Dr. Y. S. Parmar : First Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh. Laid the foundation stone of the War Memorial in Dharamshala in 1972. Efforts contributed to the opening of the Shimla office of the Labour Bureau.

Prem Kumar Dhumal : Former Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh. Inaugurated the Amtaar cricket stadium in 2009. Dedicated the Dhumal Sewa Sadan in Chandigarh in 2011. The campaign for Annandale was backed by the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) led by him.

Shanta Kumar : Former Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh and Union Minister. Dedicated the War Memorial in Dharamshala to the Nation in 1977.

Guru Gobind Singh : The tenth Sikh Guru. Defeated Raja Fateh Shah of Garhwal at Bhangani. The Gobind Sagar reservoir (Bhakra Dam) is named after him. Paonta Sahib is a city sacred to his memory; he spent over four years there and wrote the Dasam Granth.

Baba Kanshi Ram (“Pahari Gandhi”) : Important freedom fighter from Himachal Pradesh. Churah was his abode.

Nicholas Roerich : Russian painter, writer, and philosopher who settled in Naggar, Kullu Valley. Known for his ethereal paintings of the Himalayas. Established the Urusvati Himalayan Research Institute in Kullu. The Roerich Art Gallery in Naggar showcases his works. Advocated for the Roerich Peace Pact for protecting cultural treasures.

The 14th Dalai Lama (Tenzin Gyatso) : Spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism. Resides in Dharamshala (Macleod Ganj), which is the headquarters of the Tibetan government-in-exile. Gifted the ‘Sword of Wisdom’ to the Thakur of Gondla.

Raja Sansar Chand : A famous Katoch dynasty ruler of Kangra. Kangra Fort came under his control for a period.

Lord Dalhousie : Governor-General of India. Chini (now Kalpa) in Kinnaur was a favorite resort for him.

Dev Anand : Famous Indian film actor, director, and producer. Had his education from Government School, Dharamshala.

Ram Singh Thakur : From Ghanyara (near Dharamshala). Composed the inspirational song of the Azad Hind Fauj (“Kadam Kadam Badhaye Ja”).

Charles Pratt Kennedy : British political agent. Credited by one account with naming Annandale in Shimla after a lady named Anna from England, around 1822.

Mortimer Durand : Started the Durand Football Tournament, Asia’s oldest football tournament, at Annandale, Shimla, in 1888.

Lord Elgin II : Governor-General of India. Died in Dharamshala (Chauntra) and was cremated at St. John in the Wilderness Church, Dharamshala, in 1863.

Maharshi Vyas : The traditional author of the Mahabharata. Believed to have meditated in Vyas Gufa (cave) in Bilaspur. The town of Bilaspur is believed to have been originally named Vyaspur after him.

Lord Kitchener : Commander-in-Chief of the British Indian forces. Built the Wildflower Hall near Shimla as his residence in 1905.

Samuel Evans Stokes, Jr. (later Satyananda Stokes) : American Quaker who settled in Kotgarh, Himachal Pradesh. He is credited with introducing apple cultivation (Delicious variety) to the region, revolutionizing the local economy. Participated in the Indian Independence Movement and was the only American member of the All India Congress Committee (AICC).

Norah Richards : Irish-born theatre practitioner, often called the “Mother of Punjabi Drama.” Settled in Andretta, Kangra Valley, and made significant contributions to rural and Punjabi theatre.

Sardar Sobha Singh : Prominent artist who settled in Andretta, Kangra Valley. Famous for his paintings of Sikh Gurus (especially Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh), Punjabi folk legends (Sohni Mahiwal, Heer Ranjha), and national heroes. Awarded Padma Shri in 1983. The Sobha Singh Art Gallery in Andretta displays his works.

Amrita Sher-Gil : Eminent Indian modernist painter. Born in Budapest, she spent parts of her life in Shimla (Summer Hill). Her work often portrayed the lives of Indian women. Died at a young age in Lahore.

Chandradhar Sharma Guleri : Noted Hindi writer from Guler, Himachal Pradesh. Famous for his short story “Usne Kaha Tha.” Also wrote “Sukhmay Jeevan” and “Buddhu Ka Kanta.”

Nawab of Bhavalpur : Built the Alhilal palace in Alhilal (Kangra) in 1933, which served as his summer capital.

Maharani Tara : Wife of Maharaja Hari Singh of Jammu. Took possession of Alhilal in 1949.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee : Former Prime Minister of India. The Amtaar cricket stadium in Nadaun (Kangra) is named after him.

