Mahadevi Varma - Wikipedia Jump to content From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Indian writer and poet (1907–1987) Mahadevi Varma PB PV Mahadevi Varma Born 1907-03-26 26 March 1907 Farrukhabad United Provinces of Agra and Oudh British India Died 11 September 1987 (1987-09-11) (aged 80) Allahabad Uttar Pradesh India Occupation Poet, essayist, short story writer Alma mater Allahabad University Literary movement Chhayavaad Years active 1930–1987 Notable works Yāmā Deepshikha Shrinkhala ki Kadiyan Mera Parivar Notable awards 1956 Padma Bhushan 1982 Jnanpith Award 1988 Padma Vibhushan Spouse Vikas Narayan Singh Signature Mahadevi Varma (26 March 1907 – 11 September 1987) was an Indian Hindi -language poet essayist , and short-story writer. She is regarded as one of the four major pillars of the Chhayavaad movement in Hindi literature Between 1930 and 1988, Varma published eight collections of poetry along with several works of prose, including essays and speeches. Her writings reflect both pre- and post- partition of India experiences, as well as her involvement in social reform, particularly in support of the women's liberation movement Literary critics often refer to her as the "modern Meera ". The poet Suryakant Tripathi 'Nirala' described her as "Sarasvati in the vast temple of Hindi literature". Varma developed a softer poetic diction within Khari Boli Hindi, which had previously been associated mainly with Braj Bhasha . She was also trained in music, and her compositions are noted for their expressive language and stylistic refinement. She is considered one of the most influential female writers of the twentieth century. Her birth centenary was celebrated in 2007. In 2018, Google honoured her with a Google Doodle Life and education edit Early life edit Mahadevi Varma was born on 26 March 1907, in a Hindu Chitraguptavanshi Kayastha 10 11 family from Farrukhabad in Uttar Pradesh 12 Her father, Govind Prasad Varma, was a college professor in Bhagalpur . Her mother, Hem Rani Devi, was a vegetarian and a religious woman with a keen interest in music. 13 Varma's mother spent hours reciting the Ramayana Gita , and Vinay Patrika . Her father was a scholar, music lover, atheist, and hunting enthusiast. Poets Suryakant Tripathi —known as Nirālā—and Sumitranandan Pant were close friends of Mahadevi Varma. 14 It is said that Varma tied a rakhi to Nirālā for 40 years. 15 Education edit Varma was originally admitted to a convent school, but upon her insistence and objection, she was admitted to Crosthwaite Girls' College in Prayagraj (then Allahabad ). 16 According to Varma, she learned the strength of unity while staying in the hostel at Crosthwaite, where students of different religions lived together. At first, she started to write poems discreetly. However, it was her roommate and senior, Subhadra Kumari Chauhan (known in the school for writing poems), who discovered her hidden stash of poems. 17 While others used to play outside, me and Subhadra used to sit on a tree and let our creative thoughts flow together... She used to write in Khariboli , and soon I also started to write in Khariboli... this way, we used to write one or two poems a day... — Mahadevi Verma Smrti Chitra Memory Sketch 18 She and Subhadra would also send poems to various publications, including weekly magazines, and managed to get some of their poems published. The budding poets also attended Kavi Sammelan (poetry seminars), where they met eminent Hindi poets and read their poems to the audience. This partnership continued until Subhadra graduated from Crosthwaite 19 In her childhood biography, Mere Bachpan Ke Din My Childhood Days ), 20 Varma wrote that she was very fortunate to be born into a liberal family, especially at a time when girls were considered a burden to their families. Her grandfather reportedly had the ambition of making her a scholar, although he insisted that she follow tradition and marry at the age of nine. 21 Her mother was fluent in both Sanskrit and Hindi and was strongly committed to her faith. Varma credits her mother for inspiring her to write poems and take an interest in literature. 22 Married in childhood, Varma was expected to live with her husband after graduating in 1929, but she refused 23 as she found his hunting and meat-eating habits offensive. 