Sandhya Manoj is a Malaysian Odissi dancer, dance teacher and yoga instructor. She is known for participating in the reality show Bigg Boss Malayalam 3 (2021).
Wiki/Biography
Sandhya Manoj was born on Wednesday, August 1, 1979 (41 years old in 2020) in Kuwait City, Kuwait. She grew up in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Her zodiac sign is Leo.
Sandhya Manoj as a child
While in Kuwait, five-year-old Sandhya began learning Bharatanatyam and Mohiniyattam under the guidance of Parvathy Narayana Swamy.
Sandhya Manoj and her mentor Parvathy Narayana Swamy
After her marriage, she moved to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and discovered her passion for Odissi dance. There, she joined the Kuala Lumpur Academy of Arts to learn Odissi dance and has been dedicated to this dance form ever since. In 2006, she traveled to Odisha with a group of senior practitioners to learn Odissi dance directly from Gurus Durga Charan Ranbir and Ratikant Mohapatra. She also attended Odissi dance workshops conducted by Guru Padma Shri Madhavi Mudgal. After completing her studies in Saudi Arabia, she obtained a degree in English Literature in India.
appearance
Height (approximate): 5′ 6″
Eye color: Emerald green
Hair color: Black
Family and caste
She comes from a Malayali family. She is a Hindu.
Parents and siblings
Her father’s name is Kunjanmenon Das. Her mother Kala Das is a dancer. She has a brother named Sanjiv Das who works at Abu Dhabi National Insurance Company.
Sandhya Manoj and her parents
Sandhya Manoj’s brother and his son
Husband and children
On Saturday, January 23, 1999, she married Malaysian yoga expert Manoj Kaimal.
Sandhya Manoj and Manoj Kaimal’s wedding photos
The couple has a son named Sidharth Manoj and a daughter named Shivani Manoj.
Sandhya Manoj with her husband and children
Profession
She has been performing classical dance for over 30 years. As a child, she started performing on the stage in Kuwait. As a Bharatanatyam dancer, she performed her first Dashavatar, “Paalkadal Allaimelle”, which was taught by her first guru. Her first performance in Kerala was at the Nishagandhi Auditorium, where she performed two dances – “Navarasa” and “Dasha Maha Vidya”, as her short solo. She has performed in several national and international events like Raindrops Festival, Surya Festival (Kerala) and Natyolsavam (Trivandrum). She has also performed in events of the Indian and Malaysian governments. After performing Odissi dance for many years, she produced her own dance theatres like Shakthi Praleeyanam, Ardhnaarishwara, Padmanabha Daasa, Swati Thirunal Dashavatar, Dashamahavidhya, Prerna and Ashtanayika Radha.
Sandhya Manoj performs Ardhnaarishwara
Her performance was under the auspices of Guru Gopinath Natanagramam and the Dance Museum in Trivandrum. A yoga enthusiast, she came to the world’s attention when she came up with the idea of incorporating dance into yoga. In 2000, at the age of 21, she and her husband opened a yoga studio, Manasa Yoga School, in SS 2, Petaling Jaya. This yoga school is known as the best yoga school in Malaysia. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Manasa Yoga School has started online classes in Odissi.
Manasa Yoga School logo
She also helped her husband to conceive Manasa Yoga. She is a dance and yoga instructor at Manasa Yoga School. She also conducts dance workshops. She also teaches Odissi dance at the Kuala Lumpur Art Temple. She has also taught children in two international schools and Taraana (a school for special children).
Favorite things
- Song: Alhamdulillah from the movie Sufiyum Sujatayum (2020)
- Restaurant: Hailam Kopitiam, Kuala Lumpur
Facts/Trivia
- When she decided to pursue a career in dance, her family was against it because none of her family members thought dance could be a potential career. According to her,
If I had half the courage I have now, I would have reacted like, ‘Oh my god, I was born into a family without a cultural background and they feel it is a shame to stand up and embrace and celebrate our traditions.’ But I was a timid child then, so, I kept silent and buried my dreams of going to institutions like Kalakshetra and Kalamandalam.”
- She has endorsed products such as Oatsify, 88KETO and Malabar Gold and Diamonds on her social media accounts. She has also modeled for jewelry designer Malika Sinha in advertisements.
- She also performed in theatre, and in one of the plays, Devadasi, she sang, acted, and danced, playing multiple roles.
Sandhya Manoj in Devadasi
- She has hosted major events such as the Indian High Commission in Malaysia, the ASEAN Business Advisory Council of Malaysia and the Malayalam Talent Contest organized by the Malayalam Film Artists Association.
Sandhya Manoj attends an event organized by the Indian High Commission in Malaysia
- In an interview, Sandhya talked about her love for dance, she said,
I have loved dance since I was a child. It helps me connect to the energy of the present moment and makes me feel whole. The audience has to not only stare at the dancers but understand what I am doing.”
- In 2017, she appeared as a guest on a morning show on Jai Hind News TV channel in Kerala.
Sandhya Manoj at Jai Hind News TV Kerala
- In 2019, she appeared on the cover of Yoga Life magazine with her husband.
Sandhya Manoj and her husband appear on the cover of Yoga Life magazine
- In 2021, she participated in the television reality show Bigg Boss Malayalam 3 which premiered on Asianet.
Sandhya Manoj is a contestant of Bigg Boss Malayalam 3
- She has a YouTube channel of the same name where she uploads videos of her dances, travels, and achievements.
- She is the founder of Persatuan Abhaya Malaysia, a non-profit organization that helps victims of sexual and physical abuse recover by engaging them in performing arts and yoga.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education