The Gems of Trichy – Famous Personalities from Trichy

Trichy is, of course, one of the most exciting and thrilling cities in Tamil Nadu. Being a city, with a recorded history dating back as long as third century BC, Trichy is a great place that has nurtured various cultures, arts and eminent personalities on its way.

Sir C. V. Raman

Undoubtedly one of the most brilliant minds that India has produced comes from Trichy. Sir Raman was born into a family in Tiruchirappalli and one who went onto grab the famous Nobel Prize in Physics for the discovery of the phenomenon called Raman Effect. Though winning the Nobel was a great achievement of Raman, it was not the only one; the Franklin Institute of Philadelphia honoured him by giving the Franklin Medal honour, Bharat Ratna, highest civilian honour in India and Lenin Peace Prize are some of the other accolades he received.

K. A. P. Viswanatham Pillai

Affectionately called as KPA, Mr Pillai is a Tamil scholar and a distinguished social activist. Born in Trichy, Mr Pillai is an autodidact in Siddha medicine and intricate literary studies in Tamil. He was also a politician who tried to bring in the upliftment of the downtrodden. He was honoured with two doctorates by universities and was the person who steered the mission that led to establishing Tamil University in Thanjavur.

T. S. Rangarajan

Popularly called and known as Vaali, Mr Rangarajan was born on 29th October in the year 1931. He is one of the greatest poets and lyricists even to have walked in Tamil Nadu. His career as a lyricist spanned over 50 years during which he has authored over 15000 songs. As a multi-talented personality, he directed a movie and appeared in several movies as well. Among the numerous books that he has written, Pandavar Bhoomi, Krishna Vijayam and Vaaliba Vaali are a few that still stay afresh in the minds of many readers. He was given the fourth highest civilian honour, Padmashri, of India.

Sujatha

S. Rangarajan who has become famous under his pen name Sujatha is a Tamil writer from Trichy. His writing capabilities span across various genres and fields. He has written about 250 short stories, 100 fictions, 10 books on various science topics and about 10 scripts for stage plays, along with actively contributing to several magazines. He received several awards honouring his distinguished presence over a wide range of fields.

V.V.S. Aiyar

V.V.S. Aiyar was a Trichy-born reformist who fought against the British and their rule in India. He is regarded as the ‘father of the short story genre’ in Tamil. He also translated the ‘Tirukkural’ to English.

Meenakshi Sundaram Pillai

The author of illustrious Sthala Puranas, Meenakshi Sundaram Pillai is a celebrated literary figure in Tamil. He was an ardent fan of old ancient Tamil scriptures that he researched upon and later published. Though his work Sthala Puranas did not get the traction it should have, as years passed it became one of the most authentic and well-regarded historical anecdotes covering the history of several temples in Tamil Nadu.

Along with these respected personalities, there also are several important personalities who have contributed to the upliftment and development of Trichy and Tamil Nadu as a whole.