Rajan Devadas: Difference between revisions

| image = PADMA SHRI RAJAN DEVADAS.jpg

'''Rajan Devadas''' (1921-2014) was an Indian American [[photojournalist]]<ref name="The Hindu">{{cite webnews | url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/devadas-chronicler-of-indiaus-ties-dead/article6733064.ece | title=The Hindu | publisher=The Hindu | date=29 December 2014 | accessdateaccess-date=January 30, January 2015}}</ref><ref name="Rajan Devadas playing Indian national anthem">{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6q1oBfpZrVE | title=Rajan Devadas playing Indian national anthem | publisher=The American Bazaar | work=[[YouTube]] video | date=26 December 2014 | accessdateaccess-date=January 30, January 2015}}</ref><ref name="Hindustan Times">{{cite web | url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/indian-american-photojournalist-rajan-devadas-dies-in-us/article1-1301168.aspx | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141228174321/http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/indian-american-photojournalist-rajan-devadas-dies-in-us/article1-1301168.aspx | url-status=dead | archive-date=28 December 2014 | title=Hindustan Times | publisher=Hindustan Times | date=28 December 2014 | accessdateaccess-date=January 30, January 2015}}</ref> and [[Gandhian]],<ref name="KAGW">{{cite web | url=http://www.kagw.com/?q=content/pioneer-year-padma-shri-rajan-devadas | title=KAGW | publisher=KAGW | date=2014 | accessdateaccess-date=January 31, January 2015}}</ref> known for his visual coverage of [[India–United States relations]] for over 50 years.<ref name="Jagaran Josh">{{cite web | url=http://www.jagranjosh.com/current-affairs/rajan-devadas-an-acclaimed-indianamerican-photojournalist-died-1419836457-1 | title=Jagaran Josh | publisher=Jagaran Josh | date=29 December 2014 | accessdateaccess-date=January 30, January 2015}}</ref><ref name="Washington Post">{{cite webnews | url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/washingtonpost/obituary.aspx?pid=173685779 | title=Rajan Devadas | publishernewspaper=Washington Post | date=1 January 2015 | accessdateaccess-date=January 30, January 2015}}</ref><ref name="The American Bazaar">{{cite web | url=http://www.americanbazaaronline.com/2014/12/26/acclaimed-indian-american-photojournalist-rajan-devadas-passes-away/ | title=The American Bazaar | publisher=The American Bazaar | date=26 December 2014 | accessdateaccess-date=January 30, January 2015}}</ref><ref name="Zee News">{{cite web | url=http://zeenews.india.com/news/india/indian-american-photojournalist-rajan-devadas-dies-in-us_1521647.html | title=Zee News | publisher=Zee News | date=2015 | accessdateaccess-date=January 30, January 2015}}</ref><ref name="His work was inspiring, and as a human being, Rajan Devadas was fascinating">{{cite journal | url=http://www.americanbazaaronline.com/2015/01/05/work-inspiring-human-rajan-devadas-fascinating/ | title=His work was inspiring, and as a human being, Rajan Devadas was fascinating | author=Jayshal Sood | journal=The American Bazaar |date=January 2015 }}</ref> He was the first accredited White House photographer of Indian origin.<ref name="KAGW" /> Devadas was honored by the [[Government of India]], in 2002, with the fourth highest [[Indian honours system|Indian civilian award]] of [[Padma Shri]].<ref name="Padma Awards">{{cite web | url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf | title=Padma Awards | publisher=Padma Awards | date=2015 | accessdateaccess-date=November 11, November 2014}}</ref>

Rajan Devadas was born in 1921 in [[Thiruvananthapuram]],<ref name="The American Bazaar" /><ref name="GK Today">{{cite web | url=http://currentaffairs.gktoday.in/rajan-devadas-admired-indian-american-photojournalists-passes-12201416782.html | title=GK Today | publisher=GK Today | date=2015 | accessdate=January 31, 2015}}</ref> in the Southernsouthern tippart of the Indian state of [[Kerala]].<ref name="The Hindu" /><ref name="Hindustan Times" /><ref name="Jagaran Josh" /> The death of his father made him to shift to Kolkata and then to the temple town of [[Varanasi]] in [[Uttar Pradesh]] where he grew up.<ref name="KAGW" /><ref name="The American Bazaar" /> He studied at the [[Banares Hindu University]],<ref name="The Hindu" /><ref name="Hindustan Times" /> and after graduating from there, he joined the university as an administrative assistant.<ref name="The Hindu" /><ref name="Hindustan Times" /><ref name="The American Bazaar" /> He was a member of the [[Indian National Congress]] and was known to have participated in the [[Indian freedom movement]].<ref name="KAGW" /> Later, with the help of a few of his friends, he secured a scholarship in 1954 to study at the [[Pendle Hill Quaker Center for Study and Contemplation]] for a one-year course.<ref name="Hindustan Times" /><ref name="Washington Post">{{cite web | url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/washingtonpost/obituary.aspx?pid=173685779 | title=Washington Post | publisher=Washington Post | date=1 January 2015 | accessdate=January 30, 2015}}</ref> Towards the end of the year, he boarded a ship to US and reached New York in January 1955.<ref name="The Hindu" /><ref name="My voyage to America">{{cite journal | url=http://www.americanbazaaronline.com/2014/12/28/rajan-devadas-voyage-america/ | title=My voyage to America | author=Rajan Devadas | journal=The American Bazaar |date=December 2014 }}</ref>

