Maya Rao, veteran Kathak exponent, famous choreographer and founder-director of the Natya Institute of Kathak and Choreography, passed away on 31 August 2014 in Bangalore. She was 86. She is survived by her daughter Madhu Nataraj, also a well-known Kathak dancer and choreographer. Her family, fans and and thousands of her students all over the world mourn her loss.