24 Her remorseful father offered to convert along with her if she wanted to divorce and remarry (since Hindus could not legally divorce at the time), but she declined, insisting she wanted to remain single. 25 She even tried, unsuccessfully, to convince her husband to remarry. 21 Later, she reportedly considered becoming a Buddhist nun but decided against it, though she studied Buddhist Pali and Prakrit texts for her master's degree. 21 Professional career edit She started her career as a teacher and went on to become the principal of Prayag Mahila Vidyapeeth . Although she was married in her childhood, Varma chose to live independently and did not live with her husband, a decision that influenced both her personal life and her literary career. She was also a painter and translator. She went on to receive several of the highest literary awards in Hindi literature. Literary edit Nihar was her debut collection of poems. She composed Nihar in 1930, 26 Rashmi in 1932, 27 and Neerja in 1933. 28 In 1936, a collection of her poems titled Sandhya Geet 29 was published. In 1939, four poetry collections were published with their respective artworks under the title Yāmā 30 Apart from these, she also wrote memoirs and essays, with Mera Parivar (My Family), Smriti ki Rekhaye (Sketches from memory), Path ke Sathi (Path's Companions), Shrinkhala ki Kariyan (Series of Links), and Ateet ke Chalchitra (Scenes from Past) being prominent among them. Women's advocacy edit Mahadevi Varma ( on right ) receiving the Jnanpith Award from then British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in 1982 Varma is also considered among the pioneers of feminism in India. 31 Throughout her career, Varma's work in writing, editing, and teaching significantly advanced the development of Prayag Mahila Vidyapeeth in Allahabad 16 This level of responsibility was considered a significant step in the field of women's education at the time. She also worked as a school principal 32 In 1923, she took over Chand the leading women's magazine. In 1955, Varma established the Literary Parliament in Allahabad with the help of Ilachandra Joshi and eventually took up the editorship of its publication. This laid the foundation for women poets' conferences in India. 33 Mahadevi was greatly influenced by Buddhism. Under the influence of Mahatma Gandhi , she took up public service and worked in Jhansi in support of the Indian struggle for freedom. 34 In 1937, Mahadevi Varma built a house in the village of Umagarh Ramgarh, Uttarakhand , 25 km from Nainital . She named it Meera Temple. She started working for the people of the village and their education. She dedicated herself to women's education and their economic self-sufficiency. Today, this bungalow is known as the Mahadevi Sahitya Museum. 35 36 37 She advocated for women's education and economic self-sufficiency. 38 Her strong condemnation of social stereotypes earned her recognition as a women's rights advocate. 39 She had also been called a social reformer due to her development work and public service towards women and their education. 40 Literary scholars have noted that her work emphasizes creative resolve and social transformation rather than personal anguish. 40 41 In her essay Stree Ka Patnitva (“The Wifehood of Hindu Women”), Varma compared traditional marriage structures to forms of social subjugation. She writes that, without affiliation to any political or financial authority, women are relegated to roles as wives and mothers. Her feminism is often overshadowed by her poetic persona. Through poems like Cha , she explores themes and ideas of female sexuality. In her short story, Biblia , she addresses the subject of women's physical and mental abuse. 42 She spent most of her life in Allahabad (now Prayagraj), Uttar Pradesh, where she died on 11 September 1987. 