Legendary Kathak dancer Pt Shambhu Maharaj remembered

Dhwani, under the artistic direction of Kathak exponent Vaswati Misra, presented Smriti-2025 on Tuesday at the Meghdoot Amphitheatre, Rabindra Bhawan, to mark the 118th birth anniversary of Padma Shri Pandit Shambhu Maharaj.

The evening also coincided with Dhwani’s founder’s day, paying homage to the legendary maestro of the Lucknow Gharana.

A key highlight of the event was the introduction of the Dhwani Shambhu Smriti Puraskar, an annual award instituted to honour exceptional contributions to Indian classical arts. For its inaugural edition, the award was presented to two stalwarts — Padma Vibhushan Ustad Amjad Ali Khan for his unparalleled influence on Hindustani instrumental music, and Guru Dr Maya Rao, recognised posthumously for her pioneering work in Kathak teaching and choreography.

The programme opened with a Walk Through photo exhibition, showcasing rare moments from Pt Shambhu Maharaj’s life and artistic journey. This was followed by a welcome address and an audio-visual tribute tracing his impact on Kathak and Indian classical culture.

Performances for the evening included a presentation by the Dhwani Repertory, and a Kathak duet by Ipshita Misra, granddaughter of Pt Shambhu Maharaj, and Daniel Freddy. The event concluded with a sitar recital by Padma Shri Ustad Shahid Parvez, accompanied by Ustad Akram Khan on Tabla.

Speaking about the initiative, Misra said the celebration was “a humble offering to the spirit of our Guru, Pt Shambhu Maharaj”, adding that the Smriti Puraskar aimed to preserve his ideals of grace, devotion and artistic excellence.

Founded in 1984, Dhwani is a non-profit cultural organisation recognised by the Government of India and empanelled with ICCR and the Ministry of Culture.