Kathak dancer Ragini Maharaj, granddaughter of Padma Vibhushan late Pt Birju Maharaj, feels blessed to be the second youngest in the ninth generation of Kalka-Bindadin Maharaj Gharana of Lucknow.
On Teacher’s Day, the youngster talks about being privileged to have legendary teachers and guru in the family and being able to learn from them.
“To have dadaji (Pt Maharaj), bua (Mamta Maharaj) and papa (Pt Deepak Maharaj) as my teacher, guide, mentor and guru and growing up learning from all the legendary performers in the family is Almighty’s blessing on me. Maharaji is physically not present with us but I do feel his presence and when I get stuck I close my eyes and do his stuti and trust me I get signals and guidance in some form or the other,” she says.
(L-R) Mamta Maharaj, Ragini Maharaj, Pt Birju Maharaj, Yashaswani Maharaj, Archna Maharaj and Deepak Maharaj
Her first appearance on stage was at the age of four and she has performed across the country as well as at international concerts and have won several awards. “My first proper performance was at school as Ardhnareshwar which was prepared by my aunt and I performed in front of dadaji. Thereafter my formal training started under guru-shishya parampara. I learnt under all bua, dadaji papa, bade papa (Pt Jai Kishan Maharaj).” She feels that coming from the legendary gharana it’s more a responsibility than a pressure.
“It’s true that since I belong to this gharana so critics and many others look at us with great expectations but that encourages us to work more hard and give our best. Dadaji has trained us in a way that I don’t feel any pressure. However, whenever I am at the wings, there is a responsibility to live up to the family’s name and teachings! So, I take it as an ashirwaad than a burden.”
As ninth gen of the gharana, she wants to collectively take the legacy forward. “In our generation, besides me, we have younger sister Yashaswani and cousin Tribhuwan and Shinjini (Kulkarni). We all are like one unit as family but very different as performers in terms of specialities so all are carrying forward the legacy in our own distinct way.”
On visiting Lucknow and the Kalka-Bindadin Maharaj Deori (the ancestral home now a museum) she says, “Deori pe pranam karna bahut zaroori hai! Dadaji shifted to Delhi when he was 13 but he has also emphasised everyone in the family to stay connected with deori where our ancestors have done riyaz and baithaks. And, I feel those vibes whenever I am there.”
