Legendary Kathak dancer Birju Maharaj passed away on Monday morning. He was 83. Maharaj-ji breathed his last at his residence in Delhi. As per reports, he suffered a heart attack. Minutes after the unfortunate news of the dance exponent’s demise was made public, tributes from all quarters started to pour in. His death has left many in pain including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
PM Modi took to Twitter to condole Pandit Birju Maharaj’s death with a heartfelt note and a picture of the duo.
He wrote in Hindi, “Deeply saddened by the demise of Pandit Birju Maharaj ji, who gave Indian dance art a special recognition across the world. His passing is an irreparable loss to the entire art world. My condolences to his family and fans in this hour of grief. om Shanti!”
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also condoled the demise of the Kathak dancer and called his passing away “a monumental loss to the world of performing arts”.
“Pandit Birju Maharaj was a doyen of India’s and culture. He popularised the Lucknow gharana of Kathak dance from around the world. Deeply pained by his demise. His passing away is a monumental loss to the world of performing arts. Condolences to his family and admirers,” the Union Minister said in a tweet.
“Pained at the demise of Pandit Birju ji Maharaj, a doyen of India’s art and culture. He had popularised the Lucknow gharana of Kathak dance form around the world.
His passing away is a monumental loss to the world of culture. Condolences to his family and admirers” wrote West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Twitter.