43 Works edit Varma was a poet as well as a distinguished prose and story writer. Her works are listed below: Poetry edit Nihar 26 (1930) Rashmi 44 (1932) Neerja 28 (1933) Sandhyageet 29 (1935) Deepshikha 45 (1942) Pratham Ayam 46 (1949) Saptaparna 47 (1959) Agni Rekha 48 (1988) Several other poetic collections of Mahadevi Varma have also been published, in which selected songs from the above compositions have been compiled. Prose edit List of selected prose works includes Shrinkhala ki Kadiyan (1942) Smriti ki Rekhaye (1943) Sansmaran (1943) Sambhasan (1949) Path ke Sathi (1956) Skandha (1956) Ateet Ke Chalchitra (1961) Mera Parivar (1972) Vivechamanak Gadya (1972) Himalaya (1973) Meera Aur Meera (1975) : A collection of speeches on Meerabai 49 Others edit Two compilations of children's poems of Mahadevi Varma are Thakurji Bhole Hai 50 Aaj Kharidenge hum Jwala 50 Critical analysis edit This section may require copy editing for clarity July 2025 Learn how and when to remove this message Mahadevi Varma's poetry has often been interpreted as deeply personal, especially in its exploration of emotional themes such as pain, longing, compassion, and spiritual yearning. One such critic, the moralist Ramchandra Shukla , expressed skepticism about the reality of her poetic anguish. He noted: Concerning this anguish, she has revealed such sensations of the heart which are extraterrestrial. As for how real these sensations are, nothing definite can be said. (English translation) 51 In contrast, Hazari Prasad Dwivedi viewed Varma's poetry as a collective reflection of human emotion. He argued that her poetic expression of pain was not confined to individual sorrow but symbolized universal human experiences. Poems such as Deep (from Nihar), Madhur Madhur Mere Deepak Jal (from Neerja), and Mome Sa Tan Gal Hai are frequently cited as representative of Varma's introspective and reflective tone. These works, while sometimes seen as self-centered, also align with the aesthetic and thematic concerns of the Chhayavaad (Shadowism) literary movement. Literary scholar Satya Prakash Mishra offered a philosophical reading of Varma's role in redefining Chhayavaad: Mahadevi not only distanced herself from the earlier mystical and object-centered constructs of Chhayavaad, but also reshaped it through humanistic rationalism. Her poetry marked a shift in sensation and expression, focusing not on mere sentiment or devotion, but on the character, essence, and evolution of Chhayavaad itself. (English translation) 52 American novelist and translator David Rubin praised her distinctive poetic voice and technical finesse: What arrests us in Mahadevi's work is the striking originality of the voice and the technical ingenuity that enabled her to create, through a series of mostly short lyrics across five volumes, a consistently evolving representation of total subjectivity measured against the vastness of cosmic nature. There is little direct human interaction—only metaphorical acts like weeping, walking the road, or playing the Veena 21 Writer and critic Prabhakar Shrotriya rejected the notion that Mahadevi Varma should be seen solely as a poet of sorrow and despair. He wrote: In fact, the core of Mahadevi's creative force is not tears but fire. What appears on the surface is not the ultimate truth; the invisible realm is the true source of her inspiration. Her tears are not of ordinary sadness, but the result of internal storms—of thunder, rebellion, and fierce inner flame. (English translation) 53 In the scholarly paper Ethical Literary Criticism of the Pain Emotion in Mahadevi Varma's Poetry , researcher Li Yalan examined how critics have interpreted Varma's recurrent focus on suffering. While acknowledging the spiritual and metaphysical tone of her poetry, Li noted that many critics view her portrayal of pain as more symbolic or lyrical than literal. Some also argue that her melancholic tone feels somewhat anachronistic or disconnected from the historical realities of her time. 54 Despite these debates, Mahadevi Varma remained deeply engaged with the social and political issues of her time. During the Bengal famine of 1943 , she published a poetry collection that included the piece Banga Bhu Shanth Vandana 55 Similarly, in response to the Sino-Indian War , she edited a patriotic poetry collection titled Himalaya 56 Honors and awards edit Honorary postal stamp released in 1991 1956: Padma Bhushan 57 1979: Sahitya Akademi Fellowship 58 1982: Jnanpith Award for her poetry collection Yāmā 58 1988: Padma Vibhushan 57 21 In 1979, the Indian filmmaker Mrinal Sen produced a Bengali film on her memoir Woh Chini Bhai (The Chinese Brothers) 59 titled Neel Akasher Neechey 60 On 14 September 1991, the Postal Department of the Government of India, issued a double stamp of 2 honoring her and Jaishankar