Ramanathapuram (Tamil: இராமநாதபுரம்)  pronunciation (help·info), also known as Ramnad, is a city and a municipality in Ramanathapuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the administrative headquarters of Ramanathapuram district.

Tourists visit Ramnad to see the Raja Palace, still occupied by the former Sethupaty Raja and his family. Although no longer in power, the family contributes to the community by setting up schools and hospitals. Some westerners who teach in their school through the Projects Abroad organisation live in the palace during their stay. Philip Radlanski, a German citizen who visited in 2004 as an English teacher, made a documentary movie about the palace. Ramanathapuram is close to Rameshwaram and Devipattinam, both important pilgrimage centres. uchipuli a main tourist place which connects through airways

As of the 2001 India census, Ramanathapuram had a population of 61,976. Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. Ramanathapuram has an average literacy rate of 79%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 84%, and female literacy is 74%. In Ramanathapuram, 11% of the population is under 6.

Ramnad Krishnan (14 September 1918 - 29 January 1973) was a vocalist in the Carnatic tradition. He did his schooling in Ramnad in Madras Presidency.He learned music from Ramnad C. S. Sankarasivam. He served on the faculty of Government College of Carnatic Music in Madras.He was also a visiting Professor at Wesleyan University. He recorded two albums for Nonesuch Records' legendary Explorer Series.

Lalgudi Jayarama Iyer (Tamil: லால்குடி ஜெயராம ஐயர்) (born September 17, 1930, India) is a well-known Carnatic violinist, vocalist and composer.

Born in the lineage of a disciple of the saint musician Thyagaraja, Sri Lalgudi Jayaraman inherited the essence of Carnatic music from his versatile father, late V R Gopala Iyer, who trained him meticulously.

At the age of 12, he started his musical career as an accompanying violinist.

Having an active imagination, quick grasp and an ability to adapt easily to the individual styles of the leading maestros in Carnatic music, while accompanying them in their concerts, he reached the forefront in rapid strides. With the concert experience he thus gained, coupled with sheer hard work and perseverance and the strong urge to give original expression to his musical ideas, he emerged as an accomplished solo violinist.

He expanded the style of violin playing by inventing a whole new technique that is designed to best suit the needs of Indian Classical Music and establishing a unique style that came to be known as 'Lalgudi Bani'. His flawless and fascinating style, graceful and original, yet not divorced from traditional roots, gained him numerous fans. This multi-dimensional personality has, to his credit, composed several 'kritis', 'tillanas' and 'varnams' and dance compositions, which are a blend of raga, bhava, rhythm and lyrical beauty. A notable feature about Lalgudi is that his music is very expressive. Lalgudi's instrumental talent comes to the fore in the form of lyrical excellence. He brought the most-sought-after vocal style into violin, and his renditions exhibit knowledge of lyrical content of the compositions.

Palghat T.S. Mani Iyer (1912–1981) was one of the leading mridangists in the field of Carnatic music and the first mridangist to win the Sangeetha Kalanidhi and Padmabhushan awards.

He was a legend even in his lifetime, one of the all-time greats, a genius at innovation. His scintillating performances were an unforgettable treat to the audience. 'Palghat' on a poster or just a 'Mani' was sufficient to attract the crowds in droves. It would be no exaggeration to say that Palghat Mani Iyer raised the status of the mridangam and the mridangist to dizzy heights. An artiste of few words, he would sit on the dais all attention to the vocalist or violinist, a picture of dignity and composure. Popular carnatic musician Nithyasree Mahadevan is Palghat Mani Iyer's granddaughter.

He was born and raised in the old Kalpathy village of Palakkad, Kerala. He first studied with Palghat Subba Iyer, Kalpathy Viswanatha Iyer and later with Thanjavur Vaidanatha Iyer. Mani came into prominence after accompanying Chembai Vaidanatha Bagavathar in a music concert at Madras (now called Chennai).

Palghat Kollengode Viswanatha Narayanaswamy (Tamil: பாலக்காடு கொல்லங்கோடு விஸ்வநாத நாராயணசுவாமி) (November 15, 1923 - April 1, 2002), often referred to as KVN, was an Indian musician, widely considered to be among the finest Carnatic music vocalists of the 20th century. He was described as the "Gentle Perfect Knight" of Carnatic music, a phrase from Geoffrey Chaucer, by V. K. Narayana Menon, prominent art critic of India and recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship.

KVN was born to Kollengode Viswanathayyar and Muthulakshmi Ammal in Palghat, Kerala, a district renowned for its cultural and musical traditions, on the 15th of November, 1923. Narayanaswamy was born into a family of illustrious musicians and artists. His great-grandfather Viswam Bhagavatar was renowned for his evocative Ashtapadis and rendered services for Maharaja Ayilyam Thirunal, ruler of the princely state of Travancore from 1860 to 1880. In return Viswam Bhagavatar was bestowed with government aid and hereditary royal privileges. Viswam Bhagavatar's son, Narayana Bhagavatar continued his father's legacy. His son was violin maestro, Viswanathayyar (soon came to be known as 'Fiddle' Viswanathayyar), KVN's father. K.V.Narayanaswamy learned basic music lessons under his father and grandfather. After studying in Palghat till the fifth form, he moved to Coimbatore, where he briefly dabbled in theater. KVN even managed a role as the young Kanappan in the movie Kannappa Nayanar. The movie bombed at the box office.