 Birju Maharaj (1938-2022)Pandit Birju Maharaj (born Brijmohan Nath Mishra; 4 February 1938 – 17 January 2022) was an Indian dancer, composer, singer, and exponent of the Lucknow "Kalka-Bindadin" Gharana of Kathak dance in India. Maharaj was born Brijmohan Nath Mishra, on 4 February 1938[3] into a Hindu Brahmin[4][5] family at Handia of Allahabad district. His father was the Kathak exponent, Jagannath Maharaj, popularly known as Acchan Maharaj of Lucknow gharana and the Kalka-Bindadin family in Lucknow.[6][7] His father served as the court dancer in Raigarh princely state.[6] Maharaj started dancing early at the age of four, and was trained by his uncles, Lachhu Maharaj and Shambhu Maharaj and his father.
Maharaj started teaching the dance form at the age of thirteen, at the Sangeet Bharti in New Delhi. He then taught at the Bharatiya Kala Kendra in Delhi, and at the Kathak Kendra (a unit of the Sangeet Natak Akademi) where he was Head of Faculty, and director, retiring in 1998[9] after which he opened his own dance school, Kalashram, also in Delhi.[7]
In addition to performing the Kathak dance form, he also brought along knowledge of Hindustani classical music and percussion instruments. He was noted to have been able to sing the thumri while dancing to it, and also playing instruments like the tabla and the dholak. His Kathak performances in addition to mythological stories had contemporary elements including stories from daily life and social issues being communicated by way of the dance. He collaborated with other artists including the tabla player Zakir Hussain, and singers Rajan and Sajan Mishra.[7] Some of his students included Priti Singh, Saswati Sen, Aditi Mangaldas, and Nisha Mahajan.[7]
He died from a heart attack at his residence in Delhi, on 16 January 2022, at age 83.[15]
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