Prasad 61 Literary contributions edit Mahadevi Varma ( bottom row, third from left ), along with Hazari Prasad Dwivedi and others The emergence of Mahadevi Varma in literature happened at a time when the shape of Khadi Boli was being refined. She introduced Braj bhasha softness to Hindi poetry and developed a repertoire of songs reflecting her heartfelt acceptance of Indian philosophy. She became an influential figure in language, literature, and philosophy, all of which later influenced an entire generation. Varma created a unique rhythm and simplicity within the composition and language of her songs, as well as the natural use of symbols and images that draw a picture in the mind of the reader. 62 Her contribution to the prosperity of Chhayavadi poetry is significant; while Jaishankar Prasad gave naturalization to the Chhayavadi poetry, Suryakant Tripathi Nirālā embodied the liberation in it, and Sumitranandan Pant brought the art of delicateness; Varma embodied life in the Chhayavadi poetry. The most prominent features of her poetry are emotionalism and intensity of feeling. Such a lively and tangible manifestation of the subtle expressions of the heart makes Varma among the best Chhayavadi poets. 63 She is remembered with respect for her speeches in Hindi. Her speeches were full of compassion for the common man and firm in the truth. At the 3rd World Hindi Conference held in Delhi in 1983, she was the chief guest of the closing ceremony. 64 Apart from her original creations, she was also a bilingual translator, with works such as her translation of Saptaparna (1980). With the help of her cultural consciousness, she presented 39 selected important pieces of Hindi poetry in her work by establishing the identity of Vedas Ramayana Theragatha, and the works of Ashwaghosh Kalidas Bhavabhuti , and Jayadeva . In the beginning, in the 61-page Apna Baat , she gives thorough research on this invaluable heritage of Indian wisdom and literature, widening the overall understanding and fine writing of Hindi, not just limited to female writing. 65 Works in English translation edit Many of Mahadevi Varma’s works—particularly her prose writings—have been translated into English, both in full volumes as well as anthologies. 66 Prose translations edit A Pilgrimage to the Himalayas and Other Silhouettes from Memory (1975), translation of Smriti ki Rekhayen by Radhika Prasad Srivastava and Lillian Srivastava. This work was included in the Indian series of UNESCO Collection of Representative Works 67 Sketches from My Past: Encounters with India’s Oppressed (1994), selections from Ateet ke Chalchitra , translated by Neera Kuckreja Sohoni, published by Northeastern University Press 40 Links in the Chain (2003), translation of Shrinkhala ki Kadiyan by Neera Kuckreja Sohoni, a collection of Varma’s essays on Indian women. 68 Political Essays on Women, Culture, and Nation (2010), edited by Anita Anantharam ( Cambria Press ), comprises major political essays and selected poems, translated by Francesca Orsini and Vasudha Dalmia , among others. 69 My Family (2021), translation of Mera Parivar by Ruth Vanita , published by Penguin India 70 Portraits from Memory (2025) by Ruth Vanita, published by Harper Perennial India, an imprint of Harper-Collins India , brings together Smriti ki Rekhaye and Ateet ke Chalchitra in a single memoir volume. 71 Poetry translations edit Translations of Mahadevi Varma’s poetry have appeared in a few editions. Selected Poems: Mahadevi Varma (1987), translated by L.S. Sinha, was among the earliest stand-alone English editions of her poems. 72 David Rubin included substantial selections of her work in The Return of Sarasvati: Four Hindi Poets (1998) and in Of Love and War: A Chhayavad Anthology (2005). 21 73 Beyond these, a few poems have been translated into various journals. Notable appearances include The Illustrated Weekly of India , Hindi Review (the English organ of the Nagari Pracharini Sabha ), Indian Literature published by the Sahitya Akademi , and Modern Indian Literature: An Anthology edited by K.M. George 74 75 See also edit Chhayavaad Jaishankar Prasad Suryakant Tripathi 'Nirālā' Sumitranandan Pant References edit Citations edit Varma 1985 , pp. 38–40. Ranu, Anjali. "Mahadevi Verma: Modern Meera" . Literary India. Archived from the original on 21 March 2007 . Retrieved 5 December 2020 Mishra, Satya Prakash. "महादेवी का सर्जन: प्रतिरोध और करुणा" (in Hindi). Tadbhav. 