This is a list of notable people from

Himachal Pradesh Himachal Pradesh (; ; "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen mountain states and is characterized by an extreme landscape featuring several peaks ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

Arts

* Baba Kanshi Ram - poet and independence activist *

Chandradhar Sharma Guleri Chandradhar Sharma Guleri (7 July 1883 – 11 September 1922) was a writer and scholar of Hindi, Sanskrit, Prakrit and Pali from Jaipur, India. He was born in Jaipur and his father belongs to Guler village in Himachal Pradesh hence "Guleri" at t ...

- writer and scholar * Gambhari Devi - folk singer and folklorist * Gautam Chand Sharma 'Vyathit' - folklorist, poet, writer * H.R. Harnot - writer *

Nainsukh Nainsukh (literally "Joy of the Eyes"; c. 1710 – 1778) was an Indian painter. He was the younger son of the painter Pandit Seu and, like his older brother Manaku of Guler, was an important practitioner of Pahari painting, and has been c ...

- painter of Kangra school of painting *

Nirmal Verma Nirmal Verma (3 April 192925 October 2005) was a Hindi writer, novelist, activist and translator. He is credited as being one of the pioneers of the ''Nai Kahani'' (New Story) literary movement of Hindi literature, wherein his first collection ...

- writer *

Ram Kumar Ram, ram, or RAM may refer to: Animals * A male sheep * Ram cichlid, a freshwater tropical fish People * Ram (given name) * Ram (surname) * Ram (director) (Ramsubramaniam), an Indian Tamil film director * RAM (musician) (born 1974), Dutch * ...

- painter * Shriniwas Joshi - writer and theatre artist * Siddharth Pandey - writer, photographer, musician *

Vijay Sharma Vijay Sharma is an Indian painter and art historian, known for his expertise in the Pahari painting, Pahari school of miniature painting. He was honored by the Government of India, in 2012, with the fourth highest Indian civilian award of Padma ...

- painter and art historian

Business

* M S Banga

Defence

Awardess of the Param Vir Chakra and equivalent awards

*Major

Som Nath Sharma Major Somnath Sharma, PVC (31 January 1923 – 3 November 1947), was an officer of the Indian Army, and the first recipient of the Param Vir Chakra (PVC), India's highest military decoration, which he was awarded posthumously. Sharma was comm ...

- the first ever

Param Vir Chakra The Param Vir Chakra (PVC) is India's highest military decoration, awarded for displaying distinguished acts of valour during wartime. Param Vir Chakra translates as the "Wheel of the Ultimate Brave", and the award is granted for "most conspicu ...

awardee (1950) *Lieutenant Colonel Dhan Singh Thapa -

awardee (1962) * Captain

Vikram Batra Vikram Batra (9 September 1974 – 7 July 1999) was an officer of the Indian Army. He was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra, the highest Indian military decoration, for his actions during the Kargil War; on 7 July 1999, Batra was kill ...

awardee (1999) * Rifleman Sanjay Kumar -

awardee (1999) * Major

Sudhir Kumar Walia Major Sudhir Kumar Walia, Ashoka Chakra (military decoration), AC, Aide-de-camp, ADC, Sena Medal, SM & Sena Medal, Bar (24 May 1969 – 29 August 1999), was an officer of the Indian Army, who served in the elite Para (Special Forces), 9 Para (SF) ...

Ashoka Chakra Ashoka (, ; also ''Asoka''; 304 – 232 BCE), popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was the third emperor of the Maurya Empire of Indian subcontinent during to 232 BCE. His empire covered a large part of the Indian subcontinent, s ...

awardee (1999) * Jemadar

Lala Lala may refer to: Geography * Lala language (disambiguation) Places * Lala (Naples Metro), an underground metro station in Naples, Italy * Lala, Assam, a town in Assam, India * Lala, Ilam, a village in Ilam Province, Iran * Lala, Lanao del ...

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...

awardee (1916) * Honorary Captain

Bhandari Ram Bhandari Ram VC (24 July 191919 May 2002) was an Indian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Details Bhandari R ...

awardee (1945)

Other notable defence personnel

* Major General

Siri Kanth Korla Major General Siri Kanth Korla, PVSM, DSO, MC (also spelled Sri Kanth Korla) (27 January 1917 – 7 April 2007) was an Indian army officer who served in the Second World War and the Indo-Pakistan War of 1965. He served in the British Indian A ...

