The following is a list of notable people from

Madurai Madurai ( , also , ) is a major city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai District. As of the 2011 census, it was the third largest Urban agglomeration in ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

Religious figures

* Manikkavacakar *

Mangayarkkarasiyar Mangayarkkarasiyar (Tamil:மங்கையர்க்கரசியார்) was one of the 63 Nayanmars or holy Saivite saints who are revered in South India. She is one among the only three women who attained this distinction. Her devotion ...

Kulachirai Nayanar Kulachirai Nayanar was a minister of the Pandyan king, Koon Pandyan, and one of the 63 Nayanars mentioned in the ''Periya Puranam''. Birth and Life Kulachirai Nayanar was born into a noble family in Manamelkudi in the Pandyan Kingdom. He bec ...

* Santhananda *

Bodhisena Bodhisena or Bodaisenna (704–760) was a South Indian Tamil Buddhist scholar and monk known for traveling to Japan and establishing the Kegon school, the Japanese transmission of the Huayan school of Chinese Buddhism. His stay has been noted in t ...

Chithalai Chathanar Satthanar or Chithalai Satthanar ( ta, சாத்தனார் or சீத்தலைச் சாத்தனார், ''cītalai cāttanār'') was the Tamil poet who composed the epic Manimekalai. A total of 11 verses of the Sangam liter ...

Scholars

Vida Dutton Scudder Julia Vida Dutton Scudder (1861–1954) was an American educator, writer, and welfare activist in the social gospel movement. Early life She was born in Madurai, India, on December 15, 1861, the only child of David Coit Scudder (of the Scudder ...

* Augustus De Morgan *

S. Subramania Iyer Sir Subbier Subramania Iyer ( ta, சுப்பையர் சுப்பிரமணிய ஐயர்; 1 October 1842 – 5 December 1924) was an Indian lawyer, jurist and freedom fighter who, along with Annie Besant, founded the Home ...

Solomon Pappaiah Solomon Pappaiah (Tamil:சாலமன் பாப்பையா) (born 22 February 1936), also known as Solomon Pappiah and Salomon Pappayah is an Indian scholar and a television icon in Tamil Nadu, India. He is best known for moderating d ...

Ganapathy Baskaran Ganapathy Baskaran is an Indian theoretical physicist, known for his work on condensed matter physics and strongly correlated quantum materials. Baskaran is an Emeritus Professor of physics at the Institute of Mathematical Sciences in Chennai ...

* Sridhar Sundar Raman

Dancers

* Rukmini Devi Arundale -

Bharatanatyam Bharatanatyam () is a major form of Indian classical dance that originated in Tamil Nadu. It is one of the eight widely recognized Indian classical dance forms, and expresses South Indian religious themes and spiritual ideas, particularly of S ...

Dancer, Founder Kalakshetra *

Anita Ratnam Anita Ratnam (born 21 May 1954) is an Indian classical and contemporary dancer and choreographer. Classically trained in Bharat Natyam, she has also received formal training in Kathakali, Mohiniattam, and T'ai chi and Kalarippayattu, thus c ...

- Indian classical and contemporary dancer. * Sridhar Sundar Raman - Classical Belly Dancer

Entrepreneurs and business leaders

Karumuttu Thiagarajan Chettiar Karumuttu Thiagarajan Chettiar (16 June 1893 – 29 July 1974), often called the 'Textile King ' or 'Textile Baron ', was an Indian independence activist, industrialist and the founder of Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Thiagarajar school of ...

Indian independence activist The Indian independence movement consisted of efforts by individuals and organizations from a wide spectrum of society to obtain political independence from the British, French and Portuguese rule through the use of a many methods. This is a l ...

, industrialist and the founder of

Thiagarajar College of Engineering Thiagarajar College of Engineering (TCE) is a Government-aided institution located in Thiruparankundram, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is affiliated to Anna University, Madurai. History Thiagarajar College of Engineering is one of several edu ...

and Thiagarajar school of management *

Sundar Pichai Pichai Sundararajan (born June 10, 1972), better known as Sundar Pichai (), is an Indian-American business executive. He is the chief executive officer (CEO) of Alphabet Inc. and its subsidiary Google. Born in Madurai, India, Pichai earned hi ...

