Pandit Birju Maharaj, who died of a heart attack at 83, was an Indian dance maestro and proponent of the Kalka-Bindadin Gharana. His net worth is estimated to be approximately Rs 1 crore. 

Born on February 4, 1938, Pandit-ji – as he’s lovingly called by fans and followers – was born into a family well recognized for their contributions to Kathak. 

Most of his wealth comes from the many years of extensive performances and tours that Pandit-ji has been a part of. He became a dance teacher at the age of 13 and won the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award at the age of 28. This is the highest national recognition conferred upon artists and reportedly comes with a Rs 1 lakh prize money. 

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His first major solo performance was at Bengal’s Manmath Nath Ghosh celebrations in Bengal, in the presence of music greats. Since then, his career followed a meteoric trajectory. Pandit-ji gained an international reputation while representing India at various cultural events. He’s been to Russia, Japan, USA, UAE, France, UK, Germany, Austria, Italy, the Czech Republic, Sri Lanka, and Burma among others, for lectures, demonstrations, and performances. 

Not only was Pandit-ji frequently called to perform at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, but has also been awarded the country’s second-highest civilian honour, the Padma Vibhushan. 

Other awards and their accompanying prize money has helped the Kathak maestro build this impressive fortune. He’s received the Kalidas Samman, which comes with a Rs 2 lakh prize, the Soviet Land Nehru Award, which has a Rs 25 lakh prize. The Nritya Choodamani award which has been conferred upon the legend has a cash prize of Rs 50,000, while the Rajiv Gandhi Peace Award comes with a Rs 10 lakh prize.

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Pandit-ji has also been honoured with the Andhra Ratna, Nritya Vilas, Adharshila Shikhar Samman, and the Shiromani Samman. 

As a talented singer, Pandit-ji composed the music and sang for two classical dance sequences in Satyajit Ray’s 1977 movie ‘Shatranj ke Khilari’ or ‘The Chess Players’. Since the film made upward of Rs 3.84 crorers from the time of its release, Pandit Birju Maharaj is expected to have gained from this profitable association as well.