T. L. Venkatarama Iyer (1893-1971)

Hon’ble T. L. Venkatarama Iyer was a distinguished Carnatic music scholar, musicologist, teacher, and jurist. Born in Harikesanallur, Tamil Nadu, into a family of Sanskrit scholars, he pursued law and rose to become a Judge of the Supreme Court of India. In parallel, he was an ardent disciple of Ambi Dīkshitar and deeply immersed in the study and propagation of Muttusvāmi Dīkshitar’s works, which he taught to students including D. K. Pattammal, securing the Dīkshitar idiom in mainstream Carnatic pedagogy. Venkatarama Iyer served on the Madras Music Academy Experts Committee and later as its President, nurturing scholarly discourse and institutional support for classical music. His publications include a biography of Muttusvāmi Dīkshitar and other writings that helped clarify compositional authenticity and stylistic interpretation. His dual authority in musicology and jurisprudence made him uniquely respected both inside and outside the music fraternity.