You are the consciousness to my soul, movement to my body and

a guiding light to my thoughts.

Deeply Grateful for your Presence in my Life 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼💕💕💕💕💕💕

Love you, Tai!💗

FOREVER GRATEFUL 🙏

कधीच शरण गेले होते तुझ्या पदराखाली,

नृत्यात नव्हे… जीवनातही.

त्या शरणागतीत तूच घडवलंस मला,

कलाकार म्हणून… आणि माणूस म्हणूनही.

मनापासून आभार!

My humble Pranamas

— मंजुश्री

What touched me the most was your patience. I still remember how you taught me the same paras tillana for more than three times, each time with the same calmness and care. It is this rare quality that made me fall in love not just with the art form, but with the learning process itself.

In every sense, our Taai is a woman of perfection. But beyond that, the love, care, and support you show towards each of your students is truly irreplaceable. It is said that while it may be possible to find someone who teaches you Bharatanatyam, it is very rare to find someone who plants the seed of deep admiration and love for the art form itself. You are that rare teacher.

We are truly blessed to be your students. May God bless you with the same strength, enthusiasm, and love to nurture and guide your upcoming students. May you continue to inspire future students with the same love and dedication. Wishing you good health and wellbeing always !

~ Gautami

लयीच्या ठोक्यात शिकवते साधना।

हातात कथा, पावलात मंत्र,

ताईंमुळे नृत्य होतं खऱ्या अर्थानं पवित्र।

गुरुतुल्य त्या, आईसारख्या प्रेमळ,

शिष्यांचं जीवन घडवतात निस्वार्थ गोड।

मंदिरा ताई, तुमचं नांव घेता,

नृत्यालाही लाभते दिव्यतेची दिशा।

- आभा नाडकर्णी

You are the reason I could restart dancing after a break of 10 long years.

Your supportive nature, grace, positivity and wisdom are qualities I admire.

May all your dreams come true😊

Happy Gurupoornima Taii!! 😍🥰❤️❤️

P.S: I don't have a single picture of both of us to post.🙈

Miss you taai and love you.

Always Grateful 🫶

मी तुमच्यासारखी कधी उत्तम नर्तिका होऊ शकत नाही पण जे काही तुम्ही मला शिकवलं ते कायम सांभाळून ठेवायच आहे....🥹

तुम्ही माझ्या गुरु असण्याचा मला खूप अभिमान आहे....🥹🤗

तुम्हाला उदंड आयुष्य व किर्ती लाभो, तुमच्या सगळया मनोकामना पूर्ण होवो हीच ईश्वर चरणी प्रार्थना करते 🌹🙏🏻

You are the potter who moulded and shaped me ,You were the navigator who made a mere hobby turn into passion and now proffession.

Thank you for playing so many roles, for your corrections ans scoldings, and the Scarry gaze that pushed to prcatice a little more...

I may not ve in touch often, meet you, dance infront you but at every momemt

Taaai i am eternally surrendered and grateful to you for all your contributions in my life.

Thankkkks a million taai for just being you!!!!💐

Vaishnavi

Wishing you health, happiness and wellbeing..Happy Guru Purnima, dear Taai!

Shravya Shet

===============

कृतज्ञतेचे माणिकमोती |

अर्पुनी वंदिते मी ये ज्ञानज्योतीला ||

लघु नसे तो गुरू असे |

देवाच्याही आधी वसे |

ज्ञानाचा संपूर्ण घडा |

जो देतो शिष्याला |

कृतज्ञतेचे माणिकमोती,

अर्पुनी वंदिते मी या ज्ञानज्योतीला || १ ||

उत्तम गुरूची सर्व लक्षणे |

आहेत माझ्या गुरूकडे |

विद्येचा अवघड घाट चढण्या |

केला त्यानी हात पुढे |

उत्साह आणि आनंद |

जो देतो शिष्याला |

कृतज्ञतेचे माणिकमोती ,

अर्पुनी वंदिते मी या ज्ञानज्योतीला || २||

मंगल तनया .....

दिव्य ओजसा ......

राका तेजसा.......

अश्या माझ्या ताईना,

लाभो उत्तम आरोग्यसंपदा |

मिळो ताईंचे मार्गदर्शन

आम्हाला सदा |

हीच प्रार्थना त्या जगदिशाला |

म्हणूनच मनापासून

कृतज्ञतेचे माणिकमोती ,

अर्पुनी वंदिते मी या ज्ञानज्योतीला ...

या ज्ञानज्योतीला || ३ ||

You are the heartbeat of my dance. 💓

You are the one who taught me to speak with my feet and express with my heart.. ❤️

Your wisdom, discipline, and blessings have shaped not just my skills but my spirit.

Thank you for guiding me with such love and dedication. I am blessed to learn from you..😇

Thank you for being my guiding star. 🌟 🙏🙏🥰

Sonam Kande

You are not just an amazing dancer but also an inspiring teacher. I love the way you dance and I am really blessed to be learning from you. Thank you for your guidance and wisdom, and for being a teacher we can always look up to. I'm really grateful you are my teacher and the one helping us on our dance journey.

Wishing you lots of joy and success

Happy Guru Purnima 💖💐

You turned the stage into a sacred space, and movement into meditation.You didn’t just teach me you transformed me .To see you dance fascinates me the most .You have transformed the stage into a temple, and every performance into a prayer.

Your guidance has shaped my art, my discipline, and my inner self.

I am forever grateful for your patience, your precision, and your love. Thank you taai for everything 🤍✨️🙏

I came to learn Bharatanatyam.

But what I found… was you.

You didn’t just teach me steps.

You cracked me open and taught me how to feel,

how to listen to silence,

And how to speak without speaking,

You are not just discipline and precision.

You are the storm in my stillness,

the fire in my hesitation,

the softness I never knew I needed.

Your eyes?

They speak louder than mridangam.

Your silence?

It corrects me more than a thousand words ever could.

Your presence?

It has shaped not just my dance, but my destiny.

In your eyes, I’ve seen both thunder and tenderness.

You’ve scared me.

You’ve healed me.

You’ve transformed me.

I’ve seen heaven in your anger.

I’ve felt love in your strictness.

I’ve heard God when you said, “Again.”

When you correct me, it hurts—but it heals more.

Because every time I fall apart in front of you,

you help put me back together—with more grace, more strength, more soul.

I don’t want to dance “well.”

I want to dance so honestly that you feel proud even in your silence.

Because you are the voice behind my rhythm.

You are the heartbeat beneath my stage.

You are… the reason I know who I am.

I don’t want applause.

I want your smile.

That tiny sparkle in your eye when I finally get it right—

that’s worth more than the universe.

This isn’t a thank you.

This is a pranam from the deepest part of me—

the part you helped awaken.

Forever your student,

Manjiri Phutankar