Hindu – Brahmin – Deshastha ( famous Personalities )

Deshastha Brahmin Ready to get married- Fortunate Wedding is Here to Make the Perfect Match!

First lets Discover the influential Deshasthas who have made their mark on the world.

Moropant Trimbak Pingale

Moropant Trimbak Pingale was the first person to be appointed as Peshwa, or the highest ranking minister, in the Maratha Empire. He was a part of Shivaji Maharaj's Council of Eight Ministers and served the Maratha Empire from 1620 to 1683.

Parshuram Trimbak Kulkarni

Parshuram Trimbak Kulkarni was a very important person in the Maratha Empire. He was both a Minister (Pradhan) and Count (Sardar), and was known as Parshuram Pant Pratinidhi. He was in charge during Rajaram I and Tarabai's reign and was essential to the 27 year War.

Dadoji Kondadeo

Dadoji Kondadeo was a remarkable administrator of the Pune jagir and the Kondana fort nearby. He was truly one of a kind, managing both with immense skill.Appointed by Shahaji, a prominent noble and general of the Adilshahi sultanate of Bijapur, Dadoji was the one to look after the reigns of the region.

Tantia Tope

Tantia Tope (also known as Tatya Tope) was an important participant in the Indian Rebellion of 1857. He was born on 16th February 1814 and died on 18th April 1859.On 18 April every year, the State Government and locals gather to pay tribute to Tatya Tope, who was executed on this day in 1859 at Sipri. An event known as Shaheed Mela is also organised to commemorate his memory.

Balakrishna Shivram Moonje

Balakrishna Shivram Moonje, also known as B.S. Moonje and B.S. Munje, was a prominent leader of the Hindu Mahasabha in India. He was born on the 12th of December, 1872 and passed away on the 3rd of March, 1948.

Nanaji Deshmukh

Nanaji Deshmukh was an Indian social reformer, politician, and leader of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh. He was given the highest Indian civilian award, the Bharat Ratna, posthumously in 2019. He worked to improve education, health, and rural self-reliance. He was also part of the Upper House of Parliament.

Appasaheb Pant

Appasaheb Pant, often referred to by his various nicknames, was an influential Indian diplomat, the prince of the Aundh state, a dedicated follower of Gandhi, an accomplished writer and a brave freedom fighter.His first name was Parashuram.

Vishvanath Narayan Mandlik

Vishvanath Narayan Mandlik was a very influential Bombay citizen. He was a lawyer, writer, and a specialist in Hindu law. He usually had a more traditional opinion when making decisions on matters concerning Hindu customs, and he was against the government intervening. However, he did support certain reforms, such as women receiving an education. He also translated a number of English classics and legal books into Marathi.

Pramod Venkatesh Mahajan

Pramod Venkatesh Mahajan was an influential politician from Maharashtra, India. He was part of the younger generation of leadership in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). At the time of his death, he was trying to get a higher position in the BJP as their elderly leadership was retiring.

Ram Naik

Ram Naik, who was born on April 16, 1934, is an experienced Indian politician from the Bharatiya Janata Party. He previously held the position of the 19th Governor of Uttar Pradesh.

Keshav Baliram Hedgewar

Keshav Baliram Hedgewar was an Indian doctor who is known by the nickname of "Doctorji". He was the originator and head of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).He started the RSS in 1925 in Nagpur, with the idea of making India a Hindu nation. He passed away in 1940.

Gajanan Jagirdar

Gajanan Jagirdar was an iconic Indian filmmaker, screenwriter and actor, making a name for himself in Bollywood (Hindi movies) and Marathi cinema. He gained prominence from 1942 to 1947 as a director for Prabhat Films.

Bhattoji Dikshita

Bhattoji Dikshita was a 17th-century Maharashtrian Sanskrit scholar who composed the 'Siddhānta-Kaumudī', a text which summarizes the teachings of Pāṇini, an ancient grammarian. This book is seen as an extensive guide to Pāṇini's grammar and is known for its comprehensive coverage of the opinions of earlier grammarians. It has been praised for its clarity by Suryakant Bali.

Lakshman Shastri Joshi

Lakshman Shastri Joshi was an Indian scholar highly knowledgeable in Sanskrit, Hindu Dharma, and Marathi literature. He was a strong supporter of Indian independence and was selected by Mahatma Gandhi to be his main advisor in the fight against untouchability.

