Legendary Kathak dancer Pandit Birju Maharaj died of a heart attack at the age of 83, his grandson confirmed in an Instagram post. 

“With profound grief and sorrow we inform the sad and untimely demise of our most beloved member of the family, Pt. Birju Maharaj Ji. The noble soul left for his heavenly abode on 17th Jan 2022. Pray for the departed soul.. Grief-stricken: Maharaj family,” his grandson Swaransh Mishra wrote. 

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Born on February 4, 1938, in Lucknow, Pandit Brijmohan Mishra belonged to the well-known Lucknow Gharana of Kathak. His father Jagannath Maharaj was a well-known artist who served as a court dancer in Raigarh princely state. He fell in love with the art of dancing at a very young age and started performing alongside his father. 

His father died when he was just nine years old following which he started training with his uncles, dance masters Shambhu and Lacchu Maharaj.

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Birju Maharaj started teaching dance at the Sangeet Bharti in New Delhi at the age of 13. He then moved to the Bharatiya Kala Kendra in Delhi and after teaching there for a couple of years, he began teaching at the Kathak Kendra from where he retired in 1998 and proceeded to open his own dance school.

He, who is also the recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and the Kalidas Samman, choreographed several songs in various movies including Umrao Jaan, Devdas and Bajirao Mastani. Birju Maharaj was awarded Padma Vibhushan for his contribution to Indian art in 1983. 

Birju Maharaj is the father of five children – three daughters and two sons. Three of his children, Mamta Maharaj, Deepak Maharaj and Jai Kishan Maharaj are noted Kathak dancers.