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Honorific titles of Indian figures

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Popular figures of India have often been conferred with an honorific title by fans and followers. These generally include those that are not formally recognised. Many titles were given to various Indian leaders during Indian independence struggle.

List edit

Honorific Full Name Notes Portrait
Acharya Vinayak Narahari Bhave

Translates to 'respected teacher'.

 
Vinoba Bhave
Azaad Chandra Shekhar Tiwan[1][2] "The Freed Soul" (Urdu)  
Babasaheb Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar[3][4] "The Respected Father" (Marathi).

"Baba" = "father" and "Saheb" = "sir"

 
B. R. Ambedkar
Babuji Jagjivan Ram A term of respect for one's father
 
Jagjivan Ram
Bahadur Sam Hormusji Framji Jamshedji Manekshaw Meaning 'the Brave'. Bahadur is an honorific title bestowed upon princes and victorious military commanders by Mughal emperors, and later by their British successors.
 
Sam Manekshaw
Bihar Kesari Shri Krishna Sinha (Singh)[5][6] "Lion of Bihar" ( Hindi/Sanskrit)

"Bihar" = "Bihar state" and "Kesari" = "Lion"

 
Bihar Vibhuti Anugrah Narayan Sinha[7] "Gem of Bihar" (Hindi).

"Bihar" = "Bihar state" and "Vibhuti" = "Gem"

 
Buddha Gautama In Buddhism, means 'awakened one'
 
Gautama Buddha
Deen Bandhu Charles Freer Andrews[8][9] "Friend of the Poor" (Bengali).

"Deen" = "poor" and "Bandhu" = "friend".

 
Desh Bandhu Chittaranjan Das[10] "Friend of country" (Bengali).

"Desh" = "country" and "Bandhu" = "friend".

 
Chittaranjan Das
Desh Nayak

Netaji

Subhash Chandra Bose "Leader of the country"

(Bengali) (Hindi).

"Desh" = "country" and "Nayak" = "Leader".

"Respected leader" (Bengali) (Hindi).

"Neta" = "leader" and "ji" = an honorary title.

 
Subhas Chandra Bose
Desh Ratna Rajendra Prasad[11][12] "Jewel of the Country" (Hindi).

"Desh" = "country" and "Ratna" = "jewel"

 
Fakhr-e-Afghan Abdul Ghaffār Khān فخرِ افغان, 'Pride of Afghans'
 
Abdul Ghaffar Khan
Gurudev

Kobiguru

Biswakobi

The Bard of Bengal

Rabindranath Tagore[13][14] "Supreme teacher" (Bengali) (Hindi).

"Guru" = "teacher" and "dev" = "Respected person".

 
Rabindranath Tagore
Guruji Madhavrao Sadashivrao Golwalkar Hindi for 'respected teacher'
 
M. S. Golwalkar
Karnataka Kulapurohita Aluru Venkata Rao Translation - "High priest of the Kannada family"
 
Aluru Venkata Rao
Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak[15] "Revered by the people" (Hindi).

"Lok" = "people" and "manya" = "Revered".

 
Bal Gangadhar Tilak
Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan[16][17] "Leader of the people" (Hindi).

"Lok" = "people" and "nayak" = "leader".

 
Jayaprakash Narayan
Mahamana Madan Mohan Malaviya[18] "One with greatest thoughts" (Hindi).

"Mahan" = "great" and "Mann" = "thought/heart"

 
Madan Mohan Malaviya
Mahatma /Bapuji Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi[19] Sanskrit for 'great soul'. In popular usage ever since Rabindranath Tagore used it to refer to him.[20]
 
Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Jotirao Govindrao Phule[21][22] "Great Soul" (Sanskrit).

"Maha" = "great" and "atma" = "soul".

 
Mahatma Jotirao Phule
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad[23] "Our lord" (Arabic).
 
Mootharignar Chakravarti Rajagopalachari Tamil for "the Scholar Emeritus", for his scholarly contribution to the Tamil literature.
 
C. Rajagopalachari
Nata Saarvabhouma Singanalluru Puttaswamaiah Muthuraj Kannada for 'Emperor of Actors'. Revered as so by the people of Karnataka.
 
Dr.. Rajkumar
Pandit / Chacha Jawaharlal Nehru[24][25] Sanskrit for "learned man". Originally meant exclusively for a man expert in Hindu law and literature.[26]
 
Jawaharlal Nehru
Punjab Kesari Lala Lajpat Rai "Lion of Punjab" ( Hindi/Sanskrit)

"Punjab" = "Punjab state" and "Kesari" = "Lion"

 
Lala Lajpat Rai
Raja Ram Mohan Roy Translates to 'king' in most Indian languages. Conferred upon by Akbar II.
 
Ram Mohan Roy
Sadhguru Jagadish Vasudev "Sadhguru", alternatively spelt "sadguru",[27] means "real or true guru".[28] The term has also been translated as "senior sadhu; eminent preceptor".[29]
 
Jaggi Vasudev
Sardar Vallabhbhai Jhaverbhai Patel[30][31] Persian for "leader or chief". Conferred upon by his long-time mentor Mahatma Gandhi[32] after the Bardoli Satyagraha.
 
Vallabhbhai Patel
Shaheed e Azam Bhagat Singh[33][34] "Great martyr" (Urdu).

