Tributes have poured in for one of India’s most acclaimed photographers, Raghu Rai, who passed away in Delhi, with many remembering him for his powerful work documenting the country’s defining historical moments, social realities and everyday life with rare depth and sensitivity.

He died at the age of 83 after a two-year battle with cancer, his family said on Sunday.

The news of his death was confirmed via a post on his Instagram profile, featuring a black-and-white portrait in the style of his photography. “With deep sorrow, we regret to inform you of the passing of our beloved,” the post read.

One of India’s foremost photographers, Rai worked as a photojournalist for over five decades, documenting key historical moments such as the Bangladesh Liberation War, the Emergency, Operation Blue Star, and the Bhopal disaster, as well as capturing intimate portraits of figures including Mother Teresa, Satyajit Ray, Indira Gandhi and the Dalai Lama.

Born on 18 December 1942, in undivided India’s Punjab, Rai was a civil engineer who was introduced to the medium by his brother, photographer S Paul, during a professional break. His foray into photography six decades ago was a fortunate coincidence, as his first image – a picture of a donkey looking directly into the lens – was published in The Times of London after his brother was impressed by it.

“I tried to get closer, but when I was about 10 feet away, the donkey started running and the children started laughing,” Rai told Guardian in an interview four decades later.

He said he chased the donkey for three hours, and later, when they both got tired, the donkey “stood there so I got closer and took the shot”.

“The [prize] money I got was enough to live on for a month,” said Rai. “I thought, ‘This is not a bad idea, man!’”

On Sunday, many described his passing as the “end of an era” as his colleagues, friends and others remembered him for his work, dedication and enthusiasm.

Politician and former diplomat Shashi Tharoor said he was “deeply saddened” by Rai’s death, calling him “one of the world’s finest visual storytellers”.

Recalling a personal connection from his childhood, when Rai worked with his father at The Statesman newspaper, he said the photographer was not just a global figure but “the man with the gentle smile and the observant eye”.

To the world, he said, Rai was “an incomparable master” who “captured the pulsating heart and soul of India” - from the aftermath of the Bhopal disaster to intimate portraits of Mother Teresa and Indira Gandhi.

“Raghu Rai did not just photograph India; he lived it, and through his lens, he made us feel its pulse,” he added.

Orator Joy Bhattacharjya shared one of Rai’s photographs of former prime minister Indira Gandhi, saying India had lost “its finest visual chronicler”.

“Rest in peace, Raghu Rai sir – nobody captured the India in which we grew up better than you. This is just one of the many stunning images you bequeathed us,” he wrote.

Historian William Dalrymple, who described Rai as a friend and mentor, said he was “not just India’s greatest photographer but also one of its most beloved, generous and wonderful men”.

“His book on Delhi was the first I ever bought about the city, and it was he who first taught me how to look at it and pin it to paper,” he said. “Later, he became the kindest of friends. I adored him – his warmth, energy and wild enthusiasm. Om Shanti... he will be much, much missed.”

Rai was awarded the Padma Shri in 1972 for his coverage of the Bangladesh war and its aftermath.

His work caught the attention of Henri Cartier-Bresson, who nominated him to join the prestigious Magnum Photos in 1977 – placing him among a select group shaping global photojournalism.

He later received the Photographer of the Year award in the United States for his photo essay Human Management of Wildlife in India, published in National Geographic. The French government conferred on him the Officier des Arts et des Lettres in 2009.

Among Rai’s most haunting images is his photograph from the aftermath of the Bhopal disaster – a toxic gas leak that killed an estimated 22,000 people. The image shows the face of a child, partially buried in the earth, eyes closed in death. It became one of the defining visual records of the tragedy, capturing both its vast scale and intimate human cost of the deadliest industrial disaster in India.

The Press Club of India, of which Rai was a member, said he leaves behind a vast body of work spanning decades that will continue to be celebrated.

“His commitment and contribution to his craft will be remembered with deep respect. At this juncture, we extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and colleagues,” it wrote.

“He didn’t just take pictures, he preserved the memory of our nation,” said Rahul Gandhi, leader of the opposition in India.

Over the decades, his work has been exhibited in major galleries and institutions across Europe and North America, and published in leading international magazines.

While less commercially prominent than some Western contemporaries, Rai will remain widely regarded within global photography circles as a central figure in documentary practice and as a visual chronicler of India.

Rai said in 2010 he was not “proud” of everything he has achieved, but it’s fulfilling to know one is going deeper into the layers of complexity of my country …”.

“I like being among my own people. I merge with them. I don’t carry camera bags, I don’t wear stylish clothes. I have one camera with a zoom lens so I am not alarming people; no one is saying, 'Here comes a photographer!’”