Mardhekar

Mardhekar, born in 1909 in Faizpur, Maharashtra, was a major Marathi poet who helped revolutionise Marathi poetry. He brought a new style of writing which changed the way Marathi poetry was perceived. He was a significant figure in Marathi literature and was the first poet to receive the country’s highest literary award, the Jnanpith Award. He passed away in 1956.

Vinayaka Krishna Gokak

Vinayaka Krishna Gokak was a renowned literary figure, renowned for his mastery of both English and Kannada literature. He was bestowed with the prestigious Jnanpith Award in 1990 for his Kannada language epic called Bharatha Sindhu Rashmi, making him the fifth person to receive it. It is one of the longest epic stories written in any language in the twentieth century, and it focuses on the Vedic age.

Ga Di Ma (Gajanan Digambar Madgulkar)

Ga Di Ma (Gajanan Digambar Madgulkar), an Indian poet, lyricist, writer and actor, was born on October 1, 1919 in Maharashtra. He was widely known in his home state just by his initials. In 1951, he was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award. He passed away on December 14, 1977.

Anant Sadashiv Altekar

Anant Sadashiv Altekar was a renowned historian, archaeologist and numismatist from the Indian state of Maharashtra. Manindra Chandra Nandy was an esteemed professor and head of Ancient Indian History and Culture at Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi.Additionally, he was a chosen Fellow of the Royal Numismatic Society in London.

Dattatray Vaman Potdar

Dattatray Vaman Potdar was a celebrated Indian historian, author, and orator who served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Pune from 1961-1964.He was born on August 5, 1890, and passed away on October 6, 1979.

Bal Gandharva

Bal Gandharva was an iconic Marathi singer and stage actor from the late 19th century to the mid 20th century. He became famous for playing female roles in Marathi plays, as female actors were not allowed to perform on stage at that time. He was born on 26 June 1888 and passed away on 15 July 1967.

Sawai Gandharva

Sawai Gandharva - the great Hindustani classical vocalist from Karnataka, Ramachandra Kundgolkar, also known as Ram-Bhau. He was highly respected and admired for his incredible singing talent.He was an expert in the Kirana Gharana style of singing. Ustad Abdul Karim Khan was Ramachandra's first teacher and he, in turn, was the guru of the Bharat Ratna awardee, Bhimsen Joshi. Ramachandra was born on 19 January 1886 and passed away on 12 September 1952.

Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi

Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi was an incredible Indian vocalist from Karnataka who was known for his immense skill in the Hindustani classical tradition. He was often given the honorific prefix Pandit. He was renowned for his enchanting khayal singing, as well as his passionate performances of spiritual music like bhajans and abhangs.

Narayanrao Vyas

Narayanrao Vyas was a celebrated Hindustani musician of the Gwalior gharana, tutored by the great Vishnu Digambar Paluskar.He was an accomplished singer, having recorded many 78rpm classical khayals, thumri and bhajans.semi-classical bhajans, and thumris in the 1930s. His fame soared when his compositions became well-known. His father and uncle were both talented musicians from Kolhapur, and his elder brother, Shankarrao Vyas, was a celebrated singer and composer.

Gopal Gurunath Bewoor

Gopal Gurunath Bewoor, who served as the 8th Chief of the Indian Army, was a retired general and diplomat. He was born on 11 August 1916 and passed away on 24 October 1989. He was given the award of PVSM PB for his services. After retiring from the Army, he became a diplomat and was posted to Denmark.

B. D. Kulkarni

B. D. Kulkarni, who was born in 1949, was a famous Indian chemical reaction engineer. He was well-known as B. D. amongst his friends and colleagues. 

Dr. Trimbak Krishnarao Tope

Dr. Trimbak Krishnarao Tope (more commonly known as Dr. T. K. Tope) was a renowned legal scholar, educator, biographer, lawyer and teacher. From 1958 to 1975, he was the head of Government Law College in Mumbai and then went on to be Vice-Chancellor of Bombay University from 1971 to 1977.He was also Sheriff of Mumbai from 10 December 1985 to 20 December 1986, and took part in the protests of 1930 and 1942.