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University of California Press. 2011. p. 252. ISBN 978-0-520-04255-1 Varma, Mahadevi (May 1933) Sudha (Monthly Magazine) . Lucknow. Singh, U. (2015). "The Politics of Mass Mobilisation: Eastern Uttar Pradesh, c. 1920-1940". Social Scientist 43 (5/6): 93– 114. JSTOR 24642349 Tree, Kafal (26 May 2019). "महादेवी वर्मा और कुमाऊँ के रामगढ़ में उनकी मीरा कुटीर" Kafal Tree . Retrieved 7 December 2020 Bisht, Virendra (14 September 2017). "चार धाम यात्रा पर आयीं महादेवी वर्मा को जब भा गया रामगढ़" News18 India "हिमालय की गोद में रहकर रचनाएं गढ़ सकेंगे साहित्यकार" Amar Ujala (in Hindi). 26 March 2016. Varma, Mahadevi; Agrawal, Chandra (1992). "The Art of Living" Chicago Review 38 (1/2): 98– 102. doi 10.2307/25305567 JSTOR 25305567 Sohoni, Neera Kuckreja. "Forging a Feminist Path" IndiaTogether.org . Archived from the original on 19 October 2002 . Retrieved 7 December 2020 Archived from the original Archived 19 October 2002 at the Wayback Machine on 19 October 2002 Varma 1994 Kelapure, Pratibha. "WOMPO (Women Poetry Listserv) - Mahadevi Verma" www.usm.maine.edu . University of Southern Maine. Archived from the original on 16 March 2007 . Retrieved 7 December 2020 Archived from the original Archived 19 October 2002 at the Wayback Machine on 16 March 2007 Anantharam 2010 , p. 20. "30 Years After Her Death, Hindi Poet Mahadevi Varma Served Tax Notice" NDTV.com Verma, Mahādevī (1983). Raśmi (in Hindi). Sāhitya Bhavana. Varma, Mahadevi. Deepshikha (in Hindi). Varanasi: Lokbharti Prakashan. ISBN 978-81-8031-119-2 Verma, Mahādevī (1984). Prathama āyāma (in Hindi). Bhāratī Bhaṇḍāra. Verma, Mahadevi (September 2008). Saptaparna (in Hindi). Lokbharti Prakashan. ISBN 978-81-8031-340-0 Verma, Mahādevī (1990). Agnirekhā (in Hindi). Rājakamala Prakāśana. ISBN 9788171781249 Varma, Mahadevi. "Meera Aur Meera" Pustak.org . Rajkamal Prakashan . Retrieved 4 May 2025 Manu, Prakash (2020). Hindi Bal Sahitya Ka Itihas (in Hindi). Prabhat Prakashan. ISBN 978-93-5266-671-3 . 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"Poet, writer, educator, feminist — Mahadevi Varma continues to inspire" The Statesman "वह चीनी भाई - महादेवी वर्मा" abhivyakti-hindi.org . Retrieved 7 December 2020 "Mrinal Sen:: Neel Akasher Niche" mrinalsen.org . Retrieved 7 December 2020 "Postage Stamps: Commemorate section" postagestamps.gov.in . Archived from the original on 23 November 2018 . Retrieved 7 December 2020 Paliwal, Krishnadatta (2007). आजकल (monthly magazine). CGO Complex, Lodi Road, New Delhi-110 003: Publications Division, Information Bhawan. Page 15 Vanzpe, Prof. Shubhada (2006). Pushpak (Semi-Annual Magazine) Issue-6. Hyderabad, India: Kadambini Club. Page 113. "समापन समारोह है, तो मन भारी है - तीसरे विश्व हिंदी सम्मेलन" www.vishwahindi.com . Hindi section, MEA, Government of India. Archived from the original on 8 October 2007 . Retrieved 7 December 2020 Archived from the original Archived 8 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine on 8 October 2007 Sharma, Rishabhdev. "भारतीय चिंतन परंपरा और 'सप्तपर्णा' m.sahityakunj.net (in Hindi). Sahitya Kunj . Retrieved 7 December 2020 Tiwari, Bhavya (2022). Beyond English: World Literature and India . Literatures as World Literature. New York: Bloomsbury Academic. p. 91. ISBN 978-1-5013-3464-1 Varma, Mahadevi (1975). A Pilgrimage to the Himalayas, and Other Silhouettes from Memory . Representative Works: Indian Series. Translated by Radhika Prasad Srivastava, Lillian Srivastava. p. 127. ISBN 0-7206-0164-9 Varma, Mahādevī (2003). Links in the Chain . Translated by Neera Kuckreja Sohoni. Katha. p. 147. ISBN 9788187649342 Varma, Mahādevī (2010). Anita Anantharam (ed.). Political Essays on Women, Culture, and Nation . Cambria Press. ISBN 9781621968801 Modi, Chintan Girish (15 October 2021). "Review: My Family by Mahadevi Varma, translated by Ruth Vanita" Hindustan Times . Retrieved 14 August 2025 Rai, V. N. (8 February 2026). 'Portraits from Memory' by Mahadevi Varma: Capturing the shadows of wounded lives" The Tribune . Retrieved 20 March 2026 Selected Poems . Translated by L. S. Sinha. India: Writers Workshop . 1987. Of Love and War: A Chhayavad Anthology . Translated by David Rubin. Oxford University Press. 