"In the Ocean of Dance, She Was the Pearl: The Eternal Journey of Dr. Vidya Gokhale"
20-Apr-2025
In the Ocean of Dance, She Was the Pearl: The Eternal Journey of Dr. Vidya Gokhale
Founder, Maya CARE Foundation
There are lives that walk the earth, and then there are lives that float — like fragrant petals on the waters of time, leaving behind ripples that never still. Dr. Vidya Gokhale was one such soul — a woman who lived with quiet strength and unwavering grace, blending the discipline of medicine with the divinity of Bharatanatyam.
A Professor of Pharmacology, a trained classical dancer, a teacher, a mother, a caregiver — and most memorably, the founder of Maya CARE Foundation — she lived each role with deep purpose. Her legacy, like her dance, was precise and poetic — every movement intentional, every pause filled with meaning.
The Budding of a Soul: Early Life and Awakening
Born as Vidya Bhatvadekar on November 5, 1941, in Secunderabad, India, she was the fourth of five children in a modest yet culturally rich household. A brilliant student with a natural flair for numbers and rhythm alike, she was nurtured by her sisters and parents to dream beyond societal limitations.
Enrolled at the prestigious Huzurpaga High School for Girls, her early life was a blend of academic excellence and artistic awakening. As a child artist with the Rashtra Seva Dal, she traveled across India performing folk dances — her prize-winning rendition of Nach Re Mora at the age of 12 was an early glimpse into the dancer she would one day becom
Grace Under Fire: Medicine, Motherhood, and Meaning
Despite personal setbacks, including a year lost to devastating floods in 1961, she emerged resilient, becoming the first doctor in her family after graduating from B.J. Medical College. It was here that she met her life partner, Dr. Suresh Gokhale. Together, they built a life anchored in knowledge and compassion.
Tragedy struck early in their marriage with the loss of their first child, but she transformed grief into grace. Turning to Bharatanatyam not as an escape but as a form of spiritual resurrection, she found strength, solace, and self-expression.
The Second Life: Dancing Beyond Limits
She performed her Arangetram at the age of 41 — defying norms and rewriting what was possible. For most, this debut would have come decades earlier. For her, it was a rebirth.
By 53, she took voluntary retirement from her medical career and enrolled in a degree program in Bharatanatyam at the University of Pune. Surrounded by classmates half her age, she graduated top of her class. Soon after, she founded Nritya Sadhana, a dance institute where she would teach and inspire generations until her late 70s.
To her, dance was not merely art — it was prayer, discipline, and a way of life.
The Seed of Maya CARE: A Daughter’s Reflection
— By Manjiri Gokhale Joshi, Co-Founder, Maya CARE Foundation
The seeds of Maya CARE Foundation were sown in the quiet, powerful moments of watching my mother’s strength — unshaken, unwavering, and full of grace.
My late mother, Dr. Vidya Gokhale, was the cornerstone of our family. She cared for both her own mother and her mother-in-law — one living with Parkinson’s and the other with dementia — all while raising two children and holding a demanding job in medical education.
Her story reflected that of a whole generation — caregivers who silently balanced the weight of responsibility and the beauty of devotion. But as time passed, I began to witness a cruel irony: this same generation of caregivers now faced their old age alone, often without the very care they once gave so selflessly.
It was this heartache — this contrast — that stirred something deep within me.
In 2009, in Pune, Maya CARE was born — a labour of love co-founded by my mother Dr. Vidya Gokhale, my husband Abhay Joshi, and myself. It was our promise to ensure that the elderly would not walk this final stretch of life alone.
Maya CARE: Her Rhythm of Service
Even in her later years — whether overseeing operations or sitting at her desk — Dr. Gokhale never stopped serving. During the COVID-19 pandemic, even while battling the virus in the ICU, she ensured that operations and staff payments at Maya CARE continued without disruption. That was her — deeply dedicated, fiercely loving.
What began as a personal effort has now blossomed into a national and international movement. Today, Maya CARE Foundation offers free emotional, logistical, medical, and intellectual assistance to the elderly across 72 cities in India and 5 cities in the UK.
And true to her inclusive spirit, Maya CARE also provides meaningful employment to over 120 persons with disabilities — creating a unique cycle of care, dignity, and leadership.
This is not just an organisation. It is her soul at work in the world.
A Final Bow: Her Eternal Dance
On her 79th birthday, her students gathered virtually to perform a tribute — the same Abhang Abeer Gulal that crowned her Arangetram. Through screens and across cities, her life danced once more.
Dr. Vidya Gokhale passed away on April 20, 2021, her breath stilled by COVID, but her spirit remains everywhere — in every graceful gesture of Maya CARE, in every footstep of her students, and in every elder who smiles because someone cared.
Nritya Vidya: Her Light Lives On
To continue her love for dance and elders, we launched Project Nritya Vidya — taking dance, music, and storytelling to the elderly across India and the UK. Through every beat and every story, her legacy continues to pirouette through time.
Epilogue: The Ocean and the Pearl
Dr. Vidya Gokhale was not merely a dancer.
She was the dance — an ocean of emotion, precision, devotion, and grace.
She taught us that it is never too late to begin, never too late to serve, and never too late to live a life of beauty and purpose.
In her, Raga found rhythm.
Tala found truth.
Bhava found beauty.
And through Maya CARE, we continue to find her — every single day.
~ A life like hers doesn't end. It simply becomes eternal.
Written by - Annmary Raphy
Dr. Vidhya Gokhale Some Videos....( Click on blue link )
- Memories in pictures - Dr Vidhya Gokhale
- Memory of Dr. Vidya's Last Birthday
- Dr Vidya Gokhale Memorial Meetup
- Maya CARE Nritya Vidhya Initiative Performances(In the memory of Dr Vidhya Gokhale)
- Manjiri Gokhale Joshi paid tribute to her mother Late Dr Vidya Gokhale