"Shaheed" = "martyr" and "Azam" = "Principal".

 
Veer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar Hindustani for "the brave". Popularly used by followers; now a part of popular culture.
 
Vinayak Damodar Savarkar

References edit

  1. ^ "Champaran flower drive to honour Bapu". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on March 6, 2018. Retrieved 2018-03-05.
  2. ^ "Bapu tower soon at Bihar Vidyapeeth - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 2018-03-05.
  3. ^ "Renaming Dr. Ambedkar in modern-day India stems from caste hatred". Asia Times. 30 March 2018. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  4. ^ Gaikwad, Dr. Dnyanraj Kashinath (2016). Mahamanav Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (in Marathi). Riya Publication. p. 138.
  5. ^ "'बिहार केसरी' श्री बाबू की 134वीं जयंती पर मुंगेर ने किया उन्हें नमन, यादें की गईं ताजा". Dainik Jagran (in Hindi). Retrieved 2022-09-11.
  6. ^ "बिहार केसरी किसे कहा जाता है ?". www.gkexams.com (in Hindi). Retrieved 2022-09-11.
  7. ^ "Congress a divided house in Anugrah babu's hometown - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 2018-03-05.
  8. ^ "3 new bus sheds before summer". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on March 6, 2018. Retrieved 2018-03-05.
  9. ^ "Martyr bust damaged". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on March 6, 2018. Retrieved 2018-03-05.
  10. ^ "Thoughts of the 'chatur bania', at Sabarmati ashram". The Indian Express. 2017-06-14. Retrieved 2018-03-05.
  11. ^ "Chronicle of Rajendra babu's life at home gallery". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on March 6, 2018. Retrieved 2018-03-05.
  12. ^ "Bihar CM Nitish Kumar announces scholarship for toppers - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 2018-03-05.
  13. ^ "'No film shoot with contrarian view on Tagore'". 2018-02-20. Retrieved 2018-03-05.
  14. ^ "Finding peace in Tagore land". 2018-03-03. Retrieved 2018-03-05.
  15. ^ Vandana.Srivastawa (2017-08-25). "Ganesh Utsav Pandals Started By 'Lokmanya' Bal Gangadhar Tilak Turns 125 years: This Throwback Pic Is A Gem". India.com. Retrieved 2018-03-05.
  16. ^ "PM bows to Loknayak Jayprakash Narayan, on his birth anniversary". www.narendramodi.in. Retrieved 2018-03-05.
  17. ^ "The Pursuit Of Truth". The Indian Express. 2017-10-12. Retrieved 2018-03-05.
  18. ^ "Madan Mohan Malviya's 156th Birthday: 5 Important Things To Know". NDTV.com. Retrieved 2018-03-05.
  19. ^ Vij, Shivam (2018-02-20). "Opinion | Why India is being really rude to Justin Trudeau". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2018-03-05.
  20. ^ "Who gave the title 'Mahatma' to Gandhi? Gujarat govt says not Tagore, but 'unknown journalist'". The News Minute. 2016-02-16. Retrieved 2021-10-14.
  21. ^ "Manjhi's absence will be felt: Kushwaha". The Hindu. Press Trust of India. 2018-03-05. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2018-03-05.
  22. ^ "Who was Jyotirao Phule?". The Indian Express. 2017-11-28. Retrieved 2018-03-05.
  23. ^ "Khan Ata Mohammad Khan- Mentor of Moulana Azad". www.kashmirmonitor.in. Retrieved 2018-03-05.
  24. ^ Desk, India.com News (2017-11-14). "Children's Day 2017: How Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru's Birthday Became Bal Diwas". India.com. Retrieved 2018-03-05.
  25. ^ "Remembering Nehru". Jammu Kashmir Latest News | Tourism | Breaking News J&K. 2016-11-14. Retrieved 2018-03-05.
  26. ^ "Prime Ministers of India - Jawaharlal Nehru". www.indiainfoline.com. Retrieved 2021-10-14.
  27. ^ Sanghvi, Rajesh D. (2018), Going Beyond My Guru's for Human Welfare, Notion Press, p. 30, ISBN 978-1-64429-901-2
  28. ^ Cornille, Catherine (1992), The Guru in Indian Catholicism: Ambiguity of Opportunity of Inculturation?, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, p. 103, ISBN 978-0-8028-0566-9
  29. ^ Shantipriyadas, S. (1998). Pramukh Swami Maharaj (2nd ed.). Amdavad: Swaminarayan Aksharpith. p. 307. ISBN 81-7526-000-9.
  30. ^ "Statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel is twice taller than statue of liberty: PM Modi". 2018-02-27. Archived from the original on 2018-03-06. Retrieved 2018-03-05.
  31. ^ "'Statue of Unity' to be ready for inauguration on Oct 31: Govt - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 2018-03-05.
  32. ^ "Sardar was the title given to Vallabhbhai Patel by class 9 social science CBSE". www.vedantu.com. Retrieved 2021-10-14.
  33. ^ "It's Punjab vs Haryana over naming of Chandigarh airport after Shaheed Bhagat Singh". Zee News. 2018-02-27. Retrieved 2018-03-05.
  34. ^ ""Even Pak conferred title of Shaheed-e-Azam on Bhagat Singh, but India has not" - Govt to look into the matter". TimesNow. Retrieved 2018-03-05.
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