2005. ISBN 0195675320 Roadarmel, Gordon C. (1994). A Bibliography of English Source Materials for the Study of Modern Hindi Literature . Occasional Papers. Center for South and Southeast Asia Studies, University of California, Berkeley. K. M. George, ed. (1992). Modern Indian Literature, an Anthology: Surveys and Poems . Sahitya Akademi. p. 1148. Sources edit Varma, Dhirendra (1985). हिन्दी साहित्य कोश (in Hindi) (3rd ed.). Varanasi: Jñānamaṇḍala. Singh, Rajkumar (2007). विचार विमर्श — महादेवी वर्मा: जन्म, शैशवावस्था एवं बाल्यावस्था (in Hindi). Mathura Anita: Sagar Publications. Pandeya, Gangaprasad (2020). Mahapran Nirala . Rajkamal Prakashan. ISBN 978-81-267-3099-5 Anantharam, Anita (2010). Mahadevi Varma - Political Essays on Women, Culture and Nation . Cambria Press. ISBN 978-1-62196-880-1 Varma, Maha Devi (1994). Sketches from My Past: Encounters with India's Oppressed . Translated by Neera Kuckreja Sohoni. Northeastern University Press. ISBN 978-1-55553-198-0 Notes edit Further reading edit Rosenstein, Ludmila L. (2004). New Poetry in Hindi: Nayi Kavita - An Anthology . Anthem Press. ISBN 978-1-84331-125-6 Gupta, Indra (2003). India's 50 Most Illustrious Women . Icon Publications. ISBN 978-81-88086-03-0 Schomer, Karine (1998). Mahadevi Varma and the Chhayavad Age of Modern Hindi Poetry . New Dehi: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-564450-0 Singh, Doodhnath (2009). Mahadevi Rajkamal Prakashan ISBN 978-81-267-1753-8 Varma, Mahadevi (2007). Nirmala Jain (ed.). महादेवी साहित्य (Complete Works of Mahadevi Varma) . Vol. 3. Vani Prakashan. ISBN 978-81-8143-680-1 External links edit Mahadevi Varma Jivan Parichay (Hindi Jivan Parichay) Works by Mahādevī Varmā at Google Books "Mahadevi Verma - कवयित्री जीवन और लेखन" on Mahadevi Varma at Kavita Kosh Archived 8 November 2021 at the Wayback Machine (Hindi) Mahadevi Varma at Anubhuti Mahadevi Varma | Kavishala Sootradhar Recipients of Padma Vibhushan Arts Ebrahim Alkazi Kishori Amonkar Prabha Atre Amitabh Bachchan Teejan Bai M. Balamuralikrishna T. Balasaraswati S. P. Balasubrahmanyam Asha Bhosle Nandalal Bose Hariprasad Chaurasia Chiranjeevi Dharmendra Girija Devi Kumar Gandharva Adoor Gopalakrishnan Satish Gujral Gangubai Hangal Bhupen Hazarika M. F. Husain Zakir Hussain Ilaiyaraaja Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer Bhimsen Joshi Ali Akbar Khan Amjad Ali Khan Allauddin Khan Bismillah Khan Ghulam Mustafa Khan Yamini Krishnamurthy Dilip Kumar Kumudini Lakhia R. K. 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Kurup Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis Sitakant Mahapatra John Mathai Kotha Satchidananda Murthy Giani Gurmukh Singh Musafir Basanti Dulal Nagchaudhuri M. T. Vasudevan Nair Bal Ram Nanda P. Narayanan R. K. Narayan P. Parameswaran Amrita Pritam K. N. Raj C. Rangarajan Raja Rao Ramoji Rao Hormasji Maneckji Seervai Rajaram Shastri Kalu Lal Shrimali Govindbhai Shroff Khushwant Singh Chandeshwar Prasad Narayan Singh Premlila Vithaldas Thackersey Mahadevi Varma Bashir Hussain Zaidi Medicine Jasbir Singh Bajaj B. K. Goyal Purshotam Lal A. Lakshmanaswami Mudaliar S. I. Padmavati Autar Singh Paintal D. Nageshwara Reddy Kantilal Hastimal Sancheti Balu Sankaran V. Shanta Vithal Nagesh Shirodkar Prakash Narain Tandon Brihaspati Dev Triguna M. S. Valiathan Dilip Mahalanabis Other Sunderlal Bahuguna B. K. S. Iyengar Rambhadracharya Ravi Shankar Vishwesha Teertha Jaggi Vasudev B. V. Doshi Public affairs L. K. Advani Montek Singh Ahluwalia Aruna Asaf Ali Fazal Ali Adarsh Sein Anand Madhav Shrihari Aney Parkash Singh Badal Sikander Bakht Milon K. Banerji Mirza Hameedullah Beg P. N. Bhagwati Raja Chelliah Chandra Kisan Daphtary Niren De C. D. Deshmukh Anthony Lancelot Dias Uma Shankar Dikshit Kazi Lhendup Dorjee George Fernandes P. B. Gajendragadkar Benjamin Gilman Ismaïl Omar Guelleh Zakir Husain V. R. Krishna Iyer Jagmohan Lakshmi Chand Jain Arun Jaitley Aditya Nath Jha Murli Manohar Joshi Anerood Jugnauth Mehdi Nawaz Jung Ali Yavar Jung K. T. Thomas Vijay Kelkar Hans Raj Khanna V. N. Khare Jagdish Singh Khehar Balasaheb Gangadhar Kher Akhlaqur Rahman Kidwai S. M. Krishna Jivraj Narayan Mehta V. K. Krishna Menon Hirendranath Mukherjee Ajoy Mukherjee Pranab Mukherjee Padmaja Naidu Venkaiah Naidu Gulzarilal Nanda Govind Narain Fali Sam Nariman Hosei Norota Nanabhoy Palkhivala K. Parasaran Hari Vinayak Pataskar Sunder Lal Patwa Sharad Pawar Naryana Raghvan Pillai Sri Prakasa N. G. 