Renowned Kathak Dancers and Teachers
Here is a list and brief profile of renowned Kathak dancers and teachers around the world.
Achchan Maharaj
 Jagannath Maharaj, popularly known as Achchan Maharaj was the eldest among the three sons of Kalika
Prasad, the other two being Luchchu Mahaiaj and Shambhu Maharaj. Really speaking, he was the only brother, who
received knowledge direct from his father as well as from his uncle Bindadin. When Bindadin and Kalika Prasad
died, Achchan took up the responsibility of training his two brothers, Luchchu Maharaj and Shambhu Maharaj. He
(Achchan) was a court dancer of several states of North India, and served for a long time at Raigarh. Though
being bulky, he was very agile with his nimble footwork, and was a master of gracefully and beautifully
expressing the various sentiments. He was an expert of both Nritta and Bhava. With his death on 20th May 1960
the Lucknow Gharana truly lost its foremost representative. He was survived by his son, Birju Mabaraj, a chip
of the old block.
Bindadin Maharaj
 Bindadin Maharaj was born in 1830. He was the originator of his Gharana, popularly and widely known
as Lucknow Gharana. He together with his brother Kalika Prasad, brought a renaissance in Kathak and raised it
to a high level of polished and extremely stylized dance. He was born in Handia Tehsil in Allahabad district
where his father Durga Prasad used to live. Durga Prasad had three sons Bindadin and Kalika Prasad were own
brothers. Bindadin had no children, whereas Kalika Prasad had three sons - Achchan Maharaj, Luchchu Maharaj
and Shambhu Mahaiaj. Bindadin gave the utmost training to his nephew Achchan Maharaj. Bindadin, in his own
turn, was trained by his father and uncle Thakur Prasad. He started taking lessons in dancing from the age of
nine and practiced only “Tig Da Dig Dig” for three years, regularly practicing for twelve a day. It is said
that once as a mere boy he had discussions regarding Tala, with the Pakhawaj wizard Kudau Singh in the court
of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah. Thakur Prasad was an employee at that time at the court. He was very much perturbed
on the behavior of Bindadin and was afraid of any kind of humiliation in the court. On one side there was 12
year old Bindadin and on the other the Pakhawaj-king Kudau Singh praying to God. Thakur Prasad asked Bindadin
to stand up for his performance.. Everyone was surprised to witness the dexterity of Bindadin and acknowledged
that Bindadin was much more in form than Kudau Singh. Nawab Sahab was so pleased that he presented Bindadin
with enormous wealth. On attaining maturity Bindadin Maharaj became very famous for his art and also earned an
appreciable amount of money. He was also an expert in singing and composing Thumri, and the reputed Thumri
singers of those days, Gauhai Jaan, Zohra Bai and others, were his disciples. It is said that he composed
about 1500 new types of Thumri. He was a man of character and used to lead a simple life. Due to the First War
of Independence he went out of Lucknow for some time with Thakur Prasad. Thereafter he went to Nepal and from
there to Bhopal and was warmly welcomed at both the places. He was not only acclaimed as a great dancer at
these places, but also received a large amount of riches as gifts. He was a devotee of Lord Krishna. His
portrait shows that at the time of dancing he used to put on Achkan, Churidar and Dupalli cap. He died in
1918.
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