PVSM Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM) (IAST: ) is a military award of India. It was constituted in 1960 and since then it is awarded in recognition to peace-time service of the most exceptional order and may be awarded posthumously. All ranks of the ...

, DSO, MC - decorated

WWII World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

and Indo-Pak War (1965) veteran * Major General

Anant Singh Pathania Major General Anant Singh Pathania MVC, MC (25 May 1913 – 19 December 2007) was a decorated Indian Army general; the first Indian to receive a Military Cross in the Second World War, he was also the first Indian commanding officer of the Go ...

MVC MVC may refer to: Science and technology * Maximum-value composite procedure, an imaging procedure * Multivariable calculus, a concept in mathematics * Multivariable control, a concept in process engineering * Mechanical vapor compression, a desal ...

, MC - decorated

and Indo-Pak War (1947-49) veteran * Brigadier

Sher Jung Thapa Brigadier Sher Jung Thapa MVC (15 April 1907 – 25 February 1999) was a military officer of the Jammu and Kashmir State Forces and later the Indian Army. Revered as ''the Hero of Skardu'', he was a recipient of the Indian Army's second highes ...

- 'The Hero of Skardu' in the Indo-Pak War (1947-48) * Colonel Thakur Prithi Chand,

- the defence of Ladakh during the Indo-Pak War (1947-48) * Lt. Col. Kushal Chand,

- the defence of Ladakh during the Indo-Pak War (1947-48) * Subedar Major and Hony Captain

Bhim Chand Bilaspur State or Kahlur State, sometimes Kahloor Riyasat, was a kingdom (697-1849) and later princely state (1849-1948) in the Punjab Province ruled by a separate branch of Chandravanshi Chandel dynasty.Raja Bir Chand 697-730 was the foun ...

, VrC & bar - the defence of Ladakh during the Indo-Pak War (1947-48) * Lieutenant General

Ranjit Singh Dyal Lieutenant General Ranjit Singh Dyal, PVSM, MVC (15 November 1928 – 29 January 2012) was an Indian Army general and an administrator. As a soldier, Ranjit Singh led the capture of the Haji Pir pass by the Indian army during the 1965 war with ...

- Indo-Pak War (1965) veteran * Brigadier Rattan Nath Sharma,

- decorated Indo-Pak War (1965) and Indo-Pak War (1971) veteran * Group Captain

Virendera Singh Pathania Group Captain Virendera Singh Pathania was an Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter pilot reputed for making the first confirmed aerial dogfight kill of independent India when he shot down a Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Sabre Jet with his Folland Gnat on ...

VrC,

Vayusena Medal The Vayu Sena Medal is a military decoration, usually awarded in peacetime for a job well done in the Indian Air Force. However, it has been granted during times of conflict for acts of gallantry in the face of enemy, though not in the same nu ...

- first IAF pilot to make a confirmed kill of a Pakistani jet in independent India; veteran of the

1962 Events January * January 1 – Western Samoa becomes independent from New Zealand. * January 3 – Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro for preaching communism. * January 8 – Harmelen train disaster: 93 die in the wor ...

, 1965, and 1971 wars * General Vishwa Nath Sharma,

AVSM Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) is a military award of India given to recognize "distinguished service of an exceptional order" to all ranks of the armed forces. The award is a peacetime equivalent of Uttam Yuddh Seva Medal, which is a Wartime Dis ...

ADC ADC may refer to: Science and medicine * ADC (gene), a human gene * AIDS dementia complex, neurological disorder associated with HIV and AIDS * Allyl diglycol carbonate or CR-39, a polymer * Antibody-drug conjugate, a type of anticancer treatm ...

- 14th Chief of the Army Staff in the Indian Army (1988-1990) * Lt. Saurabh Kalia - PoW in the

Kargil War The Kargil War, also known as the Kargil conflict, was fought between India and Pakistan from May to July 1999 in the Kargil district of Jammu and Kashmir and elsewhere along the Line of Control (LoC). In India, the conflict is also referr ...

(1999) * Subedar Major and Hony Captain Chhering Norbu Bodh, SC - Mountaineer (1990s-2000s)

Historians from Himachal pradesh

Bipan Chandra Bipan Chandra (24 May 1928 – 30 August 2014) was an Indian historian, specialising in Economic history of India#Republic of India, economic and Politics of India, political history of modern India. An emeritus professor of modern history ...

* Chetan Singh *

Hari Sen Hari Sen (born 15 August 1955) is an academic historian from Himachal Pradesh, India. He is a former teacher of history at Delhi University and conducted research on the Bhils of colonial Rajasthan. He is also the current titular Raja of the erst ...

* Mian Goverdhan Singh * Om Chand Handa * Raaja Bhasin * Tobdan * Tshering Dorje

Judicial

Mehr Chand Mahajan Justice Mehr Chand Mahajan (1889–1967) was the third Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India. Prior to that he was the Prime Minister of the state of Jammu and Kashmir during the reign of Maharaja Hari Singh and played a key role in the ...

* Deepak Gupta (judge) *

Lokeshwar Singh Panta Lokeshwar Singh Panta is the Lokayukta of the state of Himachal Pradesh, was a judge of the Supreme Court of India and was the first chairperson of the National Green Tribunal. Early life and education He was born on 23 April 1944 in Tehsil Jub ...

Abhilasha Kumari Abhilasha Kumari (born 23 February 1956) is currently Judicial Member of Lokpal Committee of India since 23 March 2019. She is a former judge who served on the High Court of Gujarat from 2006 to 2018, and as the first female Chief Justice on the ...

Sanjay Karol Sanjay Karol (born: 23 August 1961) is a judge of the Supreme Court of India. He is a former chief justice of the Patna High Court and Tripura High Court. He has also served as judge and acting chief justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court. ...

Entertainment and Television

Adarsh Rathore Aadarsh Rathore (Adarsh Rathore) in Hindi आदर्श राठौर, (born 12 June 1988) is an Indian journalist, musician and folk singer of Himachal Pradesh, most known for his rap song, ''Dhikkar Hai'' about the corruption in 2010 Commo ...

- journalist, singer *

Anuj Sharma Anuj Sharma is an Indian playback singer from the town of Rehan, Himachal Pradesh. He predominantly works in Bollywood films and Himachali folk songs. Sharma had begun his career while recording a Himachali Folk album in late 1996. Since then ...

- singer * Anupam Kher - film actor *

Ashish R Mohan Ashish R Mohan is an Indian film director and actor. His work as a director include ''Khiladi 786'' and ''Welcome 2 Karachi''. He started his career as an assistant director with Anil Devgan on the film '' Blackmail'' starring Ajay Devgn. ...

- film director *

Asmita Sood Asmita Sood (born 20 December 1989) is an Indian model and actress. She made her acting debut with the 2011 Telugu film ''Brammigadi Katha''. Sood has endorsed over 40 brands. She has been a part of two television shows: Star Plus's '' Phir Bh ...

- television actress * B. R. Ishara- film director and script writer * Kangana Ranawat - Bollywood actress *

Manohar Singh Manohar Singh (12 April 1938 – 14 November 2002) was an Indian theatre actor-director and character actor in Hindi films. He is best known for his performances in films such as ''Party'' (1984) and '' Daddy'' (1989). Starting his acting career ...

- theatre and film actor *

Mohit Chauhan Mohit Chauhan (born 11 March 1966) is an Indian playback singer, known for his work in Hindi films. He was a part of the Silk Route band. Chauhan has received two Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer and three Zee Cine Award For Bes ...

- Bollywood singer * Neeraj Sood - Film Actor *

Preity Zinta Preity G Zinta (pronounced ; born 31 January 1975) is an Indian actress and entrepreneur primarily known for her work in Hindi films. After graduating with degrees in English honours and criminal psychology, Zinta made her acting debut in '' ...

- film actress *

Prem Chopra Prem Chopra (born 23 September 1935) is an Indian actor in Hindi and Punjabi films. He has acted in 380 films over a span of over 60 years. He has a soft-spoken diction despite being a villain in most films. His 19 films, with him as antagonist ...

- Bollywood Actor *

Priya Rajvansh Priya Rajvansh (30 December 1936 – 27 March 2000), born Vera Sunder Singh, was an Indian actress, who is known for her performance in Hindi films like ''Heer Raanjha'' (1970) and ''Hanste Zakhm'' (1973), amongst a handful of films she did dur ...

