India is home to numerous iconic personalities who have made significant contributions in various fields, including politics, spirituality, sports, music, and social reform. Over the years, these personalities have been affectionately referred to by unique nicknames, given either by the public or fellow leaders as a mark of respect and admiration.
Here’s a detailed list of famous Indian personalities and their nicknames, categorized based on their fields and contributions:
S.No | Name | Nickname | Contributions |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Mahatma Gandhi | Bapu, Father of the Nation, Gandhiji, Saint of Sabarmati, Mahatma | Led India’s non-violent freedom movement against British rule. |
2 | Abdul Ghaffar Khan | Badshah Khan, Frontier Gandhi | Taught people in the Northwest to follow non-violence and worked for peace. |
3 | Vallabhbhai Patel | Iron Man of India, Bismarck of India, Strong Man of India | United hundreds of small states into one nation after independence. |
4 | Bal Gangadhar Tilak | Lion of Maratha, Lokmanya | Inspired Indians with his slogan “Swaraj is my birthright” and urged them to seek freedom. |
5 | Dadabhai Naoroji | Grand Old Man of India | First Indian member of the British Parliament who spoke up for Indian rights. |
6 | Jawaharlal Nehru | Panditji, Chacha Nehru | Became India’s first Prime Minister and helped build schools and industries. |
7 | Lal Bahadur Shastri | Man of Peace | Gave the slogan “Jai Jawan Jai Kisan” to honour soldiers and farmers. |
8 | Subhash Chandra Bose | Netaji, Patriot of Patriots | Formed the Indian National Army to fight for freedom with great courage. |
9 | Indira Gandhi | Iron Lady of India, Priyadarshini | First woman Prime Minister who worked to reduce poverty and improve education. |
10 | Jayaprakash Narayan | JP, Loknayak | Led a movement to make government honest and fair. |
11 | Lala Lajpat Rai | Punjab Kesari | Fought bravely against the British and inspired young people to stand up for their rights. |
12 | Chittaranjan Das | Deshbandhu | As a lawyer and leader, he defended freedom fighters and led peaceful protests. |
13 | Raja Ram Mohan Roy | Morning Star of Indian Renaissance | Worked to end harmful practices and started schools to teach modern ideas. |
14 | Chanakya | Indian Machiavelli, Machiavelli of India | Ancient teacher and advisor who wrote about good government and clever planning. |
15 | Rabindranath Tagore | Gurudev, Biswa Kavi, Kaviguru | Wrote India’s national anthem and many poems and stories; won the Nobel Prize in Literature. |
16 | Sarojini Naidu | Nightingale of India | Poet and freedom fighter who inspired people with her beautiful speeches and writings. |
17 | Bipin Chandra Pal | Bengal Tiger | Encouraged Indians to boycott British goods and stand up for their rights. |
18 | Ashutosh Mukherjee | Bengal Kesari | Built famous schools and colleges in Kolkata and promoted higher education. |
19 | Dr. Rajendra Prasad | Desh Ratna, Ajatshatru | Served as India’s first President and guided the new nation with wisdom. |
20 | Madan Mohan Malaviya | Mahamana, Prince of Beggars | Founded Banaras Hindu University and worked to bring education to all. |
S.No | Name of Personality | Nickname | Contributions |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Swami Vivekananda | Messenger of Indian Wisdom | Spoke about India’s spiritual ideas at a big gathering in America in 1893. |
2 | Vinoba Bhave | Acharya | Walked across India to give land to poor farmers through his Bhoodan Movement. |
3 | Raja Ram Mohan Roy | Father of Indian Renaissance | Fought to end the practice of Sati and set up schools for girls. |
4 | Mother Teresa | Saint of the Gutters | Cared for sick and poor people in Kolkata and around the world. |
5 | Dayanand Saraswati | Martin Luther of India | Started a movement to bring people back to ancient Vedic values and education. |
6 | Guru Nanak | First Sikh Guru | Taught everyone to be kind, honest, and equal, and founded the Sikh faith. |
7 | Siddhartha Gautama | Buddha | Taught people how to be peaceful and kind and founded Buddhism. |
8 | Sant Tukaram | Bhakta Tukaram | Wrote devotional songs praising God and encouraged everyone to lead a simple life. |
9 | Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah | Lion of Kashmir | Worked for the rights and well-being of people in Jammu & Kashmir. |
10 | Sreebuddha | Light of Asia | His life story and teachings spread the message of peace and kindness across Asia. |
S.No | Name of Personality | Nickname | Contributions |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Rabindranath Tagore | Gurudev, Biswa Kavi, Kaviguru | Wrote poems, songs, and stories; composed India’s national anthem. |
2 | Lata Mangeshkar | Swar Kokila | Sang thousands of beautiful songs in many Indian languages. |
3 | Dhundiraj Govind Phalke | Grandfather of Indian Films | Made India’s first full-length feature film, starting the Indian movie industry. |
4 | Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay | Kathasilpi | Wrote popular Bengali novels about everyday people and their feelings. |
5 | Kalidasa | Shakespeare of India | Ancient poet who wrote famous Sanskrit plays and poems. |
6 | Amir Khusro | Tota-e-Hind, Parrot of India | Medieval poet and musician who invented new forms of music and poetry. |
7 | Kuvempu (K.V. Puttappa) | Rashtrakavi | Wrote inspiring poems in Kannada and worked to unite people through literature. |
8 | Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay | Sahitya Samrat | Wrote the patriotic song “Vande Mataram” and many beloved Bengali novels. |
9 | Shah Jahan | Prince of Builders | Built the Taj Mahal, one of the world’s most beautiful monuments. |
10 | Valmiki | Adi Kavi | Ancient poet who wrote the Ramayana, one of India’s first great epics. |
S.No | Name of Sports Personality | Nickname | Contributions |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Milkha Singh | Flying Sikh | Won many races for India and inspired athletes with his speed and courage. |
2 | Kapil Dev | Haryana Hurricane | Captained India to its first Cricket World Cup victory in 1983. |
3 | Sachin Tendulkar | Master Blaster, Bombay Bomber | Scored more runs than anyone else in international cricket. |
4 | Dhyan Chand | Hockey Wizard, Magician of Hockey | Scored hundreds of goals and helped India win three Olympic gold medals. |
5 | P.T. Usha | Payyoli Express, Udanpari | Won many medals in track events and showed India’s talent in athletics. |
6 | Saurav Ganguly | Prince of Kolkata, Dada, God of the Off Side | As captain, built a strong Indian cricket team and encouraged young talent. |
7 | Virat Kohli | Cheeku, King Kohli | One of the world’s best batsmen, known for his passion and consistency. |
8 | Rohit Sharma | Hitman | Famous for hitting many sixes and scoring big hundreds in cricket. |
9 | Anil Kumble | Jumbo | Took the most wickets for India in Test cricket as a leg-spin bowler. |
10 | Sunil Gavaskar | Little Master, Sunny | First player to score 10,000 runs in Test cricket, setting many records. |
26 docs|22 tests
|
1. Who are some famous Indian personalities and what are their notable nicknames? | ![]() |
2. Why are nicknames important in understanding a person's legacy? | ![]() |
3. How did Mahatma Gandhi earn his nickname "Bapu"? | ![]() |
4. What contributions did Dr. B.R. Ambedkar make to Indian society? | ![]() |
5. How does the nickname "Chacha Nehru" reflect Jawaharlal Nehru's relationship with children? | ![]() |