List of Deshastha Brahmins

Deshastha Brahmins form a major sub-caste of Brahmins in the states of Maharashtra and parts of Karnataka in India.

The following is a list of prominent Deshastha Brahmins organized by occupational fields:

Industry

• Gururaj Deshpande, founder of Sycamore Networks.
• Padma Bhushan Bhalchandra Digambar alias Abasaheb Garware, Founder of Garware Industries and philanthropist
• M.S. alias Baburaoji Parkhe, founder Parkhe Group
• Vikram Pandit, current CEO of CITIgroup, US based world's largest bank
• Sudha Kulkarni-Murthy, social activist, first woman mechanical engineer of india, and wife of Infosys founder Mr.Narayan Murthy

Early scholars, writers and poets

• Bhāskara II (1114–1185), mathematician
• Dnyaneshwar, writer of Amrutanubhav and Dnyaneshwari (a critical discourse on Bhagavath Gita)
• Bahinabai, Pathak famous for folk devotional songs
• Ramdas, writer of Dasbodh and Manache Shlok 1600s
• Saraswati Gangadhar, writer of Gurucharitra
• Bhavabhuti
• Mukteshwar
• Shridhar
• Mahipati 1700s
• Sant Eknath

Medicine

• Dr. Govindrao Sadashivrao Gade, Famous Medical Practitioner From Vidarbha Region who was honoured with the title Raosaheb by the then Govt.

Modern writers, poets and journalists

• Indira Sant,(born 1914) poet
• Shirish Atre-Pai,(born 1929), writer and poet
• Raja Badhe (1912–1977), poet and songwriter
• G D Madgulkar, poet, writer, Modern Valmiki of India
• G. A. Kulkarni, writer of several offbeat books
• Datta Raghunath Kavthekar, renowned Marathi novelist
• Pralhad Keshav Atre, former editor of Maratha daily newspaper and poet
• Babasaheb Purandare, historian

Social work

• Dada Dharmadhikari
• Prahlad Keshav Atre alias Acharya Atre
• Nanaji Deshmukh,
• Nana Dharmadhikari
• Baba Amte
• Dr Prakash Amte and Dr Mandakini Amte - 2008 Magsaysay Award winners
• K. B. Hedgewar, founder of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)

Sports

• Rahul Dravid, cricketer
• Sunil Joshi, cricketer
• Nilesh Kulkarni, cricketer
• Raju Kulkarni, cricketer
• Shubhangi Kulkarni, cricketer
• Praveen Thipsay, chess grandmaster
• Dhawal Kulkarni, cricketer

Historic (rulers, adminstrators and soldiers)

• Dadoji Kondadev - 1600s - Administrator of Pune Jahagir of Shahaji Raje Bhosale.
• Moropant Pingle -1600s - 'Peshwe' in Shivaji Maharaj's Asthapradhan mandal
• Bapuji Mudgal Deshpande- Military officer in Shivaji Raje's Army
• Chimanaji Deshpande-Military officer in Shivaji Raje's Army
• Ramchandra Pant Amatya- Amatya, writer of Adnyapatra, Founder of Bawadekar Sansthan
• Pantpratindhi- rulers of Aundh Sansthan (princely state)
• Pantsachiv- rulers of Bhor Sansthan (princely state)
• Sir Madhava Rao Thanjavurkar (1829–1891) - Diwan of Travancore from 1857 to 1872. A Thanjavur Marathi.
• Thanjavur Subha Rao, Diwan of Travancore in the 1830s.
• T. Ananda Rao (1852–1919), Indian administrator. Diwan of Mysore from 1909 to 1912. Son of Sir T. Madhava Rao.
• V. P. Madhava Rao (1850–1934), Indian administrator. Diwan of Mysore from 1906 to 1909 and Baroda from 1910 to 1913.
• Tantya Tope (1814–1859), General in Peshwa's Army. Known as Ablest General who fought in First War of Indian Independence (1857)

Politics

• Shivaram Rajguru, - (1908–1931) Indian revolutionary
• B. S. Moonje - Hindu Mahasabha leader
• Keshav Rao Koratkar, political, social and educational reforms in princely State of Hyderabad.
• Ram Kapse former BJP MP and Lieutenant Governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (2004–2006)
• Raghunath Vinayak Dhulekar, Member of Parliament, Jhansi(1952), Speaker, Vidhan Parishad, Uttar Pradesh(1958)
• Madhu Dandavate Member of Socialist Party, Former Railways & Finance minister of India
• Manohar Joshi, Chief Minister of Maharashtra State(1995–1999) and Speaker of Lok Sabha (2001–2004)
• Pramod Mahajan, former BJP MP and Telecommunications Minister of India
• Ram Naik, former BJP MP and Railway Minister of India
• Sharad Joshi, Farmer's Movement leader, member of Rajya Sabha
• Shripat Amrit Dange, Leader of Communist Party in India

Saints

• Dnyaneshwar (1275–1296) marathi saint, poet, philosopher and a yogi of Nath tradition.
• Samarth Ramdasa 17th-century Hindu saint from Maharashtra, who was a devotee of Lord Rama and the spiritual guru of Shivaji
• Eknath (1533–1599)
• Bahinabai(1628–1700)
• Narasimha Saraswati (1378–1458)
• Swami Samarth He is from the tradition of several sages in the Dattatreya sampradaya

Music

• Bal Gandharva, singer and famous actor of Marathi Theatre
• Pt. Bhimsen Joshi (1922–2011), khayal singer of the Kirana Gharana and Bharat Ratna awardee
• Dr. Prabha Atre
• Dr Vasantrao Deshpande
• Dr. Pandit Chandrakant Sardeshmukh, Sitar player
• Sawai Gandharva, singer
• Rahul Deshpande
• Vamanrao Deshpande
• Satyashil Deshpande

Law

• Y.V.Chandrachud, Chief Justice, Supreme Court of India

Government officers

• N. Vittal, former Chief Vigilance Commissioner, Government of India
• Smt. Durgabai Deshmukh, Member, Planning Commission

Cinema and theatre

• Bal Gandharva(Narayan Shripad Rajhans) - Legendary actor from Marathi stage. Famous for doing female part in musical dramas.
• C. Ramchandra alias Anna Chitalkar (1918–1982), Hindi and Marathi film music director
• Sonali Kulkarni Bollywood, Marathi movie and theatre actress
• Gayatri Joshi model and Bollywood actress (Swades)
• Atul Kulkarni Bollywood & Marathi movie actor. Recipient of four National Awards for acting
• Sadashiv Amrapurkar actor from Marathi theatre and Marathi and Hindi movies
• Mrinal Dev-Kulkarni, actress from Marathi theatre, movies and serials
• Rahul Deshpande Painter, Illustrator, Designer
• Mamta Kulkarni, Bollywood movie actor
• Sonali Bendre, Bollywood Actress
• Anusha Dandekar, MTV VJ
• Tara Deshpande, Bollywood Actress
• Amruta Khanvilkar, Mrathi Actress
• Urmila Kanetkar
• Mukta Barve