- CEO of

Alphabet Inc. Alphabet Inc. is an American multinational technology conglomerate holding company headquartered in Mountain View, California. It was created through a restructuring of Google on October 2, 2015, and became the parent company of Google and sev ...

and its subsidiary

Google Inc. Google LLC () is an American multinational technology company focusing on search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, and consumer electronics. I ...

RajaShree Birla Rajashree Birla is an Indian philanthropist. She was married to Aditya Birla (scion of the Birla family of business magnates). After her husband's death in 1995, Rajashree began working in CSR and charity sectors, developing a large philanthr ...

-wife of Adhitya Birla

Journalists and Authors

* Chitra Bharucha-Former Vice Chairman of the

BBC Trust The BBC Trust was the governing body of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) between 2007 and 2017. It was operationally independent of BBC management and external bodies, and its stated aim was to make decisions in the best interests of ...

Social Activists

Gopi Shankar Madurai Gopi Shankar Madurai, born 13 April 1991, is an Indian equal rights and Indigenous rights activist. Shankar was one of the youngest, and the first openly intersex and genderqueer statutory authority and one of the candidates to contest in 201 ...

The Commonwealth The Commonwealth of Nations, simply referred to as the Commonwealth, is a political association of 56 member states, the vast majority of which are former territories of the British Empire. The chief institutions of the organisation are the ...

Awardee, Youngest candidate in the Tamil Nadu Assembly election and also the first openly

Intersex Intersex people are individuals born with any of several sex characteristics including chromosome patterns, gonads, or genitals that, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, "do not fit typical bina ...

Genderqueer Non-binary and genderqueer are umbrella terms for gender identities that are not solely male or femaleidentities that are outside the gender binary. Non-binary identities fall under the transgender umbrella, since non-binary people typically ...

person to do so. * S. Swapna - first Indian transgender to take the TNPSC recruitment exam for public service employees in the Tamil Nadu state * Narayanan Krishnan

Literature

Karmegha Konar Karmegha Konar () (27 December 1889 – 22 October 1957) was a popular Tamil poet and educator. He is colloquially known as Chennaa Pulavar, a title given to him by his peer and close friend Bharathidasan. He was the Chairman of the Tamil depar ...

* S. Abdul Rahman * S. Venkatesan * Kausalya Hart *

Muhammed Metha Muhammed Metha (born 5 September 1945) is a Tamil poet and songwriter. He was born in Theni in 1945. He popularised modern poetry (''Pudukavithai'') in the 1970s and has written more than 30 books, including novels, short stories and essays. ...

* Ba.Venkatesan * Dr.S.Tamilarasan (Madurai Sellur Upaathiyaayar)

Music

M.S. Subbulakshmi Madurai Shanmukhavadivu Subbulakshmi (16 September 1916 – 11 December 2004) was an Indian Carnatic music, Carnatic singer from Madurai, Tamil Nadu. She was the first musician ever to be awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian ...

* T. N. Seshagopalan * Madurai T. Srinivasan *

Madurai Mani Iyer Madurai Mani Iyer ( ta, மதுரை மணி ஐயர்; 25 October 1912 – 8 June 1968) was an Indian Carnatic music singer, who was famous for his unique style. He was one of the most highly celebrated carnatic vocalists during the fi ...

T. M. Soundararajan Thoguluva Meenatchi Iyengar Soundararajan (24 March 1923 – 25 May 2013), popularly known as TMS, was an Indian Carnatic musician and a playback singer in Tamil cinema for over six and a half decades. He sang over 10,138 songs from 3,162 fi ...

Ramnad Raghavan Ramnad V. Raghavan (19 June 1927 – 21 November 2009) was a player of the ''mridangam''. He was born in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India, to P. Vaidyanatha Ayyar of Kooniyur, Tirunelveli district, and Brhannayaki. His elder brother Ramnad Krishnan ...

Film Industry

Bharathiraja Bharathiraja (born 17 July 1941) is an Indian film director and actor who works mainly in the Tamil film industry. Making his debut in 1977 with ''16 Vayathinile'', he is known for realistic and sensitive portrayals of rural life in his films. ...

Ilaiyaraaja Ilaiyaraaja (born R. Gnanathesikan, 3 June 1943) is an Indian musician, composer, arranger, conductor, orchestrator, instrumentalist, lyricist and singer, popular for his works in Indian Cinema, prominently in Tamil films. Reputed to be one of ...