Gopala Rao Thandalam

Gopala Rao Thandalam was an Indian educator who, alongside William Archer Porter, had a huge impact on the formation of the Government Arts College in Kumbakonam in its early years.He lived from 1832 to 11 May 1886.

Abasaheb Garware

Abasaheb Garware - an extraordinary industrialist from Maharashtra, India, who revolutionized the business landscape with the formation of the Garware Group of Industries.He was affectionately known as Bhalchandra Digamber Garware.

Shridhar Brahmanand

Shridhar Brahmanand was a renowned Marathi poet and philosopher of the 17th and 18th centuries. He was well known for his Akhyanaka (narrative) works.He was known by the names of Shridhar Swami Nazarekar and Shridhar Pandit. He wrote many caritra granthas (narrative texts).

Samarth Ramdas

Samarth Ramdas was a famous Indian saint and philosopher who lived in the 17th century. He was deeply devoted to the Hindu gods, Rama and Hanuman, and is remembered for his writings, poems and spiritual teachings.

Vijaya Dasa

Vijaya Dasa, who lived in the 18th century, was a famous saint from Karnataka, India. He was part of the Haridasa tradition and was an authority on the Dvaita philosophy.

Satyadharma Tirtha

Satyadharma Tirtha, a Hindu philosopher, theologian, scholar, and saint of the Dvaita order of Vedanta, served as the 28th pontiff of Uttaradi Math from 1797-1830. He was a follower of Madhvacharya.

Gondavalekar Maharaj

Gondavalekar Maharaj, better known as Brahmachaitanya, was an enlightened Indian saint who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His devotion to the Hindu deity Rama was strong, as evidenced by his name, "Brahmachaitanya Ramdasi". He was an inspirational figure and left a lasting mark on Indian spiritual life.

Hemadpant

Hemadpant, the Famous Polymath and Prime Minister, was renowned for his skill and intelligence. He served under both King Mahadev and King Ramachandra of the Seuna Yadav Dynasty of Devagiri in India from 1259-1274 C.E. He was also the creator of the Hemadpanti style of architecture.

Purandara Dasa

Purandara Dasa was a great Haridasa and philosopher from Karnataka, India, who followed the teachings of Madhvacharya's Dvaita philosophy. He lived around 1470-1565 and was renowned for his wisdom.

Sant Eknath

Sant Eknath, the great Indian Hindu Saint and Philosopher, was a devoted follower of the God Vitthal. He was a major contributor to the Warkari movement and is seen as a spiritual successor to the famous Marathi Saints Dnyaneshwar and Namdev.

Bhanudasa

Bhanudasa was a revered Hindu saint who was instrumental in returning the sacred image of the deity Vithoba to its rightful home of Pandharpur. He was the great grandfather of Eknath and as a youngster, worshipped the Sun. However, his faith eventually shifted to Vithoba.

Shivaram Hari Rajguru

Shivaram Hari Rajguru was a brave Indian patriot from Maharashtra, who made history by assisting in the killing of British police officer John Saunders.. He was a dedicated part of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA) and was sadly executed by the British government on the 23rd of March 1931 alongside fellow members Bhagat Singh and Sukhdev Thapar.

Madhu Dandavate

The late Madhu Dandavate was an Indian physicist and socialist politician. He was famously known for his role in the Morarji Desai ministry as Minister of Railways and in the V P Singh ministry as Minister of Finance. 

Vishnu Ganesh Pingle

Vishnu Ganesh Pingle, born on 2nd January 1888, was an Indian revolutionary and a part of the Ghadar Party. His life was cut short in 1915 after being convicted in the Lahore conspiracy trial for his involvement in the Ghadar conspiracy. 

Chandrashekhar Deshpande

Chandrashekhar Deshpande - a renowned Indian geographer, educationist and author - was a professor at the University of Pune. He was born on 14th January 1912 and passed away on 14th November 1999.

Bhāskara II

Bhāskara II, the Teacher - A renowned Indian mathematician and astronomer from the 12th century.

Sakharam Rao

Sakharam Rao is renowned for his role in reviving the South Indian chitravina, a musical instrument that had been forgotten for centuries. His father, Srinivasa Rao, was the first to attempt to bring the instrument back to life, and it was Sakharam who truly succeeded in doing so, introducing it to the concert scene.

