Padma Shri Awardee and Photojournalist Raghu Rai Passed Away
In April 2026, Veteran photographer Raghu Rai, known as the ‘Father of Indian Photojournalism’, passed away at the age of 83 in New Delhi, Delhi. He was born on 18 December 1942 in Jhang, Punjab Province, British India(now Pakistan).
In April 2026, Veteran photographer Raghu Rai, known as the ‘Father of Indian Photojournalism’, passed away at the age of 83 in New Delhi, Delhi. He was born on 18 December 1942 in Jhang, Punjab Province, British India(now Pakistan).
- He was awarded the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian honour, in 1972 in the field of art.
About Raghu Rai:
Career: Originally trained as a civil engineer, he started his professional career with The Statesman in 1966, where he chronicled major national events through his photography.
Iconic Work: In 1977, he became the first Indian photographer nominated to Magnum Photos by Henri Cartier-Bresson.
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- He created powerful portraits of figures such as Mother Teresa, Dalai Lama, Indira Gandhi, and Satyajit Ray, and captured defining moments like the Bangladesh Liberation War(1971) and the Bhopal Gas Tragedy(1984).
Awards & Recognitions: He received several prestigious honours, including Photographer of the Year (the United States of America, USA, 1992), the Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters (France, 2009), the Lifetime Achievement Award (2017) from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB), and the Académie des Beaux-Arts Photography Award (2019).
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