{ Home }-{ About Raja Deen Dayal - Biography }-{ Photography in India }-{ Photo Gallery } { Appointments & Awards }-{ Postal Stamp Release }-{ Newspaper Articles }-{ Contact Us } The doyen of Indian Photographers, Raja Deen Dayal was born in 1844 at Sardhana in Meerut in United Provinces. He received technical education at Thomason Civil Engineering College in Roorkee after which he joined as head estimator and draftsmen in the Public Works Department at Indore. The ruler of Indore, Maharaja Tukoji II, encouraged him to set up his studio there. Sir Henry Daly the Agent to the Governor General encouraged him. According to his Memoirs he was thus able to obtain the patronage of Lord North brook the Governor General of India in 1874. He accompanied Sir Lepel Griffin in his central India tour during which he photographed views of Gwalior, Khajraho and other sites in Central India. In 1896 he expanded his business and opened the largest photography studio in Bombay, which was patronized by the Indians as well as the British. The Nizam visited his studio at Bombay and invited him to Hyderabad. He established a Photographic Studio in Secunderabad. The Nizam Mahaboob Ali Pasha, Nizam VI was photographed by Raja Deen Dayal during his Shikars/Wedding Ceremonies, visits by foreign royalty. The Nizam of Hyderabad conferred of him the Title of Raja Musavir Jung Bahadur and a Mansab. Raja Deendayal had two sons Gyanchand and Dharamchand assisting him. Dharmchand died in 1904 and this was a grievous loss to him. Besides the Nizam, Raja Deen Dayal photographed various British, Military exercises, the visit of King George V, then Prince of Wales. He also accompanied the Nizam VI to Delhi for the Durbar in 1903. He was honored in 1885 by Lord Dufferin and appointed official photographer to the Viceroy and also to successive viceroys like Earl Elgin and Duke of Connaught. He had a unique honor of being appointed as Photographer to Her Majesty and Queen by Queen Victoria in 1887. He received numerous awards in exhibitions in India and abroad notable the World Colombian Commission in 1893 in USA. He passed away on 5th July 1905. His son Gyan Chand continued his work in Hyderabad studio and subsequently his sons Trilok Chand, Hukum Chand and Ami Chand continued the business in Hyderabad. Later the firm was run by Hukum Chand and Ami Chand as partners and subsequently after family partitions the firm Messrs Raja Deen Dayal & Sons came to Naresh Chand Deen Dayal, son of Hukum Chand, who was the Sole Propritor of the firm. He passed away in 2007 and today is run by his son Vinit Deen Dayal who alongwith this business gradually has diversified into digital imaging & audio visual presentation equipments which was a natural transition from still photography to digital imaging. This business is run under the name and style of M/s Avitronics Projection Pvt Ltd. To know more about this company, please visit www.avitronics.in © 2010 Raja Deen Dayal. All Rights Reserved.