Heroes in Art (page 3)

Domar Singh Kunvar

A Nacha folk theatre artist from Chhattisgarh whose shows campaign against child marriage and superstition, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2023.

Padma Shri 2023
Chhattisgarh

Drona Bhuyan

An Assam performer and guru of Suknani Ojapali and Deodhani dance who trains artists at his home, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2024.

Padma Shri 2024
Assam

Dulal Manki

A singer of Assam's tea tribes, known as the Jhumair Samrat, who began on All India Radio at the age of 12, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2021.

Padma Shri 2021
Assam

Dulari Devi

A Madhubani painter from the Mallah community who learned the art while working as a domestic help in an artist's home, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2021.

Padma Shri 2021
Bihar

Durga Bai Vyam

A Pardhan Gond painter from Bhopal whose art fills children's books such as Bhimayana and The Night Life of Trees, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2022.

Padma Shri 2022
Madhya Pradesh

Durga Charan Ranbir

A senior Odissi guru whose school in Bhubaneswar has trained generations of dancers in India and abroad, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2025.

Padma Shri 2025
Odisha

E. P. Narayanan

A Kannur Theyyam artist who has performed the long ritual dances hundreds of times over decades, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2024.

Padma Shri 2024
Kerala

Farooq Ahmad Mir

A Srinagar pashmina and kani shawl weaver who introduced calligraphy into kani weaving, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2025.

Padma Shri 2025
Jammu and Kashmir

Gaddam Sammaiah

A Telangana Chindu Yakshagana artist who has given thousands of performances and trained hundreds of young folk artists, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2024.

Padma Shri 2024
Telangana

Gafruddin Mewati Jogi

A bhapang player from Deeg who sings the Mewati Jogi epics, including a 2,500-couplet Mahabharata, from memory, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2026.

Padma Shri 2026
Rajasthan

Garimella Balakrishna Prasad

A Carnatic singer and composer who set more than 1,000 Annamacharya hymns to music for TTD, honoured posthumously with the Padma Shri in 2026.

Padma Shri 2026 (posthumous)
Andhra Pradesh

Ghulam Muhammad Zaz

A Srinagar maker of santoors and other string instruments, the eighth generation of his family in the craft, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2023.

Padma Shri 2023
Mann Ki Baat #97
Jammu and Kashmir

Ghulam Nabi Dar

A Kashmiri wood carver who began at ten and is known for designs inspired by the valley's landscapes, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2024.

Padma Shri 2024
Jammu and Kashmir

Ghulam Rasool Khan

A Srinagar master craftsman who revived the patchwork jamawar shawl and runs workshops of 300 artisans, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2021.

Padma Shri 2021
Jammu and Kashmir

Gita Ray Barman

A Bhawaiya singer, composer and teacher from Cooch Behar who has sung North Bengal's folk music on radio since childhood, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2024.

Padma Shri 2024
West Bengal

Godawari Singh

A Varanasi wood-toy craftsman who modernised the city's wooden handicraft and guides more than 2,000 artisans, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2024.

Padma Shri 2024
Uttar Pradesh

Gokul Chandra Das

A dhak player from Maslandapur who took Bengal's festival drum to world stages and taught women to play it, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2025.

Padma Shri 2025
West Bengal

Gopinath Swain

An Odisha guru of Krishna Leela who sang and taught the tradition for nine decades, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2024. He died in 2025, aged 107.

Padma Shri 2024
Odisha

Gopiram Bargayn Burabhakat

A Sattriya monk and master who lived at the Uttar Kamalabari Sattra from the age of five and led its performers, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2021.

Padma Shri 2021
Assam

Gosaveedu Shaik Hassan

A nadaswaram player who served the Bhadrachalam temple for 46 years, and a freedom fighter, honoured posthumously with the Padma Shri in 2022.

Padma Shri 2022 (posthumous)
Andhra Pradesh

Gulfam Ahmed

A seventh-generation musician of the Senia gharana from Lucknow who adapted the rabab to play classical ragas, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2021.

Padma Shri 2021
Uttar Pradesh

Gurmeet Bawa

A Punjabi folk singer famed for her long, breathless 'lambi hek' and five decades on stage, honoured posthumously with the Padma Bhushan in 2022.

Padma Bhushan 2022 (posthumous)
Punjab

Guruvayur Dorai

A mridangam maestro who created his own style and accompanied Carnatic legends for eight decades, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2025.

Padma Shri 2025
Tamil Nadu

H R Keshavamurthy

A gamaka artist from Hosahalli who sang the Kannada epics for over 75 years, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2022. He died the same year.

Padma Shri 2022
Karnataka