Pandit Birju Maharaj
Birju Maharaj (born Brijmohan Nath Mishra; 4 February 1938 – 17 January 2022) was an Indian dancer, composer, singer, and a leading exponent of the Lucknow "Kalka-Bindadin" Gharana of Kathak dance in India. He was a descendant of the renowned Maharaj family of Kathak dancers, which includes his two uncles, Shambhu Maharaj and Lachhu Maharaj, and his father and guru, Acchan Maharaj. He also practiced Hindustani classical music and was a vocalist. After working along with his uncle, Shambhu Maharaj at Bhartiya Kala Kendra, later the Kathak Kendra, New Delhi, he remained head of the latter, for several years, until his retirement in 1998 when he opened his own dance school, Kalashram, also located in Delhi.
Birju Maharaj was one of the recipients of the Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian honor, in 1986.
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