<span style="color: #222222;">The country's famous Kathak dancer Pandit Birju Maharaj is no more. The 83-year-old Panditji died of heart attack.<br />”<br />”Birju Maharaj was born Brij Mohan Nath Mishra on February 4, 1937 in a well-known Kathak dancing family.<br />”<br />”He began performing as a child alongside his father and became a Guru in his teens. By the time he was 28, Birju Maharaj's mastery of the dance form had won him the coveted Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.<br />”<br />”An exponent of the Kalka-Bindadin Gharana of Lucknow, he was known for his perfect rhythm and expressive gesture language.<br />”<br />”Birju Maharaj was the recipient of numerous awards for his contributions to the performing arts, including one of the country’s highest civilian honours, the Padma Vibhushan in 1986.</span><br />