Maniratnam Gopala Ratnam Subramaniam (born 2 June 1956), known professionally as Mani Ratnam, is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer who predominantly works in Tamil cinema and few Hindi, Telugu and Kannada films. Ratnam has won six ...

Ameer (director) Ameer Sultan (born 5 December 1967) is an Indian film director, producer and actor, working in the Tamil cinema, Tamil film industry. Early life and career Ameer Sultan was born in Madurai, Tamil Nadu India. He initially studied economics and ...

Bala (director) Balasubramanian known as Bala is an Tamil film director, screenwriter, and producer, working in Tamil cinema. Bala has been praised for "revolutionizing Tamil cinema" through his realistic, dark and disturbing depiction of the working class on c ...

Cheran (director) Cheran (born 12 December 1970) is an Indian film director, producer, actor and lyricist known for his works in Tamil cinema. He is a four time National Film Award winner for ''Vetri Kodi Kattu'' (2000), ''Autograph'' (2004) and ''Thavamai Thava ...

Chimbu Deven Chimbu Devan is an Indian film director also known as a writer, cartoonist, and screenwriter. His films mostly explore the fantasy and historical genres and also comedy. He debuted with the historical comedy-drama film Imsai Arasan 23 M Pulike ...

* Kanika *

Karthik Subbaraj Karthik Subbaraj is an Indian film director, writer and producer working mainly in Tamil cinema. Life and career Karthik did his schooling in SBOA Matriculation and Higher Secondary School, Madurai after which he went on to study Mechatron ...

Ramarajan Ramarajan (born 18 October, 1960) is an Indian actor, writer, director and politician who specialised in acting and directing films on village-based subjects. He is also known as ''Makkal Nayagan'' in Tamil cinema. Career Ramarajan started his ...

* M. Sasikumar *

Shaam Syria ( Hieroglyphic Luwian: 𔒂𔒠 ''Sura/i''; gr, Συρία) or Sham ( ar, ٱلشَّام, ash-Shām) is the name of a historical region located east of the Mediterranean Sea in Western Asia, broadly synonymous with the Levant. Other ...

Susi Ganeshan Ganeshan Subbiah known as Susi Ganesan is an Indian film director, producer, scriptwriter and screenwriter. Early life Ganesan was born on (25 August 1969) Vannivelampatti, Madurai District in Tamil Nadu to Tamil parents Subbiah and Sittamma. ...

Vivek (actor) Vivekanandan (19 November 1961 – 17 April 2021), known professionally as Vivek,Vadivelu Kumaravadivel Natarajan (born 12 September 1960), known professionally as Vadivelu, is an Indian actor, comedian and playback singer, having acted in supporting and lead roles in Tamil cinema. He gained widespread acclaim in Kollywood in the 2 ...

Vijay Sethupathi Vijaya Gurunatha Sethupathi (born 16 January 1978), known professionally as Vijay Sethupathi, is an Indian actor and film producer who predominantly works in Tamil films. He is a recipient of several accolades including a National Film Award. Fo ...

Vijayakanth Narayanan Vijayaraj Alagarswami (born 25 August 1952), better known by his stage name Vijayakanth, is an Indian politician and former actor who has worked predominantly in Tamil cinema. He was the Leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Leg ...

* Samudrakani * G. Gnanasambandam *

Pattimandram Raja Simson Raja, popularly known as Pattimandram Raja, is an Indian television personality popular for his speeches in Tamil-language talk shows (''Pattimandram''). His speeches in the debate talk shows, moderated by Solomon Pappaiah, made him fam ...

* C. V. Kumar *

Soori (actor) Ramalakshmanan Muthuchamy, professionally known as Soori, is an Indian actor and comedian who predominantly appears in Tamil film industry. Career Soori moved from Madurai to Chennai in 1996 with the intention of becoming an actor in the Tamil ...

* Srinivasan (Tamil actor) *

Velraj Rajamani Velraj, ISC is an Indian cinematographer, director and writer who primarily works in Tamil and Hindi cinema. He is well known for his camera work in films like Asuran, Aadukalam, Vada Chennai, Kadaikutty Singam and Komban, and for dir ...