- film actress *

Purva Rana Purva Rana (born 12 February 1988) is a model and an Indian beauty pageant titleholder who participated in Femina Miss India 2012 pageant. She also competed in Miss United Continents 2013 and was crowned as Vice Queen United Continent 2013 on ...

- model *

Ravi Bhatia Ravi Bhatia is an Indian television actor. He is known for his portrayal of Salim in Zee TV's ''Jodha Akbar.'' Career He started with small roles in '' Dharamveer, Hamaaray Mahaabhaarat Ki'', ''Veekram and Betaal.'' In ''Dharamveer'' as a d ...

- television actor *

Rubina Dilaik Rubina Dilaik (born 26 August 1987) is an Indian actress who primarily works in Hindi television along with Hindi films. She made her acting debut in 2008, portraying Radhika Shastri in the popular show ''Chotti Bahu''. Dilaik earned wider rec ...

- television actress * Savi Thakur - Television actor *

Shipra Khanna Shipra Khanna is an Indian celebrity chef, restaurateur, author and television personality. She is best known for, at the age of 29, winning the second season of the Indian television show ''MasterChef India'' (2012) which aired on Star Plus. ...

- chef *

Shivya Pathania Shivya Pathania is an Indian model and television actress known for playing Sita in the Indian mythological TV series'' Ram Siya Ke Luv Kush'' and Radha in ''RadhaKrishn''. Early life Her father, Subhash Pathania, was a law officer in the ...

- television actress *

Shriya Sharma Shriya Sharma (born 9 April 1997) is an Indian actress, model and advocate who has worked in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu films. She is known for playing the role of Sneha Bajaj in the television series ''Kasautti Zindagi Kay'' which won her the ...

- film actress *

Siddharth Chauhan Siddharth Chauhan is an Indian screenwriter, director and producer from Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. He was awarded the "Youth Achiever" award by Hindustan Times Group in August 2014. Chauhan has not received any professional training in this field ...

- screenwriter, director, and producer *

Vishal Karwal Vishal Karwal is an Indian television-film actor. He has played some of the famous serials like '' Dwarkadheesh Bhagwaan Shree Krishn'', ''Rishton Se Badi Pratha'', ''Ek Hazaaron Mein Meri Behna Hai'' and ''Rangrasiya''. He participated in ''M ...

- television actor *

Yami Gautam Yami Gautam Dhar (born 28 November 1988) is an Indian actress known predominantly for her work in Hindi films. She sprang into prominence after doing some commercials for Glow & Lovely and began her acting career in television shows, followed ...

- film actress

Politicians

Chief Ministers

Yashwant Singh Parmar Yashwant Singh Parmar (4 August 1906 – 2 May 1981) was an Indian politician. He was a leader of the Indian National Congress and the first Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh state. Upon the formation of the constituent assembly of India in 1 ...

, the founder of the Himachal Pradesh state and its first chief minister (1952-1956; 1963-1977) *

Thakur Ram Lal Thakur Ram Lal (7 July 1929 – 6 July 2002) was an Indian politician and a leader of the Indian National Congress in Himachal Pradesh. He was elected to the Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha from Jubbal Kotkhai constituency in 1957. Later, ...

(1977; 1980-1983) *

Shanta Kumar Shanta Kumar (born 12 September 1934) is an Indian politician who was the 3rd Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh and a Union Minister in the Government of India. He is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He was elected to the 9th Lok Sabha ...

(1977-1980; 1990-1992) *

Virbhadra Singh Virbhadra Singh () (23 June 19348 July 2021) was an Indian politician who served 6 terms and 21 years as the 4th Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh. A leader of the Indian National Congress party, he was elected 9 times as a Member of Legislat ...

(1983-1985; 1985-1990; 1993-1998; 2003-2007; 2012-2017) *

Prem Kumar Dhumal Prem Kumar Dhumal (pronounced ; born 10 April 1944) is an Indian politician and has twice served as the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, from March 1998 to March 2003 and again from 1 January 2008 to 25 December 2012. He was the Bharatiya J ...

(1998-2003; 2008-2012) *

Jai Ram Thakur Jai Ram Thakur (born 6 January 1965) is an Indian politician, and was the Chief Minister of the state of Himachal Pradesh from 2017 to 2022. He is a five-time MLA in the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly, winning continuously since 1998 an ...

(2017-2022) *

Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu (born 27 March 1964) is an Indian politician currently serving as the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh. As a member of Indian National Congress, he is a 4-time and incumbent MLA from Nadaun assembly constituency of Hima ...

(2022–present)

Present and ex Union Ministers

Anurag Thakur Anurag (Devanagari: अनुराग) (pronounced "Anurāg"), sometimes shorted Anu, is a common Indian first name. There are various meanings of Anurag in Sanskrit such as attachment, devotion, passion and eternal love. Notable people named Anu ...

Jagat Prakash Nadda Jagat Prakash Nadda (born 2 December 1960) is an Indian lawyer and politician serving as the president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) since 20 January 2020. He was the BJP's working president from June 2019 to January 2020. Nadda is the ...

* Anand Sharma *

Chandresh Kumari Katoch Chandresh Kumari Katoch (born 1 February 1944) is an Indian politician belonging to the Indian National Congress party. She is a former Minister of Culture in India's central government. She was a Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha (the lowe ...

Other politicians from Himachal Pradesh

* Asha Kumari * Brij Behari Lal Butail * Chander Kumar * G. S. Bali *

Jai Bihari Lal Khachi Jai Bihari Lal Khachi or J.B.L Khachi (5 May 1927 – 11 April 2002) was an Indian politician from Kumarsain in Shimla District of Himachal Pradesh, India. He was a former 3 times Union Council of Ministers, cabinet minister of Himachal Prades ...

Jagdev Chand Thakur Jagdev Chand was a stalwart leader of Bharatiya Janata Party from Himachal Pradesh, India. He was elected to Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly from Hamirpur and served as cabinet minister in Government of Himachal Pradesh. He was ele ...

Thakur * Kaul Singh Thakur * Khimi ram * Kishan Kapoor *

Lata Thakur Lata Thakur (21 August 1941 - 14 December 1976) was an Indian politician. She was an MLA from the Lahaul and Spiti Assembly Constituency in the 1972 Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly. She belonged to the Indian National Congress. Lata Thaku ...

* Mahender Singh *

Mukesh Agnihotri Mukesh Agnihotri (born 9 October 1962) is an Indian politician from Indian National Congress. Since 2022, he has served as Deputy Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh since 2022. He is also a Member of Legislative Assembly in the Himachal Pradesh ...

* Phunchog Rai *

Pratibha Singh Pratibha Singh (born 16 June 1956) is an Politics of India, Indian politician from Himachal Pradesh and a Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha, Member of the Indian Parliament. She is the widow of Virbhadra Singh, who was elected the List of chief ...

Rajeev Bindal Rajeev Bindal (born 12 January 1955) is the President of Himachal Pradesh BJP. He is five term member of the HP legislative assembly and has been the speaker of Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha. He is member of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Bindal w ...

Satpal Singh Satti Satpal Singh Satti (born 5 January 1964) is an Indian politician and member of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He won the Una constituency consecutively three times for BJP in 2003, 2007, 2012 and after that he lost the 2017 Assembly election to Sa ...

Sukh Ram Pandit Sukh Ram (born Sukhram Sharma; 27 July 1927 – 11 May 2022) was an Indian politician who served as the Minister of Communications and Information Technology from 1993 to 1996. He was a member of Lok Sabha The Lok Sabha, consti ...

Thakur Sen Negi Thakur Sen Negi was an Indian politician and member of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Negi was a member of the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly from the Kinnaur constituency in Kinnaur district Kinnaur is one of the twelve administrative ...

Vidya Stokes Vidya Stokes (born 8 December 1927) is an active member of Indian National Congress from 1970 and of '' Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee'' since 1974. She was an elected member of Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly in 1974, 1982, 1985, 19 ...

Himachalis outside India

Gaurav Sharma (politician) Gaurav Mrinal Sharma (born 1987) is a New Zealand doctor and former Member of Parliament. Elected in 2020, Sharma was a Member of Parliament (MP) for the Labour Party, representing the electorate of Hamilton West. In August 2022, he made alleg ...

