Birju Maharaj, legend in Kathak dance in India, has died at the age of 83 | Art and Culture Issues

Maharaj – a portrait of India’s ancient dance – received Padma Vibhushan, the second highest award in India.

Birju Maharaj, an Indian dance legend and one of the country’s best-known experts, has died. He was 83 years old.

Maharaj was suffering from kidney disease and was undergoing dialysis and may have died of a heart attack, his grandson Ragini Maharaj told the Press Trust of India on Monday.

Known as the Maharaj Ji and many of his favorite people, he was regarded as a portrait of Kathak, an ancient Indian dance, and received the award of Padma Vibhushan, the second most populous Indian artist.

He was born into a family of famous Kathak dancers and was trained under his uncle and father, Acchan Maharaj, before giving up his first job at the age of 7.

Kathak uses dance and facial expressions to help tell stories, with many dance pieces inspired by ancient Indian epics.

Maharaj was known for his facial expressions and light movements, as well as the ringing of bells on his feet. He was often influenced by his life and actions as a legendary figure.

She was also a well-known Kathak teacher and also taught students in some of the country’s dance schools. In the late 1990s, Maharaj opened his dance school, Kalashram, the capital of New Delhi.

In a tweet, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was “deeply saddened” and that his death was “an untimely loss of all talent”.

“Only a handful of artists have done the same thing as actors and educators. Maharaj Ji once again held both positions, “former Indian dancer Geeta Chandran wrote on Facebook.

“His contribution to the dance industry is historic, and he will be enhanced by his amazing nation of students and alumni.”

“We have lost an organization that cannot be compared to the theater. It has touched many generations through her talent, “singer Adnan Sami said.