Shanmugarajan Shanmugarajan is an Indian actor who appears in Tamil films. He is an alumnus of The American College in Madurai and National School of Drama National School of Drama (NSD) is a theatre training institute situated at New Delhi, India. It i ...

Ganja Karuppu Ganja Karuppu is an Indian actor who has predominantly appeared in comedy roles in Tamil cinema. After making his debut in Bala's '' Pithamagan'' (2003), Ganja Karuppu experienced success in the late 2000s with his roles in '' Raam'' (2005), ...

Pandi (actor) Pandi is a comedy actor from Tamil Nadu, India, who has acted in Tamil films and television shows. He played minor roles in a few films before joining television. He is known for his role as "Pandi" in the popular Tamil soap opera ''Kana Kaanu ...

Meenal Meenal is an Indian actress who mainly appears in Tamil films. She has appeared in Cheran's ''Thavamai Thavamirundhu'', Vetrimaran's '' Aadukalam'', Thangar Bachan's ''Ammavin Kaipesi'' and Bharathiraja's ''Annakodi ''Annakodi'' is a 2013 ...

Jayam Ravi Mohan Ravi (born 10 September 1980), better known by his stage name Jayam Ravi, is an Indian actor who works in the Tamil film industry. He has won a Filmfare Award and three SIIMA Awards. The son of veteran film editor A. Mohan, Ravi made his ...

Mohan Raja Mohan Raja is an Indian filmmaker and screenwriter who primarily works in Tamil and Telugu film industries. After making his debut in the Telugu film ''Hanuman Junction'' (2001), he went on to remake several successful Telugu films into Tamil, ...

Robo Shankar Robo Shankar is an Indian standup comedian who has appears in character roles in Tamil films. He made his breakthrough with STAR Vijay's ''Kalakkapovathu Yaaru'', performing standup comedy. He is a now cast as regular on several shows on Star V ...

Atlee (director) Arun Kumar (born 21 September 1986), known Mononymous person, mononymously as Atlee, is a film director, screenwriter and producer best known for his work in Indian films. He initially worked as an assistant director under S. Shankar in the f ...

* Shanmuga Bharathi (Writer, Vellaipookal) *

Politicians and Public Servants

* Mayandi Bharathi * P. T. Rajan *

Palanivel Rajan Ponnambala Thyaga Rajan Palanivel Rajan (27 February 1932 – 20 May 2006) was an Indian politician. Born into an aristocratic landlord Kondaikatti Thondaimandala Vellala family in Uthamapalayam. He did his schooling from Trinity College, Kan ...

Palanivel Thiagarajan Palanivel Thiagarajan (PTR) is an Indian politician and the current Finance Minister of Tamil Nadu. He was elected to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election in 2016 and 2021 from Madurai Central. Early life He is the son of the late P ...

Jana Krishnamurthi K. Jana Krishnamurthi (24 May 1928 – 25 September 2007) was an Indian political leader who rose to be the President of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2001. A former Union Law Minister and a member of the Parliament of India, Krish ...

Nirmala Sitharaman Nirmala Sitharaman (born 18 August 1959) is an Indian economist and politician serving as the Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs of India since 2019. She is a member of the Rajya Sabha, upper house of the Indian Parliament, since 2014. S ...

, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Ministry of Commerce & Industry * R. Chidambara Bharathi *

P. Mohan Mohan Ponnusamy (30 December 1949 – 30 October 2009) was an Indian politician and a member of the state unit of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)). He was a member of the 13th Lok Sabha and 14th Lok Sabha, representing the M ...

* Angidi Chettiar - Former Vice President of Mauritus *

A. Vaidyanatha Iyer A. Vaidyanatha Iyer (16 May 1890 – 23 February 1955), also known as Madurai Vaidyanatha Iyer or Ayyar was an Indian activist, politician and freedom-fighter who spearheaded the temple entry movement in Madras Presidency in 1939. Early lif ...

* S. K. Balakrishnan * S. Muthu *

Pazha Nedumaran Pazha Nedumaran ''Krishnan Pillai Pazhaniyappan'' ( ta, பழ. நெடுமாறன்/கிருஷ்ணன் பிள்ளை பழநியப்பன்) is a Tamil politician from the state of Tamil Nadu, India. He is an ex-n ...

* P. Amudha

Sportsmen

* A. Palanisamy * Magesh Chandran Panchanathan

Software

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Madurai, People from *