- medical doctor and MP in New Zealand *

Jay Chaudhry Jay Chaudhry (born 1958) is an Indian-American billionaire entrepreneur and the CEO and founder of cloud security company Zscaler. Early life Chaudhry was born in Panoh, a village in Una district of the state of Himachal Pradesh, India. His par ...

- CEO and founder of Zscaler a Nasdaq listed company in USA

Science and Education

* Padma Shri Dr

Randeep Guleria Randeep Guleria is an Indian pulmonologist and the ex-director of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, credited with the establishment of India's first centre for pulmonary medicines and sleep disorders at AIIMS. He was honou ...

- Director AIIMS New Delhi and Professor and Head Department of Pulmonary Disease and Sleeping Disorders * Padma Shri Dr

Jagat Ram Dr. Jagat Ram is an ophthalmologist and former director of Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) Chandigarh, India. Early life Jagat Ram was born in family of humble background at Pabiana village in Sirmaur district ...

- Ophthalmologist and Director PGI Chandigarh * Padma Shri Dr

Mahesh Verma Mahesh Verma is an Indian prosthodontist and the Director and Principal of Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences. He is the Vice Chancellor of Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University. The Government of India awarded him, in 2014, with th ...

- Vice Chancellor Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University * Padma Shri Dr D.S. Rana -

Nephrologist Nephrology (from Greek'' nephros'' "kidney", combined with the suffix ''-logy'', "the study of") is a specialty of adult internal medicine and pediatric medicine that concerns the study of the kidneys, specifically normal kidney function ( ...

and Chairman, Board of Management,

Sir Ganga Ram Hospital (India) The Sir Ganga Ram Hospital is a 675-bed multi-speciality private hospital in Rajendra Nagar, Delhi. It provides comprehensive medical services to patients from all over Southeast Asia. The hospital's Minimal Access Surgery department was the fir ...

New Delhi * Padma Shri Dr Sandeep Guleria (surgeon) * Padma Shri Dr Jagdev Guleria * Padma Shri Dr Omesh Kumar Bharti * Arvind Mohan Kayastha - Biologist * Anand Mohan - Geologist, Petrologist * R.C. Sawhney - Scientist, Professor * T. R. Sharma - Plant Biologist, Educator * Vijay Kumar Thakur - Engineer and Nano-technologist * Munmun Dhalaria - documentary filmmaker * Bittu Sehgal - nature conservationist and writer

Sports

Ajay Thakur Ajay Thakur (born 1 May 1987) is an Indian professional Kabaddi player and the former captain of the Indian National Kabaddi Team. He was part of the national teams which won 2016 Kabaddi World Cup and gold medal at 2014 Asian Games. He was a ...

- kabaddi player * Ashish Kumar - silver medalist in Asian Games in boxing 2019 * Charanjit Singh - hockey (1964 Olympics) * Chuni Lal Thakur - Winter Olympian *

Deepak Thakur Deepak Thakur Sonkhla (popularly known as Deepak Thakur) is a hockey forward in Indian team. Family Thakur's father is an ex-serviceman and his mother a house-wife. His younger sister is a national badminton player. Career Junior level Thak ...

- hockey *

Dicky Dolma Dicky Dolma (born 5 April 1974) is an Indian mountaineer, known for being the youngest woman to summit Mount Everest up to that time at the age of 19 on 10 May 1993. This occurred on the Indo-Nepal Everest Expedition. This Indo-Nepal Women's Eve ...

- Mountaineer *

Hira Lal Hira Lal (born 26 November 1980) is an Indian alpine skier. He competed in the men's giant slalom at the 2006 Winter Olympics The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially the XX Olympic Winter Games ( it, XX Giochi olimpici invernali) and also k ...

- Winter Olympian *

Manavjit Singh Sandhu Manavjit Singh Sandhu (born 3 November 1976) is an Indian sport shooter who specializes in trap shooting. He is a Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Awardee in 2006 and Arjuna Awardee in 1998. He is a 4 time Olympian, having represented India at the Ath ...

- sports shooter *

Manvinder Bisla Manvinder Singh Bisla (born 27 December 1984) is an Indian cricketer. He is a wicket-keeper and right-handed batsman who currently plays for Goa. Bisla is one of the lesser known of the wicketkeeper batsman that Indian cricket unearthed from t ...

