એક કલાયાત્રા

તેમની કલાયાત્રા

The full dated timeline

૪ Jan ૧૯૫૫
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.
નૃત્ય-સંરચના: પ્રજ્ઞાબેન ઓઝા અને કુંજલતાબેન મહેતા. શબ્દો તેમણે લખ્યા કે જગદીપભાઈ વિરાણીએ, તે લેખમાં સ્પષ્ટ નથી.
Yagnesh Acharya
Yagnesh Acharya
૧૯૫૮–૫૯
Street garba begins in Diwanpara, Bhavnagar.
Yagnesh Acharya
Yagnesh Acharya
૧૯૬૦
Nupur Zankar brings garba onto the stage with the first continuous Baar Garba (twelve garbas) programme.
Yagnesh Acharya · Book
Yagnesh Acharya · Book
c. ૧૯૬૫
Nupur Zankar grows into age groups; Poyani dances in the younger groups and later choreographs them.
Yagnesh Acharya
Yagnesh Acharya
Late ૧૯૬૦s
Trains in Kathak under Guru Dharamshibhai Shah of Kalakshetra Dance and Music School, Bhavnagar.
Family
Family
૧૪ Mar ૧૯૭૮
Parvani premieres at the inauguration of Aalap, Bhavnagar: about ૭૫ 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
૧૯૭૮–૮૦
Founds Khushboo Kala Vrind.
Family · Press: Rangprabha 25-12-1981
Family · Press: Rangprabha 25-12-1981
૧૯૮૦–૧૯૮૮
Judge for the Gujarat Nritya Natya Academy’s state and district competitions.
Book
Book
૯ Oct ૧૯૮૧
Jhanjharno Jhankar staged at the Theosophical Lodge, Bhavnagar, holding an audience of ૪,૦૦૦–૫,૦૦૦ from start to finish.
ભાવનગરના થિયોસોફિકલ લોજમાં ઝાંઝરનો ઝણકાર રજૂ થયો અને ચાર-પાંચ હજાર પ્રેક્ષકોને શરૂઆતથી અંત સુધી જકડી રાખ્યા.
Press: Gujarat Samachar 19-10-1981
Press: Gujarat Samachar 19-10-1981
૧૨ Jan ૧૯૮૭
Parvani revived in Bharuch with the GNFC Ladies Club, with Matangi Oza.
Video
Video
૧૯૮૯–૧૯૯૮
Hong Kong: her garba with the Gujarati Samaj, Indian Arts Circle and Hindu Association.
Book
Book
૨૦૧૫–૨૦૧૭
Garba competition judge in Sydney.
Book
Book
૧૮ Oct ૨૦૨૦
From Sydney, judges an online live garba competition for Shri Bhavnagar Nagar Mitra Mandal, Mumbai.
Video: Maulesh Oza
Video: Maulesh Oza
૭ Oct ૨૦૨૧
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
૭ Oct ૨૦૨૧
૨૪ Aug ૨૦૨૫
In August ૨૦૨૫ 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 ૧૯૬૬, and why bhav matters.
Video: Maulesh Oza
Video: Maulesh Oza
૨૪ Aug ૨૦૨૫
૧૨ Sep ૨૦૨૫
Ankita Vohra posts a video thanking her.
Video
Video

૧

Until ૧૯૬૫

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 and his wife Pragnaben Oza (Poyani's parents); and their children, of whom Poyani was the youngest.

Family

પોયણીબેન પ્રવીણચંદ્ર અને પ્રજ્ઞાબેન ઓઝાનાં સૌથી નાનાં સંતાન હતાં. તેમનાથી મોટાં ભાઈ-બહેનો, સૌથી મોટાંથી શરૂ કરીને: તૃષાબેન, યામિનીબેન, શોભનાબેન અને જગદીપભાઈ.

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

નૃત્ય-સંરચના: પ્રજ્ઞાબેન ઓઝા અને કુંજલતાબેન મહેતા. શબ્દો તેમણે લખ્યા કે જગદીપભાઈ વિરાણીએ, તે લેખમાં સ્પષ્ટ નથી.

Yagnesh Acharya

૧૯૫૮–૫૯: 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

૧૯૬૦: 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

૧૯૬૦થી ૧૯૬૫ વચ્ચે ગરબાના પોશાક ભાડે મળતા નહોતા, એટલે પ્રજ્ઞાબેન ઓઝા, ચંપાબેન ઓઝા અને રતિબેન દેસાઈએ પોતાની સફેદ સાડીઓ રંગાવી, લગડી અને પટ્ટા ઉમેરાવી, દરજી પાસે સિવડાવી અને પિત્તળનાં પાનમાંથી ઘરેણાં હાથે બનાવ્યાં. નૂપુર ઝંકારે કદી દાન લીધું નહોતું; પ્રજ્ઞાબેન અને કુંજલતાબેન કાર્યક્રમોનો ખર્ચ પોતે કરતા અને બહેનોને નાની લહાણી આપતા.

