Birju Maharaj, legend of India's kathak dance form, dies
ABC News
Birju Maharaj, a legend of classical Indian dance and among the country’s most well-known performing artists, has died
NEW DELHI -- Birju Maharaj, a legend of classical Indian dance and among the country’s most well-known performing artists, died Monday. He was 83.
Maharaj was suffering from a kidney ailment and was undergoing dialysis and likely died of a cardiac arrest, his granddaughter Ragini Maharaj told the Press Trust of India news agency.
Known as Maharaj-ji by his many fans, he was considered an icon of the kathak form of Indian classical dance and was a recipient of the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second highest civilian award.
He was born into a family of renowned kathak dancers and trained under his uncles and father, Acchan Maharaj, before giving his first performance at the age of 7.