- cricketer * Nanak Chand Thakur- Winter Olympian * Paras Dogra - cricketer * Renuka Singh - cricketer (

India women's national cricket team The India women's national cricket team, also known as Team India or Women in Blue, represents India in women's international cricket. It is governed by Board of Control for Cricket in India India made its Test debut in 1976, against the We ...

) *

Rishi Dhawan Rishi Dhawan (born 19 February 1990) is an Indian cricketer who plays first-class and List A cricket for Himachal Pradesh. Dhawan is primarily a medium-fast bowling all-rounder who bats in the middle-order. Dhawan has played for Kings XI Punja ...

- cricketer *

Samaresh Jung Samaresh Jung (born 5 May 1970) is an Indian sport shooter. He is an air pistol specialist. At the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, he won two gold medals, in the men's free pistol pairs and in the open event of 25 m standard pistol pai ...

- sports shooter *

Shiva Keshavan Shiva Keshavan, (born 25 August 1981) is a six-time Olympian and the first Indian representative to compete in luge at the Winter Olympic Games. He set a new Asian speed record at after beating the previous record of and won a gold medal in ...

- luge (Winter Olympian) * Skalzang Dorje - Archery (1996 Olympics) * Suman Rawat - Track and field athlete * Sushma Verma - cricketer (India women's national cricket team) *

The Great Khali Dalip Singh Rana (born 27 August 1972) is an Indian professional wrestler and wrestling promoter better known by his ring name The Great Khali. He is best known for his tenure in WWE where he became the first Indian-born WWE World Heavywe ...

- wrestler * Vijay Kumar - sports shooter

Religion

Khunu Lama Tenzin Gyaltsen Khunu Lama Tenzin Gyaltsen (), 1894–1977, known also as Negi Lama Tenzin Gyaltsen (), Tenzin Gyaltsen (bstan 'dzin rgyal mtshan), and various other names like Kunu (khu nu) Rinpoche, Kunu Lama and Negi Lama (ne gi bla ma), was born in 1894 in ...

- Buddhist teacher and scholar * Thakur Ram Singh - RSS and Akhil Bharatiya Itihas Sankalan

Non-Himachalis with significant contributions to HP

Amrita Sher-Gil Amrita Sher-Gil (30 January 1913 – 5 December 1941) was a Hungarian-Indian painter. She has been called "one of the greatest avant-garde women artists of the early 20th century" and a pioneer in modern Indian art. Drawn to painting from an ear ...

- painter * Bhabesh Chandra Sanyal - painter * Brijinder Nath Goswamy - art historian *

Didi Contractor Delia Narayan "Didi" Contractor (née Kinzinger; 1929 – July 5, 2021) was an American artist and builder known for her work on the vernacular traditions in India, using adobe, bamboo and stone for materials. She was a recipient of the Nari Sha ...

- architect *

Harish Kapadia Harish Kapadia (born 11 July 1945) is a Himalayan mountaineer, author and long-time editor of the '' Himalayan Journal'' from India. He has been awarded the Patron's Medal of the Royal Geographical Society, the Life Time Achievement Award fo ...

- mountaineer and writer *

Helena Roerich Helena Ivanovna Roerich (born Shaposhnikova; russian: Елéна Ивáновна Рéрих; 12 February 1879 – 5 October 1955) was a Russian theosophist, writer, and public figure. In the early 20th century, she created, in cooperation with t ...

- philosopher and explorer *

Kirin Narayan Kirin Narayan (born November 1959) is an Indian-born American anthropologist, folklorist and writer. Early life, education, and career Narayan is the daughter of Narayan Ramji Contractor, a civil engineer from Nashik, and Didi Kinzinger, a Ger ...

- anthropologist * Manohar Singh Gill - administrator, politician, and writer *

Mohan Singh Oberoi Rai Bahadur Mohan Singh Oberoi (15 August 1898 – 3 May 2002)Mohan Singh Oberoi< ...

- hotelier * Mohinder Singh Randhawa - art historian * Norah Richards - theatre *

Nicholas Roerich Nicholas Roerich (; October 9, 1874 – December 13, 1947), also known as Nikolai Konstantinovich Rerikh (russian: link=no, Никола́й Константи́нович Ре́рих), was a Russian painter, writer, archaeologist, theosophi ...

