Bimla Poddar | |
|---|---|
| Born | Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India |
| Occupation(s) | Social worker, philanthropist |
| Known for | Philanthropy |
| Spouse | Bimal Kumar Poddar |
| Awards | Padma Shri |
Bimla Poddar is an Indian social worker, businessperson, philanthropist and the founder of Jnana Pravaha, [1] [2] a Varanasi based centre for cultural studies, engaged in the efforts to preserve the cultural heritage of India. [3] Under the aegis of the organization, Poddar is involved in activities related to exploration of India's culture [4] [5] and maintains a heritage museum housing artifacts from ancient India. [2] [6] Born and brought up in Varanasi, in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, she was married into a rich business family to late Bimal Kumar Poddar [7] and holds the directorship of many of the family concerns [8] [9] which includes Ambuja Cements. [7] She was honoured by the Government of India in 2015 with Padma Shri, the fourth highest Indian civilian award. [10]
Ustad Bismillah Khan, often referred to by the title Ustad, was an Indian musician credited with popularizing the shehnai, a reeded woodwind instrument. He played it with such expressive virtuosity that he became a leading Hindustani classical music artist. His name was indelibly linked with the woodwind instrument. While the shehnai had importance as a folk instrument played primarily by musicians schooled in traditional ceremonies, Khan is credited with elevating its status and bringing it to the concert stage.
Girija Devi was an Indian classical singer of the Seniya and Banaras gharanas. She performed classical and light classical music and helped elevate the profile of thumri. She was dubbed as the 'Queen of Thumri' for her contribution in the genre. She died on 24 October 2017.
Ram Kumar was an Indian artist and writer who has been described as one of India's foremost abstract painters. He was associated with the Progressive artists' group along with greats like M.F. Hussain, Tyeb Mehta, S.H. Raza. He is said to be one of the first Indian artists to give up figurativism for abstract art. His art commands high prices in the domestic and international market. His work "The Vagabond" fetched $1.1 million at Christie's, setting another world record for the artist. He is also one of the few Indian Modernist masters accomplished in writing as well as painting.
Kota Harinarayana is an aviation engineer. He was born in Brahmapur. He was appointed as chairman of the board of governors of IIT (BHU), Varanasi by Hon'ble President of India on 25 August 2020 till 25 August 2023. He was the vice-chancellor of the University of Hyderabad and the president of the Aeronautical Society of India.
Samta Prasad was an Indian classical musician and tabla player from the Benares gharana. He played tabla in many Hindi films including, Meri Surat Teri Ankhen (1963) and Sholay (1975), and film music composers Rahul Dev Burman and Bappi Lahiri were his disciples.
Bettina Sharada Bäumer is an Austrian-born Indian scholar of religion. Bäumer has been described by Vandana Parthasarathy, writing in The Hindu, as a "renowned Indologist, one of the foremost expounders of Kashmir Saivism and a well-known figure in the field of inter-religious dialogue". She was awarded the Austrian Decoration for Science and Art by Government of Austria in 2012 and Padma Shri by Government of India in 2015 for her contribution to Literature and Education. She was awarded the Ulrich Winkler Award for Comparative Theology and Study of Religions in 2023.
Harshavardhan Neotia is the chairman of the Ambuja Neotia Group, a conglomerate headquartered in Kolkata.
This is a bibliography of notable works about Varanasi.
Ravindra Singh Bisht is an Indian archaeologist, known for his scholarship on Indus valley civilization and efforts to conserve Indian national monuments. He was honoured by the Government of India, in 2013, by bestowing on him the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award, for his contributions to the field of archaeology.
Amit Prabhakar Maydeo is an Indian gastroenterologist and endoscopy expert known for his pioneering efforts on therapeutic endoscopy and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). In 2013, he was honoured by the Government of India with the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award, for his contributions to the fields of medicine and medical education. His son, Dr. Rohan Maydeo, is a surgeon from MGM Medical College and Hospital, Aurangabad.
Vijay Sharma is an Indian painter and art historian, known for his expertise in the Pahari school of miniature painting. He was honored by the Government of India, in 2012, with the fourth highest Indian civilian award of Padma Shri.