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
શું તમે કોઈને ઓળખો છો?

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. ૧૯૬૫ · Late ૧૯૬૦s

Finding her voice

c. ૧૯૬૫: 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

એક વખત છેલ્લી ઘડીએ એક નૃત્યાંગના ન આવી શકી, ત્યારે પોયણીબેન ક્રિકેટના બારમા ખેલાડીની જેમ મેદાનમાં ઊતર્યાં અને તરત જ ત્રણ ગરબા રમ્યાં.

Yagnesh Acharya

She trained in Kathak under Guru Dharamshibhai Shah (૧૯૨૧–૨૦૧૭) 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 ૧૯૮૯.

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 ૧૯૫૩ 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
શું તમે કોઈને ઓળખો છો?

On stage, in classical costume and in garba.

૩

૧૯૭૮–૧૯૮૭

Bhavnagar years

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

Book

૧૪ March ૧૯૭૮: 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 ૧૯૮૧ 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.મૂળ ફોટોગ્રાફ પરથી રંગીન કરેલ
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.મૂળ ફોટોગ્રાફ પરથી રંગીન કરેલ
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

રંગપ્રભા તા. ૨૫-૧૨-૧૯૮૧ સૌરાષ્ટ્ર અને ગુજરાતમાં કલાક્ષેત્રે મોખરાનું સ્થાન ધરાવતું ભાવનગરનું ખુશ્બુ કલાવૃંદ લોકસંગીત, લોકનૃત્ય અને સંઘ નૃત્યના ત્રિવેણી સંગમ દ્વારા સાંસ્કૃતિક વારસાની ધરાને છેલ્લા બે વર્ષથી સતત ભીંજવી રહી છે તેમની કલાકૃતિઓમાં નાવીન્યતા અને મૌલિકતાની સાથે સાથે પ્રાચીન અને અર્વાચીન સંસ્કૃતિઓનો સુભગ સમન્વય જોવા મળે છે. આ કલાવૃંદનાં કસુંબી છે શ્રીમતી પોયણી ઓઝા. તેમના દિગ્દર્શન દર્શન અને માર્ગદર્શન હેઠળ 'ખુશ્બુ કલાવૃંદ'એ ટૂંક સમયમાં પ્રગતિની હરણફાળ ભરી છે. શ્રીમતી પોયણી ઓઝાએ મુંબઈ અને અમદાવાદ દુરદર્શન ઉપર તેમના ગરબા કલાકૃતિઓ આપેલી છે. આકાશવાણી રાજકોટ રેડિયો સ્ટેશનની કોન્સર્ટમાં તેમના ગરબાઓ એ ઘણી પ્રસંશા મેળવી હતી.

સૌરાષ્ટ્ર સમાચાર તા. ૨૯-૧૦-૨૦૦૭, ૨૫ વર્ષ પહેલા કલાની દૃષ્ટિએ વર્ષના શ્રેષ્ઠ કાર્યક્રમો, પરવણી નિર્માણ, આલાપ, દિગ્દર્શન, શ્રીમતી પોયણી ઓઝા, નૃત્ય નિર્દેશન... અરવાચીન શ્રીમતીપોયણી ઓઝા. નૃત્ય નિર્દેશન... પ્રાચીન જીતુભાઈ ભટ્ટ. સંગીત નિર્દેશન... શ્રી મહમદભાઈ દેખાયા, ભક્ત કવિશ્રી દયારામથી લઈને કવિશ્રી નર્મદ સુધીના કાવ્યો

પુસ્તકમાં અખબારનું અવતરણ ક્યાં પૂરું થાય છે તે દર્શાવ્યું નથી; અહીં બતાવેલી સીમા અમારું શ્રેષ્ઠ અનુમાન છે.

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.

૪

૧૯૮૦–૧૯૮૮

Mentor and judge

૧૯૮૦–૧૯૮૮: 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

૧૨ January ૧૯૮૭: 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
શું તમે કોઈને ઓળખો છો?

૫

૧૯૮૯–૧૯૯૮

Hong Kong

૧૯૮૯–૧૯૯૮: 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

૨૦૧૫–૨૦૨૫

Sydney and later years

૨૦૧૫–૨૦૧૭: garba competition judge in Sydney.

Book

૧૮ October ૨૦૨૦: from Sydney, she judged an online live garba competition for Shri Bhavnagar Nagar Mitra Mandal, Mumbai.

Video: Maulesh Oza

૭ October ૨૦૨૧: 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

૨૪ August ૨૦૨૫: In August ૨૦૨૫ 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 ૧૯૬૬, and why bhav matters.

Video: Maulesh Oza

Abhivyakti workshop · 2025

૧૨ September ૨૦૨૫: Ankita Vohra posts a video thanking her.

Video

આજે તેઓ ઑસ્ટ્રેલિયા અને ભારત વચ્ચે પોતાનો સમય વિતાવે છે.

Family

Do you remember this time? Share a memory.