- painter, philosopher, explorer *

Penelope Chetwode Penelope Valentine Hester Chetwode, Lady Betjeman (14 February 1910 – 11 April 1986) was an English travel writer. She was the only daughter of Field Marshal Lord Chetwode, and the wife of poet laureate Sir John Betjeman. She was born at Alders ...

- travel writer *

Rahul Sankrityayan Rahul Sankrityayan (born Kedarnath Pandey; 9 April 1893 – 14 April 1963) was an Indian writer and a polyglot who wrote in Hindi. He played a pivotal role in giving travelogue a 'literary form'. He was one of the most widely travelled scholars ...

- scholar and travel writer *

Samuel Bourne Samuel Bourne (30 October 1834 – 24 April 1912) was a British photographer known for his prolific seven years' work in India, from 1863 to 1870. Together with Charles Shepherd, he set up Bourne & Shepherd first in Shimla in 1863 and later i ...

- early photographer *

Satyananda Stokes Satyananda Stokes (born Samuel Evans Stokes, Jr., 16 August 1882 – 14 May 1946) was an American who settled in India and participated in the Indian Independence Movement. He is best remembered today for having introduced apple cultivation to t ...

- orchardist * Sobha Singh - painter * Svetsolav Roerich - painter *

Tenzin Gyatso The 14th Dalai Lama (spiritual name Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso, known as Tenzin Gyatso (Tibetan: བསྟན་འཛིན་རྒྱ་མཚོ་, Wylie: ''bsTan-'dzin rgya-mtsho''); né Lhamo Thondup), known as ...

- the fourteenth

Dalai Lama Dalai Lama (, ; ) is a title given by the Tibetan people to the foremost spiritual leader of the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" school of Tibetan Buddhism, the newest and most dominant of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The 14th and current D ...

Tenzin Palmo Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo (born 1943) is a bhikṣuṇī in the Drukpa Lineage of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. She is an author, teacher and founder of the Dongyu Gatsal Ling Nunnery in Himachal Pradesh, India. She is best known for being o ...

- Buddhist nun and activist * Timothy A. Gonsalves - academician, entrepreneur *

Yeshi Dhonden Yeshi Dhonden (; 15 May 1927 – 26 November 2019) was a Tibetan doctor of traditional Tibetan medicine, and served the 14th Dalai Lama from 1961 to 1980. In 2018, the Indian government honoured him with the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civil ...

- Sowa Rigpa doctor

Miscellaneous

Sansar Chand Sansar Chand (c. 1765 – 1824) was a Rajput ruler of the erstwhile state of Kangra-Lambagraon, Kangra in what is now the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Early life Sansar Chand was a scion of the Katoch dynasty which had ruled Kangra for cen ...

- ruler of Kangra in the 18th and early 19th centuries *

Kinkri Devi Kinkri Devi (30 January 1925 – 30 December 2007) was an Indian activist and environmentalist, best known for waging a war on illegal mining and quarrying in her native state of Himachal Pradesh. She never knew how to read or write and learned h ...

- activist and environmentalist *

Shyam Saran Negi Shyam Saran Negi (1 July 1917 – 5 November 2022) was an Indian school teacher in Kalpa, Himachal Pradesh, who cast the first vote in the 1951 general election in India — the nation's first election since the end of the British Rule in 1947 ...

- India's first voter *

Zorawar Singh Kahluria Zorawar Singh Kahluria (1784–12 December 1841) was a military general of the Dogra Rajput ruler, Gulab Singh of Jammu. He served as the governor (''wazir-e-wazarat'') of Kishtwar and extended the territories of the kingdom by conquering Lad ...

- general of the Dogra army in the first half of the 19th century *

Narain Chand Parashar Narain Chand Parashar (2 July 1934 – 21 February 2001) was an Indian Member of parliament, parliamentarian, professor, linguist and writer. He was born in Ferozepur, Punjab (British India), Punjab, the son of Nand Lal and Phula Devi of the v ...

- linguist, cultural historian, and politician * Pelden Gyeltshen - the 40th Ganden Tripa (17th century)

References

{{reflist

External links

Prominent Personalities Of Himachal

People A person ( : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of prope ...