Raja Fateh Shah of Garhwal : Was defeated by Guru Gobind Singh at the Battle of Bhangani.

Deepak Mahajan : Identified Billing in Kangra Valley as a suitable site for hang gliding and paragliding in 1978.

Raja Jagat Singh : Ruler of Nurpur. Defeated the advancing army of Gulam Quadir Rohilla at Katasan Devi temple near Dhaula Kuan (Sirmaur) and built the temple in gratitude.

Raja Man Singh of Kullu : Ruler of Kullu. Believed to have built the Gondla castle in Lahaul around 1700 AD and stayed there in 1720 AD.

Raja Karma Prakash : Founded Nahan as his capital in 1621.

Raja Basu : Ruler of Dhameri. Renamed Dhameri to Nurpur in respect of Mughal Empress Noor Jahan.

Noor Jahan : Mughal Empress. The town of Nurpur was named in her honor by Raja Basu.

Sir Henry Lawrence & Honoria Lawrence : Founded the Lawrence School, Sanawar, near Kasauli, in 1847.

Maharaja Ranjit Singh : Sikh ruler. After his death, the political landscape of the hill states, including control over areas like Rehlu, underwent changes involving the British and local rulers.

Raja Meru Varman : Early ruler of Chamba (circa 700 AD). His master artist, Gugga, executed the brass statue of Lakshna Devi as Mahishasuramardini at Bharmour (Manimahesh area).

Birbal : Courtier of Mughal Emperor Akbar. Said to have lived in Rehlu (Chamba/Kangra region) for some time.

Vijay Uppal : Chief Architect of the eco-friendly Nirman Bhawan (Himachal Pradesh Public Works Department building in Shimla).

Mehr Chand Mahajan : Third Chief Justice of India. Served as the Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir during the accession to India. Played a role in defining the boundary of Punjab through the Radcliffe Commission.

Virbhadra Singh : Longest-serving Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, holding office for six terms. A prominent leader of the Indian National Congress.

Thakur Ram Lal : Former Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh.

Jai Ram Thakur : Former Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, representing the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu : Current Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh (as of December 2022), representing the Indian National Congress. Known for involvement in advocating for social and economic development.

Padam Dev (Shri Padam Dev) : Prominent freedom fighter from Himachal Pradesh. Associated with the Praja Mandal movement.

Shivanand Ramaul : Freedom fighter from Himachal Pradesh, active in the Praja Mandal movement.

Captain Vikram Batra : Indian Army officer from Palampur, Himachal Pradesh. Posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra, India’s highest military honor, for his actions during the 1999 Kargil War.

Vijay Kumar (Shooter) : Sport shooter from Harsour village, Hamirpur district. Won a silver medal in the 25m rapid-fire pistol event at the 2012 London Olympics. Awarded Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, Padma Shri, and Arjuna Award.

Ajay Thakur : Professional kabaddi player from Dabhota, Nalagarh, Himachal Pradesh. Former captain of the Indian national kabaddi team. Awarded Padma Shri and Arjuna Award.

Shiva Keshavan : Six-time Winter Olympian representing India in luge. Hails from Manali.

Anupam Kher : Acclaimed Indian actor and former Chairman of the Film and Television Institute of India. Born in Shimla.

Rudyard Kipling : British author, Nobel laureate. Spent several summers in Shimla, which served as an inspiration and setting for some of his works, including ‘Kim’ and stories in ‘Plain Tales from the Hills’.

Yashpal (Writer) : Prominent Hindi writer and essayist, known for his revolutionary leanings. Born in Ferozepur Cantonment, Punjab, his ancestral village was in Hamirpur district, Himachal Pradesh.

Nirmal Verma : Respected Hindi writer, novelist, activist, and translator. Born in Shimla.

Vijay Sharma (Artist) : Contemporary miniature artist from Chamba, Himachal Pradesh. Known for reviving Pahari miniature painting, particularly the Basohli and Kangra schools. Founder of Shilpa Parishad.

Bipan Chandra : Historian, born in Kangra Valley. Specialized in economic and political history of modern India.

Idries Shah : Author and teacher in the Sufi tradition. Born in Shimla.

Ida Alexa Ross Wylie : Australian-British-American novelist, short-story writer, and poet. Wrote several books with Indian settings, such as “The Hermit Doctor of Gaya.” (Connection to Himachal specifically is not prominent in snippets).