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.
List
Key
- In descending order of the subjects' long-term notability, roughly.
| Portrait | Full Name | Honorific | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi | Mahatma | Sanskrit for "great soul". In popular usage ever since Rabindranath Tagore used it to refer to him.[1] One of the very few biographies on Wikipedia that carry the honorific in title. | |
| Gautama | Buddha | In Buddhism, means "awakened one" | |
| Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar | Babasaheb | Marathi for "respected father" (Baba = father and Saheb = sir). Used by followers initially, now a part of popular culture and usage. | |
| Jawaharlal Nehru | Pandit | Sanskrit for "learned man". Originally meant exclusively for a man expert in Hindu law and literature.[2] | |
| Rabindranath Tagore | Gurudev | Bengali for "Godly Teacher" or "Divine Mentor" | |
| Ram Mohan Roy | Raja | Translates to 'king' in most Indian languages. Conferred upon by Akbar II. | |
| Vallabhbhai Jhaverbhai Patel | Sardar | Persian for "leader or chief". Conferred upon by his long-time mentor Mahatma Gandhi[3] after the Bardoli Satyagraha. | |
| Erode Venkatappa Ramasamy | Thathai | Tamil for 'father' or 'father figure' | |
| Periyar | Tamil for 'respected one' or 'elder one' | ||
| Singanalluru Puttaswamaiah Muthuraj | Nata Saarvabhouma | Kannada for 'Emperor of Actors'. Revered as so by the people of Karnataka. | |
| Subhas Chandra Bose | Netaji | Hindustani for "political leader". Conferred upon by the soldiers of the Indian National Army. | |
| Bal Gangadhar Tilak | Lokmanya | Sanskrit for "accepted by the people (as their leader)".[4] | |
| Chakravarti Rajagopalachari | Mootharignar | Tamil for "the Scholar Emeritus", for his scholarly contribution to the Tamil literature. | |
| Jayaprakash Narayan | Loknayak | Hindi for "People's leader" | |
| Vinayak Damodar Savarkar | Veer | Hindustani for "the brave". Popularly used by followers; now a part of popular culture. | |
| Vinayak Narahari Bhave | Acharya |
Translates to 'respected teacher'. | |
| Madan Mohan Malaviya | Mahamana | ||
| Sam Hormusji Framji Jamshedji Manekshaw | Bahadur | Meaning 'the Brave'. Bahadur is an honorific title bestowed upon princes and victorious military commanders by Mughal emperors, and later by their British successors. | |
| Chittaranjan Das | Deshbandhu | Hindi for Friend of the Nation | |
| Jagjivan Ram | Babuji | A term of respect for one's father | |
| Madhavrao Sadashivrao Golwalkar | Guruji | Hindi for 'respected teacher' | |
| Abdul Ghaffār Khān | Badshah | ||
| Aluru Venkata Rao | Karnataka Kulapurohita | Translation - "High priest of the Kannada family" | |
| Jagadish Vasudev | Sadhguru | "Sadhguru", alternatively spelt "sadguru",[5] means "real or true guru".[6] The term has also been translated as "senior sadhu; eminent preceptor".[7] |
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References
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Prime Ministers of India - Jawaharlal Nehru. www.indiainfoline.com. Retrieved 2021-10-14.
- ↑ Sardar was the title given to Vallabhbhai Patel by class 9 social science CBSE. www.vedantu.com. Retrieved 2021-10-14.
- ↑ Bal Gangadhar Tilak: Freedom Fighter Who Said, "Swaraj Is My Birth Right". NDTV.com. Retrieved 2021-10-15.
- ↑ Going Beyond My Guru's for Human Welfare. Notion Press.
- ↑ The Guru in Indian Catholicism: Ambiguity of Opportunity of Inculturation?. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing.
- ↑ Pramukh Swami Maharaj{{#if:Shantipriyadas|, Shantipriyadas}. Swaminarayan Aksharpith(1998). ISBN 81-7526-000-9