After completing the Pendle Hill Quaker course, Devadas joined the [[University of Pennsylvania]] for two semesters<ref{{Citation nameneeded|date="GKMarch Today" />2019}} and later at the [[Temple University]] for further studies.<ref name="Washington Post" /><ref name="The American Bazaar" /> This was followed by two courses at the [[New School for Social Research]], New York, one journalism and the other in public relations.<ref name="Hindustan Times" /><ref name="Washington Post" /><ref name="The American Bazaar" /><ref name="GK Today" /> During his time at the institute, he developed a fascination for photography<ref name="The American Bazaar" /> and, on completion of the courses, joined the [[Embassy of India, Washington, D.C.|Indian Embassy]] in Washington as the official photographer.<ref name="Hindustan Times" />

Devadas covered most of the major functions related to [[India–United States relations]] during his service with the Indian Embassy<ref name="Formaa">{{cite web | url=http://fomaa.com/newsandevents/padmasree-rajan-devadas-a-most-acclaimed-indian-american-photojournalist-passes-away/ | title=Formaa | publisher=Formaa | date=2015 | accessdateaccess-date=31 January 31, 2015}}</ref> which included all the visits by Indian Prime Ministers to US from [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] to [[Manmohan Singh]].<ref name="The Hindu" /><ref name="Hindustan Times" /><ref name="Jagaran Josh" /><ref name="Washington Post" /><ref name="The American Bazaar" /><ref name="Zee News" /> He was reported to have photographed all the US Presidents from [[John F. Kennedy]] to [[George W. Bush]].<ref name="The Hindu" /><ref name="Hindustan Times" /><ref name="Jagaran Josh" /><ref name="Washington Post" /><ref name="The American Bazaar" /><ref name="Zee News" /><ref name="GK Today" /> He also photographed many world leaders such as [[Margaret Thatcher]], [[Sheikh Mujibur Rahman]], [[Pope John Paul II|Pope John Paul]], [[Dalai Lama]], [[Mother Teresa]] and [[J. R. Jayewardene]].<ref name="Jagaran Josh" /><ref name="The American Bazaar" /><ref name="Formaa" /><ref name="GK Today" /> Many leading media houses such as ''[[India Abroad]]'', ''[[The Economic Times|Economic Times]]'', ''[[India Today]]'', [[Press Trust of India]], ''[[Times of India]]'', ''[[Illustrated Weekly of India]]'', ''[[The Hindu]]'', ''[[Hindustan Times]]'', ''[[New York Times]]'', ''[[Washington Post]]'', [[UPI]], [[Reuters]] and [[Al Ahram]] have published photos taken by Devadas.<ref name="Washington Post" /><ref name="The American Bazaar" /> An exhibition of his photos was organized at the [[Capital Children's Museum]] in Washington in 1989.<ref name="Washington Post" />

Devadas died at age 93, on 26 December 2014, succumbing to a cardiac arrest<ref name="The American Bazaar" /> at his home at [[Hebrew Home for the Aged|Hebrew Home]] of [[Greater Washington]] in [[Rockville, Maryland]].<ref name="The Hindu" /><ref name="Hindustan Times" /><ref name="Jagaran Josh" /><ref name="Washington Post" /><ref name="Zee News" /> He left behind his wife, Kimiko, two daughters, Kamal Cohen and Mina Devadas and six sons, Thambi, Anand, Asoka, Shyam, Arjun and Prem.<ref name="Hindustan Times" /><ref name="Jagaran Josh" /><ref name="Washington Post" /><ref name="Zee News" />

He was awarded the civilian honour of [[Padma Shri]]<ref name="The American Bazaar" /><ref name="Zee News" /><ref name="GK Today" /> by the [[Government of India]] in 2002.<ref name="The Hindu" /><ref name="Jagaran Josh" /><ref name="Washington Post" /> The civil investiture ceremony was held in Chicago as he was unable to travel to India due to failing health.<ref name="Hindustan Times" /><ref name="The American Bazaar" /><ref name="Zee News" />{{portalPortal|India|Journalism|Kerala}}

{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

* {{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6q1oBfpZrVE | title=Rajan Devadas playing Indian national anthem | publisher=The American Bazaar | work=[[YouTube]] video | date=26 December 2014 | accessdateaccess-date=January 30, January 2015}}