1. Birju Maharaj was a descendant of the Maharaj family of Kathak dancers, which includes his two uncles, Shambhu Maharaj and Lachhu Maharaj, and his father and guru, Acchan Maharaj.
14 Facts About Birju Maharaj
1. 2.
Birju Maharaj practised Hindustani classical music and was a vocalist.
3.
Birju Maharaj was a recipient of the Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian honor, in 1986.
4.
Birju Maharaj was born Brijmohan Nath Mishra, on 4 February 1938 into a Hindu Brahmin family at Handia of Allahabad district.
5.
Birju Maharaj's father was the Kathak exponent, Jagannath Maharaj, popularly known as Acchan Maharaj of Lucknow gharana and the Kalka-Bindadin family in Lucknow.
6.
Birju Maharaj's father served as the court dancer in Raigarh princely state.
7.
Birju Maharaj started his performances first at his father's concerts before performing solo at the age of seven in West Bengal.
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Birju Maharaj started teaching the dance form at the age of thirteen, at the Sangeet Bharti in New Delhi.
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Birju Maharaj then taught at the Bharatiya Kala Kendra in Delhi, and at the Kathak Kendra where he was Head of Faculty, and director, retiring in 1998 after which he opened his own dance school, Kalashram, in Delhi.
10.
Birju Maharaj was noted to have been able to sing the thumri while dancing to it, and playing instruments like the tabla and the dholak.
11.
Birju Maharaj was one of the youngest artists to receive the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, when he received the award at the age of 28.
12.
Birju Maharaj received the Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian award, in 1986.
13.
In later life, Birju Maharaj had kidney disease and diabetes, and received dialysis.
14.
Birju Maharaj died from a heart attack at his residence in Delhi, on 16 January 2022, at age 83.