Renowned photographer Raghu Rai passes away: A look at his early life, career and awards

Raghu Rai, the renowned photographer and photojournalist, has passed away at the age of 83. His family confirmed the news through a post on his Instagram profile. He is survived by his wife Gurmeet, his son Nitin, and his daughters Lagan, Avani, and Purvai. The last rites are scheduled to take place at Lodhi Crematorium at 4 pm on Sunday.

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Born on 18 December 1942 in Jhang, a village in Punjab, Raghu Rai was introduced to photography by his elder brother, Sharampal Chowdhry, widely known as S. Paul, who first put a camera in his hands.


Raghu Rai began his photography skills in 1962, and by 1965, he had joined The Statesman in New Delhi as its chief photographer.

Raghu Rai left The Statesman in 1976 to take up the role of picture editor at Sunday, a weekly publication from Calcutta. Earlier, after being impressed by an exhibition of his work in Paris in 1971, Henri Cartier-Bresson nominated Rai to join Magnum Photos in 1977.

The scale of Raghu Rai’s work is remarkable. He produced over 18 books, including Raghu Rai’s Delhi, The Sikhs, Calcutta, Khajuraho, Taj Mahal, Tibet in Exile, India, and Mother Teresa.

In 1972, Raghu Rai was honoured with the Padma Shri, one of India’s highest civilian awards, for his coverage of the Bangladesh War. He was named Photographer of the Year in the United States in 1992. Later, in 2019, he received the Académie des Beaux-Arts Photography Award, and in 2017, he was conferred a Lifetime Achievement Award by India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.