Pandit Birju Maharaj

OT Where did you grow up Did you travel as a child

Pandit Birju Maharaj I grew up in Lucknow and have fond memories of time spent with friends and family there. I loved flying kites, playing marbles and sneaking into cinema halls. And I used to travel almost all the time with my father until he passed away when I was about nine. Once, when I was travelling with my mother to a small town called Dalmau, we got off the train and discovered that there were no coolies. Amma had huge tin trunks and bedrolls, and I had to carry them on my head for quite some distance

OT Of the thousands of recitals over the years, which is the one show that stands out in your memory

Pandit Birju Maharaj There&rsquos more than one memorable performance, really. But I&rsquoll always remember my first concert at Mahajati Sadan in Kolkata &mdash I was barely fourteen then. A turning point in my career, it made me famous overnight

OT And what about concerts by others

Pandit Birju Maharaj Apart from the concerts by my uncles, Shambhu and Lachhu Maharaj, I remember being in awe of a ballerina at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow in the 1960s. Her speed, precision and grace are still vivid in my mind.

OT Do you identify with any particular country&rsquos music and dance

Pandit Birju Maharaj I thoroughly enjoy, and am inspired by, Russian ballet. And I appreciate Arabian music a lot. Their use of Raga Bhairavi has always appealed to me.

OT Where did you travel last for a holiday

Pandit Birju Maharaj I have almost forgotten my last holiday. It was at least thirty years ago. I travelled to Dehradun and Nainital with my children. But frankly, for me, work trips are just as enjoyable as holidays.

OT Your favourite city in the world

Pandit Birju Maharaj I have two actually London and Kuala Lumpur. Both the cities are home to some of my best students and to art lovers who understand my work.

OT Where would you like to go next

Pandit Birju Maharaj I haven&rsquot yet been to Mexico, South America and many parts of Australia. I will be happy to see all these places.

OT What places would you recommend in India

Pandit Birju Maharaj Cities like Lucknow, Delhi, Kolkata and Thiruvananthapuram, which still retain some of their old-world charm and built heritage.

OT What do you bring back from your trips

Pandit Birju Maharaj I am obsessed with electronic gadgets. I like to buy whatever is new in the market&mdashsmall or big, cheap or expensive, it doesn&rsquot matter.

OT What do you usually read when you travel

Pandit Birju Maharaj I like to read a good suspense story. Or classics such as the works of poets like Surdas, Meerabai, Vidyapati and Rabindranath Tagore.

OT Three things you always carry with you

Pandit Birju Maharaj A torchlight, water and a mug.