do you remember this time? Share a memory.

Sixteen dancers in matching costume, an older woman at each end. Undated. Do you recognise anyone?Sixteen dancers in matching costumes and head coverings, in two rows, front row kneeling, with an older woman standing at each end, in a hall with a framed picture on the wall. Black-and-white.
Family
Family
Do you recognise anyone?

૫

1989–1998

Hong Kong

1989–1998: her garba choreography was celebrated by the Gujarati Samaj, the Indian Arts Circle and the Hindu Association.

Book

Photographs and programmes from these years are still to be found. If you danced with her in Hong Kong, please share a memory.

Do you remember this time? Share a memory.

Poyani Oza, brochure portrait for Shri Garba-Raas Puran.Brochure page with a portrait of Poyani Oza in a pale sari, framed by a patterned border. Printed above: “‘શ્રી ગરબા-રાસ પુરાણ’ પુસ્તકના વિમોચન પ્રસંગે શુભેચ્છા સહ…” (with good wishes on the release of the book Shri Garba-Raas Puran). Printed below: “શ્રીમતી પોયણીબેન ઓઝા, ‘ખુશ્બુ’, કલાવૃંદ, ભાવનગર.”
Book
Book

૬

2015–2025

Sydney and later years

2015–2017: garba competition judge in Sydney.

Book

18 October 2020: from Sydney, she judged an online live garba competition for Shri Bhavnagar Nagar Mitra Mandal, Mumbai.

Video: Maulesh Oza

7 October 2021: She gives an ashirvachan (address and blessing) to Shri Nagar Mandal, Andheri, Mumbai, praising its work in linking Nagar mandals in Bhavnagar, Ahmedabad and Vadodara online during Garbotsav.

Video: Maulesh Oza

Ashirvachan · 2021

24 August 2025: At 74, she led a workshop for the Abhivyakti group, organised by Ankita Vohra, speaking on stage and competition garba, prachin and arvachin garba, the live-music days of Bhavnagar from 1966, and why bhav matters.

Video: Maulesh Oza

Abhivyakti workshop · 2025

12 September 2025: Ankita Vohra posts a video thanking her.

Video

Today she divides her time between Australia and India.

Family

Do you remember this time? Share a memory.