Legendary Kathak dancer Pandit Birju Maharaj passed away at his residence on Sunday (January 16) night at the age of 83. The cause of death has been attributed to a heart attack.
While speaking about the matter, his granddaughter Ragini Maharaj informed, “He was under treatment for the past month. He had sudden breathlessness at around 12:15-12:30 am last night; we brought him to the hospital within 10 mins, but he passed away.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also shared a message of condolence on Twitter. He wrote, “Deeply saddened by the demise of Pandit Birju Maharaj ji, who gave Indian dance art a special recognition across the world. His passing is an irreparable loss to the entire art world. My condolences to his family and fans in this hour of grief. om Shanti!”
Pandit Birju Maharaj was born on February 4, 1937, in the Allahabad district of Uttar Pradesh to a prominent Kathak dancing family. He started out as a child performer alongside his father and became a Maharaj in his teenage years. The noted Kathak dancer performed in the Rampur Nawab’s durbar.
He received several awards during his lifetime for his contribution to the field of performing arts. At the age of 28, he was bestowed with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award. Pandit Birju Maharaj was also the recipient of the 2nd highest Indian civilian award of Padma Vibhushan in 1984.
He was sent by the Indian government to perform in several countries including the UK, Russia, USA and Japan.
He also worked as a poet, choreographer painter and vocalist. Pandit Birju Maharaj will always be remembered for his unique rhythm and expressive face, which became iconic along with his style of dance.