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Swaminathan Narinder Singh Kapany S. R. Srinivasa Varadhan Social work Baba Amte Pandurang Shastri Athavale Janaki Devi Bajaj Mirabehn Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay Durgabai Deshmukh Nanaji Deshmukh Nirmala Deshpande Mohan Dharia U. N. Dhebar Valerian Gracias Veerendra Heggade Mary Clubwala Jadhav Gaganvihari Lallubhai Mehta Usha Mehta Sister Nirmala Nellie Sengupta Sports Viswanathan Anand Edmund Hillary Mary Kom Sachin Tendulkar Trade and industry Dhirubhai Ambani Ghanshyam Das Birla Ashok Sekhar Ganguly Karim Al Hussaini Aga Khan Lakshmi Mittal Anil Manibhai Naik N. R. Narayana Murthy M. Narasimham Prithvi Raj Singh Oberoi Azim Premji Prathap C. Reddy Osamu Suzuki J. R. D. Tata Ratan Tata Portal Category WikiProject Padma Bhushan award recipients (1954–1959) 1954 Homi J. Bhabha Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar Mahadeva Iyer Ganapati Jnan Chandra Ghosh Maithilisharan Gupt Amarnath Jha Ajudhiya Nath Khosla Kariamanickam Srinivasa Krishnan Hussain Ahmad Madani Josh Malihabadi Vaikunthbhai Mehta Vallathol Narayana Menon A. Lakshmanaswami Mudaliar Palden Thondup Namgyal V. Narahari Rao Jamini Roy Sukumar Sen M. S. Subbulakshmi Kodandera Subayya Thimayya 1955 Fateh Chand Badhwar Lalit Mohan Banerjee Suniti Kumar Chatterji Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay V. R. Khanolkar Sunder Das Khungar Rameshwari Nehru Prana Krushna Parija Madapati Hanumantha Rao Maneklal Sankalchand Thacker 1956 Rukmini Devi Arundale Rajshekhar Basu Dhyan Chand Zain Yar Jung C. K. Nayudu Muthulakshmi Reddi Kanwar Sen Vir Singh K. Srinivasan Mahadevi Varma 1957 Bhikhan Lal Atreya Balasaraswati Alagappa Chettiar Hazari Prasad Dwivedi Abid Hussain Mushtaq Hussain Khan Lakshmi N. Menon Radha Kumud Mukherjee Andal Venkatasubba Rao Shrikrishna Narayan Ratanjankar Shyam Nandan Sahay Govind Sakharam Sardesai K. A. Nilakanta Sastri Basiswar Sen Siddheshwar Varma 1958 Salim Ali Vijaya Anand D. P. Roy Choudhury Jeahangir Ghandy N. S. Hardikar Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar Allauddin Khan K. P. S. Menon A. C. N. Nambiar Kuvempu Poola Tirupati Raju Kamalendumati Shah Rao Raja Hanut Singh Rustom Jal Vakil Surya Narayan Vyas Darashaw Nosherwan Wadia 1959 Sisir Bhaduri Ramdhari Singh Dinkar Ali Yavar Jung Hansa Jivraj Mehta Pammal Sambandha Mudaliar Tiruppattur R. Venkatachala Murthi Tenzing Norgay Bhaurao Patil Dhanvanthi Rama Rau Nirmal Kumar Sidhanta Mysore Vasudevachar Bhargavaram Viththal Varerkar Ghulam Yazdani # Posthumous conferral 1954–1959 1960–1969 1970–1979 1980–1989 1990–1999 2000–2009 2010–2019 2020–2029 Jnanpith Award recipients 1965–1985 G. Sankara Kurup (1965) Tarasankar Bandyopadhyay (1966) Kuvempu and Umashankar Joshi (1967) Sumitranandan Pant (1968) Firaq Gorakhpuri (1969) Viswanatha Satyanarayana (1970) Bishnu Dey (1971) Ramdhari Singh Dinkar (1972) D. R. Bendre and Gopinath Mohanty (1973) Vishnu Sakharam Khandekar (1974) Akilan (1975) Ashapurna Devi (1976) Shivaram Karanth (1977) Sachchidananda Vatsyayan (1978) Birendra Kumar Bhattacharya (1979) S. K. Pottekkatt (1980) Amrita Pritam (1981) Mahadevi Varma (1982) Masti Venkatesha Iyengar (1983) Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai (1984) Pannalal Patel (1985) 1986–2000 Sachidananda Routray (1986) Kusumagraj (1987) C. Narayana Reddy (1988) Qurratulain Hyder (1989) Vinayaka Krishna Gokak (1990) Subhas Mukhopadhyay (1991) Naresh Mehta (1992) Sitakant Mahapatra (1993) U. R. Ananthamurthy (1994) M. T. Vasudevan Nair (1995) Mahasweta Devi (1996) Ali Sardar Jafri (1997) Girish Karnad (1998) Gurdial Singh and Nirmal Verma (1999) Mamoni Raisom Goswami (2000) 2001–present Rajendra Shah (2001) Jayakanthan (2002) Vinda Karandikar (2003) Rehman Rahi (2004) Kunwar Narayan (2005) Ravindra Kelekar and Satya Vrat Shastri (2006) O. N. V. Kurup (2007) Shahryar also known as Akhlaq Mohammed Khan (2008) Amarkant and Shrilal Shukla (2009) Chandrashekhara Kambara (2010) Pratibha Ray (2011) Ravuri Bharadhwaja (2012) Kedarnath Singh (2013) Bhalchandra Nemade (2014) Raghuveer Chaudhari (2015) Shankha Ghosh (2016) Krishna Sobti (2017) Amitav Ghosh (2018) Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri (2019) Nilmani Phookan (2021) Damodar Mauzo (2022) Rambhadracharya and Gulzar (2023) Vinod Kumar Shukla (2024) Sahitya Akademi Fellowship 1968–1980 Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (1968) D. R. Bendre Tarasankar Bandyopadhyay Sumitranandan Pant C. Rajagopalachari (1969) Vaikom Muhammad Basheer Firaq Gorakhpuri Vishnu Sakharam Khandekar Viswanatha Satyanarayana (1970) Kaka Kalelkar Gopinath Kaviraj Gurbaksh Singh Kalindi Charan Panigrahi (1971) Masti Venkatesha Iyengar Mangharam Udharam Malkani Nilmoni Phukan Vasudev Vishnu Mirashi Sukumar Sen V. R. Trivedi (1973) T. P. Meenakshisundaram (1975) Atmaram Ravaji Deshpande Jainendra Kumar Kuppali Venkatappa Puttappa 'Kuvempu' V. Raghavan Mahadevi Varma (1979) 1981–2000 Umashankar Joshi K. R. Srinivasa Iyengar K. Shivaram Karanth (1985) Mulk Raj Anand Vinayaka Krishna Gokak Laxmanshastri Balaji Joshi Amritlal Nagar Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai Annada Shankar Ray (1989) Nagarjun Balamani Amma Ashapurna Devi Qurratulain Hyder Vishnu Bhikaji Kolte Kanhu Charan Mohanty P. T. Narasimhachar R. K. Narayan Harbhajan Singh (1994) Jayakanthan Vinda Karandikar Vidya Niwas Mishra Subhash Mukhopadhyay Raja Rao Sachidananda Routray Krishna Sobti (1996) Syed Abdul Malik K. S. Narasimhaswamy Gunturu Seshendra Sarma Rajendra Shah Ram Vilas Sharma N. Khelchandra Singh (1999) Ramchandra Narayan Dandekar Rehman Rahi (2000) 2001–present Ram Nath Shastri (2001) Kaifi Azmi Govind Chandra Pande Nilamani Phookan Bhisham Sahni (2002) Kovilan U. R. Ananthamurthy Vijaydan Detha Bhadriraju Krishnamurti Amrita Pritam Shankha Ghosh Nirmal Verma (2004) Manoj Das Vishnu Prabhakar (2006) Anita Desai Kartar Singh Duggal Ravindra Kelekar (2007) Gopi Chand Narang Ramakanta Rath (2009) Chandranath Mishra Amar Kunwar Narayan Bholabhai Patel Kedarnath Singh Khushwant Singh (2010) Raghuveer Chaudhari Arjan Hasid Sitakant Mahapatra M. T. Vasudevan Nair Asit Rai Satya Vrat Shastri (2013) Santeshivara Lingannaiah Bhyrappa C. Narayana Reddy (2014) Nirendranath Chakravarty Gurdial Singh (2016) Honorary Fellows Léopold Sédar Senghor (1974) Edward C. Dimock, Jr. Daniel H. H. Ingalls Sr. Kamil Zvelebil Ji Xianlin (1996) Vassilis Vitsaxis Eugene Chelyshev (2002) Ronald E. Asher (2007) Abhimanyu Unnuth (2013) Premchand Fellowship Intizar Hussain (2005), Kishwar Naheed (2016) Ananda Coomaraswamy Fellowship Senake Bandaranayake Chie Nakane Azad N. Shamatov (1996) Authority control databases International ISNI VIAF GND FAST WorldCat National United States France BnF data Italy Czech Republic Netherlands Norway Latvia Croatia Poland Israel Academics CiNii People Trove Other IdRef Open Library Retrieved from " Categories 1907 births 1987 deaths Hindi-language poets Hindi-language Indian writers 20th-century Indian women educational theorists People from Farrukhabad Writers from Prayagraj University of Allahabad alumni Recipients of the Padma Vibhushan in literature & education Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in literature & education Recipients of the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship Recipients of the Jnanpith Award Poets from Uttar Pradesh Women writers from Uttar Pradesh 20th-century Indian poets 20th-century Indian educational theorists Novelists from Uttar Pradesh 20th-century Indian novelists Indian women short story writers 20th-century Indian short story writers Women educators from Uttar Pradesh Educators from Uttar Pradesh Women school principals and headteachers 20th-century Indian educators 20th-century Indian women educators 20th-century Indian women novelists Indian feminists Indian feminist writers Indian women's rights activists Indian magazine editors Indian women magazine editors Indian editors Indian women editors 20th-century Indian essayists Indian women painters Indian translators 20th-century women painters 20th-century Indian women poets Hidden categories: CS1 Hindi-language sources (hi) Webarchive template wayback links Articles with short description Short description is different from Wikidata Use dmy dates from January 2021 Use Indian English from May 2016 All Wikipedia articles written in Indian English Wikipedia articles needing copy edit from July 2025 All Wikipedia articles needing copy edit Mahadevi Varma Add topic