Maharajapuram Santhanam

• Honorific Prefix — Padma Shri, Kalaimamani, Sangita Kalanidhi • Name — Maharajapuram Santhanam • Born — 20 May 1928 • Birthplace — Sirunangur, Tanjore District, Madras Presidency, British India (now in Ariyalur district, Tamil Nadu, India) • Died — 24 June 1992 • Place of death — Kooteripattu, South Arcot District (now in Viluppuram District), Tamil Nadu, India • Occupation — Carnatic vocalist • Mother — Visalakshi • Father — Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer • Children — 2, Maharajapuram S. Ramachandran and Maharajapuram S. Srinivasan

Santhanam was born on 20 May 1928 at Sirunangur, a village in the Tanjavur district of Tamil Nadu. He followed the footsteps of his father Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer who was also a renowned Carnatic vocalist. His mother was Visalakshi.

Besides studying with his father, he was also a disciple of Melattur Sama Dikshitar. Maharajapuram Santhanam was also a distinguished composer. He wrote many songs on Lord Murugan and Kanchi Shankaracharya, Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswati Swamigal (Maha Periyavar). He was the principal of Ramanathan College in Sri Lanka. Later he came and settled in Chennai. The songs which were popularised by Maharajapuram Santhanam are,"Bho Shambo" (Revati), "Madhura Madhura" (Bagheshri), both composed by Swami Dayananda Saraswati, "Unnai Allal" (Kalyani Raga), "Sadha Nin Padhame gathi, Varam onnru" (Shanmukhapriya), "Srichakra Raja" (Ragamalika), "Nalinakaanthimathim" (Ragamalika),"Ksheerabdi kannike" (Ragamalika), "Thillana (Revathy)" among others. His other most popular songs are Purandaradasa kritis: "Narayana ninna" (Shuddha Dhanyasi) and "Govinda ninna". His rendition of "Vilayada ithu nerama muruga" was without parallel. His renditions were full of Bhakthi. His last concert was at Swami Dayananda Matriculation School in which Nagai Shri Muralidharan (Violin), Shri B Hari Kumar (Mridangam) and Dr R Ganesh(Vocal support) participated. His cousin's grand daughterBaby Akila also rendered a song on stage

On 24 June 1992, Santhanam died in a car accident in Kooteripattu, a village near Tindivanam in present-day Viluppuram district, Tamil Nadu. His cousin Shri Ramanathan also died on spot and Baby Akila died later. His wife Smt Gnanam Santhanam survived though severely injured.