Master Krishnarao

Master Krishnarao, the renowned Indian vocalist, musician, and composer of Hindustani music, was an inspiring figure in the world of classical music. He lived from 1898-1974 and was affectionately known as "Master Krishnarao".

Dattatray Balwant Parasnis

Dattatray Balwant Parasnis, a historian from Maharashtra, India, lived during the British Raj era and was rewarded with a lifelong pension of two hundred rupees per month by the Government of Bombay.

Dr. Shridhar Bhaskar Warnekar

Dr. Shridhar Bhaskar Warnekar, a renowned Sanskrit scholar, was born in Nagpur, India on July 31, 1918. He wrote numerous Sanskrit poems and verses before his death on April 18, 2007 at the age of 89.

Navaratna Rama Rao

Navaratna Rama Rao was a renowned Indian political leader and scholar based in Mysore who was honored with the title of "Navaratna", meaning Nine Gems, by the seer of Uttaradi Mutt. The title was bestowed upon him due to the invaluable scholarly services provided by the nine scholar-brothers of his family to the orthodox Deshastha Madhwa Brahmin Society.

Hari Bhaskara Agnihotri

Hari Bhaskara Agnihotri was a 17th-century Sanskrit scholar who made great contributions to the fields of anatomy, grammar, and literature. He composed "Padyamritatarangini" in 1676, "Sharira Padmini" in 1735, and a treatise on Paribhasas in Panini's grammar entitled "Paribhāṣābhāskara". He was born into a Deshastha Rigvedi Brahmin (DRB) scholarly family, with his father Appaji Hari Agnihotri also being a renowned scholar of grammar.

Narayan Shridhar Bendre

Narayan Shridhar Bendre was an Indian artist of the 20th century, who was a part of the renowned Baroda Group. Born in Indore, he achieved fame as a master of landscape art, and was honored with the Padma Bhushan in 1992.

Hari Vinayak Pataskar

Hari Vinayak Pataskar was an illustrious Indian lawyer, politician and the ex-Vice-Chancellor of the University of Poona. He was a renowned figure in the fields of law and politics.He was an influential figure in the fields of law and education. He served as a member of the Constituent Assembly of India, and was the longest serving Governor of Madhya Pradesh.

Janardan Raghunath Mudholkar

Janardan Raghunath Mudholkar, a Bar-at-Law from Cambridge, served as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India from May 9, 1902 to July 27, 1983. He was appointed on October 3, 1960 and served until July 3, 1966.

Dattatraya Shridhar Joshi

Born on 11 October 1908, Dattatraya Shridhar Joshi was an Indian Civil Servant of the 1933 batch. He served as the 9th Cabinet Secretary of India, from 27 June 1966 to 31 December 1968.A member of the Deshastha Rigvedi Brahmin community, Joshi served his country with distinction.

Keshav Rao Koratkar

Keshav Rao Koratkar was an influential reformer in Hyderabad State, India, pioneering political, social and educational changes.He started off working on behalf of the Marathi people, but soon became heavily involved in the fight for Indian independence. His efforts were a major contribution to the country's development.

R. Balaji Rao

R. Balaji Rao, an Indian politician and freedom fighter, was the mastermind behind the Madras Mahajana Sabha - an organization that played a crucial role in the struggle for independence.He was the first ever Secretary of the Sabha, being the one to establish it in 1842, and passing away in 1896.

Dada Dharmadhikari - the renowned freedom fighter and champion of India's social reform movement. Shankar Trimbak Dharmadhikari was a name to be remembered. He was a strong believer in Mahatma Gandhi's ideologies and principles.

Shripad Amrut Dange

Shripad Amrut Dange, OL, a pioneering leader of the Indian Communist Party and a key figure in the Indian trade union movement, was born on 10 October 1899. He suffered authorities' harassment throughout his life for his communist and trade union activities.

Madhav Shrihari Aney

Raghunatha Rao Ramachandra Rao

Raghunatha Rao Ramachandra Rao, known as a Diwan Bahadur, was a distinguished civil servant, mathematician and a committed social and political activist during British rule in India. He served as a District Collector during the period of his professional career.