A recipient of the country's second highest civilian honour, Padma Vibhushan, Maharaj ji was also a lifelong Kathak guru as well as a talented Hindustani classical singer and percussionist.
He will be remembered by cinema buffs for the two period dance sequences in
Maharaj ji won the National Award for choreographing 'Unnai Kaanadhu Naan' in the Kamal Haasan multi-lingual megahit 'Vishwaroopam' and the Filmfare Awards for the Bajirao Mastani number 'Mohe Rang Do Laal'.
Adnan Sami, one of the first artistes to pay his tributes to the doyen of Kathak, said in a tweet: "Extremely saddened by the news about the passing away of Legendary Kathak Dancer
Another early tribute came from Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who tweeted: "Pandit Birju ji Maharaj was a doyen of India's art and culture. He popularised the Lucknow gharana of Kathak dance form around the world. ... His passing away is a monumental loss to the world of performing arts."
Birju Maharaj was the son of the exponent of the Lucknow gharana, Jagannath Maharaj, better known as Acchan Maharaj, whom he lost when he was just nine. His uncles were the renowned Shambhu Maharaj and Lacchu Maharaj.
He taught at the Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra and the Sangeet Natak Akademi
SEE ALSO: