Heroes in Art (page 10)

Shyam Bihari Agrawal

A Prayagraj painter and art historian who has worked in Indian miniature and mural traditions for six decades, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2025.

Padma Shri 2025
Uttar Pradesh

Shyamamani Devi

An Odissi music vocalist from Cuttack who left film playback singing to revive Odisha's traditional songs, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2022.

Padma Shri 2022
Odisha

Silbi Passah

A Shillong artist and retired Hindi teacher who promotes Khasi music and dance, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2024.

Padma Shri 2024
Meghalaya

Simanchal Patro

A veteran of Prahallad Natak, the masked folk theatre of Odisha, who has acted, sung and taught it since childhood, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2026.

Padma Shri 2026
Odisha

Smriti Rekha Chakma

A Chakma weaver and natural dyer from Tripura who trains rural women in loin-loom weaving, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2024.

Padma Shri 2024
Tripura

Som Datt Battu

A Shimla classical vocalist and musicologist trained in three gharanas who teaches without fees, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2024.

Padma Shri 2024
Himachal Pradesh

Sonu Nigam

A playback singer from Faridabad with more than 6,000 songs in 28 languages, from 'Sandese Aate Hain' to 'Kal Ho Naa Ho', honoured with the Padma Shri in 2022.

Padma Shri 2022
Maharashtra

Sowcar Janaki

An actress who appeared in more than 450 films in five languages over seven decades, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2022. She died in 2026.

Padma Shri 2022
Tamil Nadu

Subbu Arumugam

A Tirunelveli master of villupattu, the Tamil bow-song, who performed for more than six decades and wrote dozens of books, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2021.

Padma Shri 2021
Tamil Nadu

Subhadra Devi

A Mithila artist known as the mother of Madhubani papier-mache, who brought Madhubani painting to papier-mache toys, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2023.

Padma Shri 2023
Bihar

Sudarshan Sahoo

A Puri sculptor in stone and wood with seven decades of work, founder of a crafts museum and a gurukul for carvers, honoured with the Padma Vibhushan in 2021.

Padma Vibhushan 2021
Odisha

Sulochana Chavan

A Marathi singer hailed as the Queen of Lavani, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2022. She died the same year.

Padma Shri 2022
Maharashtra

Suman Kalyanpur

A playback singer of Hindi film music's golden era, known for 'Aajkal Tere Mere Pyar Ke Charche'; Padma Bhushan, 2023. She died in 2026.

Padma Bhushan 2023
Maharashtra

Surendra Mohan Mishra

A Banaras gharana classical singer, composer and teacher, a Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee, honoured posthumously with the Padma Shri in 2024.

Padma Shri 2024 (posthumous)
Uttar Pradesh

Taga Ram Bheel

An algoza player from Jaisalmer who learned the double flute while herding cattle, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2026.

Padma Shri 2026
Rajasthan

Takdira Begam

A Birbhum kantha embroiderer who has trained hundreds of rural women over 30 years, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2024.

Padma Shri 2024
West Bengal

Tarun Bhattacharya

A santoor player and Ravi Shankar disciple who changed how the instrument is tuned and played, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2026.

Padma Shri 2026
West Bengal

Tejendra Narayan Majumdar

A sarod maestro of the Maihar gharana trained by Ustad Bahadur Khan and Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2025.

Padma Shri 2025
West Bengal

Thavil Kongampattu A V Murugaiyan

A top-grade thavil player from Puducherry who has performed for 50 years with nadaswaram masters and taught 300 students, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2022.

Padma Shri 2022
Puducherry

Thiruthani Swaminathan

An othuvar who has sung the Tamil Thirumurai hymns for over 55 years, including 26 years at the Thiruttani temple, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2026.

Padma Shri 2026
Tamil Nadu

Thiruvaarur Bakthavathsalam

A Carnatic mridangam master who has accompanied four generations of musicians and won the Sangita Kalanidhi in 2021, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2026.

Padma Shri 2026
Tamil Nadu

Thiyam Suryamukhi Devi

A Manipuri classical dancer who toured the world from 1954 and trained generations of dancers, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2025.

Padma Shri 2025
Manipur

Tripti Mukherjee

A kantha embroidery artist from Suri who has taught the craft to many rural women so they can earn a living, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2026.

Padma Shri 2026
West Bengal

Tsering Namgyal

A Ladakhi woodcarver who has carved shrines, thrones and doors for monasteries across Ladakh, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2022.

Padma Shri 2022
Ladakh