Mumbai: Noted poet Shirish Pai, credited with introducing 'Haiku' to the Marathi speaking world, passed away here on Saturday after a brief illness, family sources said. She was 88. 

Born in 1929, Pai was the daughter of noted writer-journalist 'Acharya' Pralhad Keshav Atre. She started writing 'Haiku' in 1975.

She studied Japanese 'Haiku', its origin and nature and published five Marathi 'Haiku' books. 

She also translated some Japanese 'Haiku' from English to Marathi. She also worked as a journalist in the 'Maratha' newspaper and participated in the 'Samyukta Maharashtra' (United Maharashtra) movement.

Pai is survived by two sons Rajendra and Vikramaditya