Famous Personalities of Maharashtra

Maharashtra is a state in western India, situated in the Deccan area. Apart from being India’s third-largest state, Maharashtra is one of the most advanced states in the country. It is also the nation’s second most populated state. Mumbai, the capital of Maharashtra, is regarded as India’s financial centre and is known to be the secular, progressive, and anchored Gateway to India.

Many remarkable personalities were born in Maharashtra, making the state and the nation proud of their accomplishments. They have a significant impact on the new generation of the country. These well-known individuals also have a substantial influence on their professional decision. They are the most famous personality of Maharashtra who made the entire nation proud. There are many qualities that can be learned from such people, from their challenges to their enthusiasm and attaining a wonderful reputation.

Some of Maharashtra’s most eminent personalities:

Some of the most famous personalities of Maharashtra are –

• Bal Gangadhar Tilak

Bal Gangadhar Tilak, a well-known revolutionary warrior, was born in 1856. He was a mathematics teacher, a writer, an Indian patriot, and a freedom activist. 

He is one of the legends of Maharashtra. Tilak began his professional life as a teacher in Pune. In 1880, he became the driving force behind the establishment of the Deccan Education Society. He played a crucial role in India’s independence and led a mass movement toward this cause. He formed and served as the president of the Indian Home Rule League in 1914. 

He was honoured with the title “Lokmanya” (admired leader) by his supporters. Many books were authored by Bal Gangadhar Tilak, including ‘Gita Rahasya’ and ‘The Arctic Home in the Vedas’. He died in 1920, at the age of 64.

• Dadasaheb Phalke

Dadasaheb Phalke was an Indian producer-director-screenwriter who was born in the year 1870. He attended the Sir J.J. School of Art in Bombay. He temporarily worked as a painter, a theatre set designer, and a photographer. ‘Raja Harishchandra’, his debut picture, was the first Indian film to be released, and the year was 1913. He died on February 16, 1944. In 1969, the Indian government established the Dadasaheb Phalke Award to honour Phalke’s contribution to Indian cinema. ‘Lanka Dahan’ (1917), ‘Sairandari’(1920), ‘Shri Krishna Janma’ (1918), and ‘Shakuntala’ (1920) were among his successful films. He is one of the great leaders of Maharashtra.

• B. R. Ambedkar

Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar was an Indian legal scholar who strived for the empowerment of the Dalit community. He is one of the great leaders of Maharashtra who served as the head of the committee that drafted the Indian Constitution. He was born in the military cantonment town of Mhow in present-day Madhya Pradesh on 14th April 1891.

He received his Economics degree from Columbia University and the London School of Economics. He was popularly called by the name ‘Babasaheb’. 

Ambedkar made significant contributions toward the upliftment of the Dalits and other minorities in India. He served as the first Law and Justice Minister of the country. 

Ambedkar died peacefully in his sleep on December 6, 1956, at his residence in Delhi. Ambedkar was conferred with the ‘Bharat Ratna’ award after his death in the year 1990. Dr B.R. Ambedkar’s notable publications include ‘States and Minorities’ and ‘Who Were the Shudras?’.

• Savitribai Phule

Savitribai Phule was a social reformer, educator, and poet from Maharashtra. She was born on the 3rd of January, in the year 1831. She was a pivotal figure in advancing female rights and education in India. She is officially acknowledged as India’s first female teacher. She founded Mahila Seva Mandali to educate women about child marriage, female foeticide, and the sati system. She passed away on March 10, in the year 1897. 

Her life and accomplishments in Indian society are monuments to social transformation and female empowerment. She is still an inspiration to many women’s rights advocates today.

• Lata Mangeshkar

On September 28, 1929, Lata Mangeshkar, popularly known as the “Nightingale of India,” was born. She is among of the most famous personality of Maharashtra. She was a playback singer and is widely regarded as one of the nation’s most talented vocalists. In 1974, Lata Mangeshkar sang at the Royal Albert Hall, the first time any Indian sang there. She won three National Film Awards, two Filmfare Special Awards, the ‘Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award’, Padma Vibhushan Award, and plenty of other honours. Her most recent recorded song, a homage to the Indian soldiers and the nation, was released in March 2019. Mangeshkar died on February 6, 2022, at the age of 92, from multi-organ dysfunction syndrome.

• Sachin Tendulkar

Born on April 24, 1973, Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is widely known as one of the best batsmen in cricket history. He became India’s youngest test cricketer at the age of 16 when he made his debut against Pakistan.  He was awarded the ‘Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award’ for his exemplary performance in 1998. He also received prestigious awards like the ‘Padma Shri’ (1999) and ‘Padma Vibhushan’ (2008) for his exceptional achievements in the field of sports. Sachin declared his retirement from cricket on October 10, 2013. Sachin Tendulkar is one of Maharashtra’s most popular personalities, and he continues to make the state and the country proud.

• Anna Hazare 

Kisan Baburao Hazare, popularly known as Anna Hazare, was born in 1937 in Bhingar near Ahmednagar is a famous leader and social activist in India. He led the way for several anti-corruption movements and protests to foster rural development and improve government functioning in India. His 9-day long hunger strike in 2011 at Jantar Mantar compelled the government to introduce the institution of an ‘ombudsman’ to curb corruption in public sectors. He has also largely contributed to the development of the role model village Ralegan Siddhi in Maharashtra, for which he received the ‘Padma Bhushan’ award in 1992. Recently, a national daily newspaper ranked Hazare as the ‘Most Influential person in Mumbai’.

Conclusion 

Maharashtra is the origin of several historical civilizations, many of which may still be found in Maharashtra’s literature, dance, and poetry. These Maharashtrians have done exceptionally well in their respective fields. They are the legends of Maharashtra who have shaped modern India. They battled hard for its independence from British domination and established a sovereign India on the way to progress and glory. Their outstanding achievements make the nation proud. These individuals are the inspirational role models that our younger generation needs to know about and idolise to be inspired.