| Name | Padma Bhushan |
|---|---|
| Type | Civilian Awards |
| Award For | Distinguished Service of a High order |
| Award By | Goverment of India |
| First | 1954 |
| Last | 26th January 2026 |
| Status | Active |
| Country | India |
1956's list of 13 recipients is distinguished by two legendary sportspeople: hockey icon Dhyan Chand and cricketer Cottari Kanakaiyah Nayudu (C. K. Nayudu), India's first Test cricket captain. Dance reformer Rukmini Devi Arundale represented the arts, while physician and social reformer Muthulakshmi Reddi, India's first woman legislator, was honored for medicine. This was a notably sports-heavy year compared to others in the decade, alongside strong representation from Tamil Nadu-based literary and scientific honorees such as writer Mahadevi Varma.
The Padma Bhushan is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, preceded by the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan and followed by the Padma Shri. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is given for "distinguished service of a high order, without distinction of race, occupation, position or sex".
This Winners List features 13 winners of the Padma Bhushan Award 1956, in 1956.
| Image | Year | Recipient Name | Gender | State, Country | Fields |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1956 |
Rukmini Devi Arundale
|
female | Tamil Nadu, India | Arts |
|
1956 |
Rajshekhar Basu
|
male | West Bengal, India | Literature & Education |
|
1956 |
Dhyan Chand
|
male | Punjab, India | Sports |
|
1956 |
Malur Srinivasa Thirumale Iyengar
|
male | Tamil Nadu, India | Civil Service |
|
1956 |
Nawab Zain Yar Jung
|
male | Telangana, India | Public Affairs |
|
1956 |
Pushpavati Janardanrai Mehta
|
female | Maharashtra, India | Public Affairs |
|
1956 |
Cottari Kanakaiyah Nayudu
|
male | Tamil Nadu, India | Sports |
|
1956 |
Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddi
|
female | Tamil Nadu, India | Medicine |
|
|
1956 |
Kanwar Sain
|
male | Rajasthan, India | Civil Service |
|
1956 |
Bhai Vir Singh
|
male | Punjab, India | Literature & Education |
|
1956 |
Kasturi Srinivasan
|
male | Punjab, India | Literature & Education |
|
1956 |
Mahadevi Varma
Also won:
Padma Vibhushan
|
female | Uttar Pradesh, India | Literature & Education |
|
1956 |
Dr. Tiruvadi Sambasiva Venkatraman
|
male | Tamil Nadu, India | Science & Engineering |
This chart groups 13 Padma Bhushan Award 1956 winners by Gender, across 2 distinct entries — male leads with 9 wins.
This chart groups 13 Padma Bhushan Award 1956 winners by Fields, across 7 distinct entries — Literature & Education leads with 4 wins.
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