Kathak maestro Pandit Birju Maharaj passes away at 83

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Last Updated18/01/2022

A recipient of the country’s second-highest civilian award, Padma Vibhushan, he was born Brij Mohan Nath Mishra on February 4, 1937, in a well-known family of Kathak dancers.
Birju Maharaj took the traditional Indian dance form to the world with his unique style.
His performing arts was an institution and an inspiration across the globe.

Popularly known as Maharaj-Ji or Pandit-Ji by his disciples and legions of followers, he was a descendant of the Maharaj family of Kathak dancers.
Born into the house of renowned Kathak proponent Jagannath Maharaj of Lucknow Gharana, he got the training from his father and uncles Shambhu Maharaj and Lachhu Maharaj.
Pertinent to mention that Pandit-Ji gave his first performance at the age of seven and he went on to master the nuances of arguably one of the most difficult classical dances of India.
Known for his facial expressions and nimble feet movements, Pandit Birju Maharaj is considered the epitome of Kathak by many.
A familiar face of Indian Kathak dance all over the world, Pandit-Ji had performed in several countries and also associated with singing, having a grip over, Thumri, Dadra, Bhajan and Ghazals.

Pandit Birju Maharaj started his career as a teacher when he was just 13 years old.
After a successful stint at Sangeet Bharati, where he began his career, he went on to teach at the famous Bharatiya Kala Kendra.
Soon, he was presented with the opportunity to head a team of teachers at the Kathak Kendra, a unit of Sangeet Natak Akademi.
After serving as the Head of Faculty at the Kathak Kendra for many years, he retired in 1998 at the age of 60.

His passion for the performing arts led him to be the recipient of several honours and accolades.
Pandit Birju Maharaj has received the coveted Padma Vibhushan in the year 1986.
He has been awarded the Kalidas Samman by the Government of Madhya Pradesh.
He has also been honoured with Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, Soviet Land Nehru Award and Sangam Kala Award among other awards.
In 2002, he was honoured with the Lata Mangeshkar Puraskaar.
Pandit Birju Maharaj has also been conferred with honorary Doctorate degrees from Khairagarh University and Banaras Hindu University.
In 2012, he bagged the National Film Award for Best Choreography for the movie ‘Vishwaroopam.’
He also went on to win Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Choreographer for the same movie.
In 2016, he bagged the Filmfare Award for Best Choreography for the film 'Bajirao Mastani'.