Award winning Indian dancer and choreographer Arunima Kumar, along with her dance company, performed classical Indian dance Kuchipudi at the grand Platinum Jubilee celebration of British Queen Elizabeth II in London.
Arunima, former Delhi Police chief Neeraj Kumar's daughter and a London School of Economics (LSE) graduate, said she was honoured and proud to present a glimpse of India through Kuchipudi at the Buckingham Palace here on Sunday on the occasion.
The 96-year-old monarch acceded to the British throne aged 25 in February 1952 and that 70-year milestone is being celebrated with a long Bank Holiday weekend, packed with street parties and pageantry across the UK.
On the final day of the four-day bank holiday weekend, hundreds of performers paraded along a three-kilometre route on Sunday, telling the story of the queen's life with dance, music and puppets.
"I researched, choreographed and presented 'Rajya - she is timeless' to celebrate the extraordinary 70 years of service of Queen Elizabeth to her nation and the Commonwealth with 50 Kuchipudi dancers aged 4-50 years at Westminster Abbey and participated at the pageant, with Nutkhut," Arunima said.
She added that it has always been her mission to represent India, and Kuchipudi on world platforms.
"It's now a part of history - and perhaps, my legacy. Thousands cheered us in the crowds as millions watched us on TV and it was a euphoric moment I will remember forever," she added.
Arunima is a trained Kuchipudi dancer and a recipient of Ustad Bismillah Khan award. She got Sahitya Kala Parishad Scholarship for Dance in 1998.
She has more than 700 performances to her credit which include her dance at the Buckingham Palace for the Queen's reception to mark the UK-India Year of Culture, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit at Wembley stadium where she presented her choreography before 70,000 people and world media as well as Rashtrapati Bhavan in India.
Aishwarya Gupta, an 8-year-old Kuchipudi dancer, said she was told it would be a long 3.5-km walk, but "once it started and the crowds cheered us, it felt like a beautiful family. It was unforgettable."