Narayanaswamy Balakrishnan is an Indian aerospace and computer scientist. He is a Professor of the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Supercomputer Education Research Centre of Indian Institute of Science and a visiting professor of Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research. Balakrishnan was honored by the Government of India, in 2002, with the fourth highest Indian civilian award of Padma Shri
Rahul Jain is an Indian textile designer, art historian and author. Born in Delhi in 1963, he founded ASHA, a textile workshop engaged in promoting the traditional Indo-Iranian weaving techniques in Varanasi in 1993 and is reportedly contributing to the revival of the dying art form of silk weaving on traditional Indian drawlooms. He employs silver and gold threads on pure Indian, Iranian, and Turkish silk and his motifs are known to be Mughal, Safavid and Ottoman inspired.
Prithvi Nath Kaula (1924-2009) was an Indian librarian, Library and Information Sciences specialist and author who worked with the Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi, India. Kaula authored sixty books and monographs, six professional journals (founder-editor), over 400 scholarly journal, over 400 peer review, 43 bibliographies and 6000 notes. Kaula was also the recipient of the Padma Shri award in the year 2004.
Thangam Elizabeth Philip (1921–2009) was an Indian nutritionist and a pioneer of hospitality education in India. She was the Principal Emeritus of the Institute of Hotel Management, Mumbai and was the author of several books on cookery. A recipient of the FAO Ceres Medal and the Knighthood of the Order of Cordon Bleu Du Sant Esprit of France, Philip was awarded the fourth highest Indian civilian award of Padma Shri by the Government of India in 1976.
Bhupathiraju Vissam Raju (1920–2002) was an Indian industrialist, a former chairman of Raasi Cements and the Cement Corporation of India and one of the pioneers of Indian cement industry. He was the director of Sagi Ramakrishnam Raju Constructions and Prasad and Company Project Works Limited. He was also interested in ceramics and refractory industries and Starting in 1997, he founded two engineering colleges, a dental college and hospital, a college of pharmacy, a computer education college, a polytechnic, and several schools, and he is the founder of the Padmasri Dr. B.V Raju Institute of Technology. The Government of India awarded him the fourth-highest Indian civilian award of Padma Shri in 1977 and followed it with the third-highest honour of Padma Bhushan in 2001.
Anil Kumar Lakhina is an Indian civil servant and a former Indian Administrative Service officer, known for his administrative reforms which has since come to be known as the Lakhina pattern. He is credited with the urban planning of Navi Mumbai, besides the commissioning of several other major projects. The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest Indian civilian honour of Padma Shri in 1986.
Meeta Pandit is a Hindustani Classical vocalist and a leading exponent of the Gwalior Gharana. She is the granddaughter and disciple of Krishnarao Shankar Pandit and daughter of Laxman Krishnarao Pandit. She is the sixth in the unbroken lineage and the first woman in the family to have taken up music as a profession.
Suresh Kumar Neotia was an Indian industrialist, entrepreneur, art collector, philanthropist and the co-founder of Ambuja Cements and associated companies. He was the chairman of the Group till 2009 when he relinquished the position in favor of his co-founder, Narotam Sekhsaria, and remained as the Chairman Emeritus of the Group until his death. He was a recipient of Harvard Business School - Economic Times Award and was involved in many social activities which included the promotion of cultural organizations such as Anamika Kala Sangam and Padatik. The Government of India awarded him the third highest civilian honour of the Padma Bhushan, in 2008, for his contributions to trade and industry.
S. K. Misra is a retired Indian civil servant, social worker, writer and a former Principal Secretary to Chandra Sekhar, the 8th Prime Minister of India. He served as the principal secretary to three chief ministers of Haryana and is a former secretary at the ministries of Tourism, Civil Aviation and Agriculture. He is one of the founders of Motilal Nehru School of Sports, Rai and the founder chairman of Indian Trust for Rural Heritage and Development. The Government of India awarded him the third highest civilian honour of the Padma Bhushan, in 2009, for his contributions to Indian civil service.
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