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[edit | edit source]
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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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 |
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Jagjivan Ram | Babuji | A term of respect for one's father |
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Madhavrao Sadashivrao Golwalkar | Guruji | Hindi for 'respected teacher' |
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Abdul Ghaffār Khān | Badshah | |
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Aluru Venkata Rao | Karnataka Kulapurohita | Translation - "High priest of the Kannada family" |
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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] |
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ "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.
- ↑ Sanghvi, Rajesh D. (2018), Going Beyond My Guru's for Human Welfare, Notion Press, p. 30, ISBN 978-1-64429-901-2
- ↑ 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
- ↑ Shantipriyadas, S. (1998). Pramukh Swami Maharaj (2nd ed.). Amdavad: Swaminarayan Aksharpith. p. 307. ISBN 81-7526-000-9.