Pt. Birju Maharaj was an Indian dancer, composer, singer, and exponent of the Lucknow “Kalka-Bindadin” Gharana of Kathak dance in India. He was a descendant of the Maharaj family of Kathak dancers, which includes his two uncles, Shambhu Maharaj and Lachhu Maharaj, and his father and Guru, Acchan Maharaj. For many years, along with his uncle, Shambhu Maharaj, he learnt and taught at Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra and later the Kathak Kendra, New Delhi. Birju Maharaj is a recipient of the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian honour which was conferred on him in 1986. At the onset of reviving Kathak as a classical dance form, a task taken up by Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra, Pt. Birju Maharaj became the Institute’s very first student.

Guru Mayadhar Raut was an Indian classical Odissi dancer, choreographer, and Guru. He has played a major role in giving Odissi its classical ‘shastra’ based status. Guru Mayadhar Raut has been honoured with the Padma Shri by the President of India, Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, Sahitya Kala Parishad Award, Utkal Pratibha Puraskar, Odissi Sangeet Natak Academy Award, Rajeev Gandhi Samman, Kavi Samrat Upendra Bhanja Award, and the Tagore Akademi Ratna.

Vidushi Kishori Amonkar was a leading Indian classical vocalist from the Jaipur Gharana. She was a performer of the classical genre, Khyal, and the light classical genres, Thumri and Bhajan. She trained under her mother, classical singer Mogubai Kurdikar but also experimented with a variety of vocal styles in her career. Vidushi Kishori Amonkar was a recipient of the Padma Bhushan in 1987 and Padma Vibhushan in 2002. She was also awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1985 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship in 2009, among many others.

Vidushi Kumudini Lakhia was an Indian Kathak dancer and choreographer, primarily based in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. She founded the Kadamb School of Dance and Music, an institute of Indian dance and music, in 1967. A pioneer in modern-day Kathak dance, Vidushi Kumudini Lakhia is credited for shifting away from the solo structure of Kathak in the 1960s and turning it into a team spectacle. She also considerably improved traditional stories and evolved them into modern-day storylines for a Kathak repertoire.

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was an Indian philosopher and politician who served as the second President of India (1962-1967) and the first Vice President of India (1952-1962). As an academic, philosopher, and statesman, Dr. Radhakrishnan was one of the most recognised and influential Indian thinkers in the academic circles in the 20th century.

Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, commonly known as ‘Pandit’, was a central figure in India during the middle of the 20th century. He helped lead India to independence, which ended the British Raj. As India’s first Prime Minister, Panditji worked to make India an important member of the international community.

Dr. Rajendra Prasad was the first President of the Republic of India (1950–62). A lawyer and a journalist, he is a noted personality in the history of India. Dr. Prasad was honoured with the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award, and his autobiography, Atmakatha, was published in 1946.

Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed was an Indian lawyer and politician who served as the fifth President of India from 1974 to 1977. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Pristina in 1975 and a medical college was also named the ‘Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Medical College’ in his honour.