Vithabai Narayangaonkar, a legendary dance artiste, was born on July 1, 1935, in Pandharpur, Maharashtra. Introduced to performance and tamasha from a young age, she took the legacy forward and became interested in dance and performance.
She was surrounded by Lavani songs, Gavlan performances, and other traditional dance forms, which she began to learn. Taking to the stage to help her family during a financial strain, her expressive performance became a crowd-puller.
Despite a tumultuous marriage, she continued to perform, taking Lavani and tamasha to wider audiences. For her artistry, she was bestowed with the prestigious President's award in the Tamasha genre and became known as 'Tamasha Samradini' (Tamasha Empress) by her fans.
The government instituted the annual Vithabai Narayangavkar Lifetime Achievement Award in her memory in 2006. She died on January 15, 2002, at the age of 66 in Narayangaon, Maharashtra, following a paralytic attack.
