Google celebrates the birthday of Pandit Lachhu Maharaj through a doodle
Google’s doodles remind us of important people who don’t easily get recognized in history books sometimes. Today, on 16th October 2018, Google is celebrating the birthday of Pandit Lachhu Maharaj with their beautiful doodle.
Pandit Lachhu Maharaj was an Indian classical dancer and choreographer of Kathak. He also worked in film choreography. His most notable Hindi films include Mughal-e-Azam and Pakeezah.
He was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1957. This is the highest award for performing artists, conferred the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India’s National Akademi for Music, Dance and Drama.
His master, teacher or guru was Pandit Bindadin Maharaj, his uncle. He was the court dancer for the Nawab of Awadh. He held this position for nearly ten years. Lachhu Maharaj also learnt the Pakhawaj, the tabla and Hindustani classical vocal music. He took vocal music training from Aftab e Mousiqui Ustad Faiyaz Khansaheb of Baroda form the Rangeela gharana.
When Lachhu Maharaj moved to Mumbai, the emerging film industry helped him bring Kathak to a much larger audience. He was a celebrated choreographer for his work in movies like Mahal (1949), Mughal-e-Azam (1960), Choti Choti Baten (1965) and Pakeezah (1972). He was also well-known for his ballets like Goutam Buddha, Chandravali and Bharatiya Kissan. Pandit Lachhu Maharaj was the founder director of Kathak Kendra, that was started the Uttar Pradesh government in Lucknow.
His life left behind a legacy to be revered. In the year, 2007, a two-day festival was organized Lucknow to celebrate his birth centenary. He surely was a gem of the Indian classical music fraternity and delivered some great performances throughout the span of his famous career.
It is truly a great feeling to watch Google honour the forgotten legends of the past like Pandit Lachhu Maharaj. Their doodle initiative will surely touch many a heart and soul.
