List of people from Nagercoil

The following is a list of prominent people who were born in/lived in or around Nagercoil, or for whom Nagercoil is a significant part of their identity.

Kings, royals and princesses

Kings of Travancore

• Marthanda Varma Kulasekhara Perumal (1729–1758)
• Balarama Varma Kulasekhara Perumal – Dharma Raja Karthika Thirunal (1758–1798)
• Balarama Varma Kulasekhara Perumal (1798–1810)
• Gouri Laksmibhai Ranee (1810–1815)
• Gouri Parvathibhai Ranee (1815–1829)
• Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma Kulasekhara Perumal (1829–1847)
• Uthram Thirunal Marthanda Varma Maharaja (1847–1860)
• Ayilyam Thirunal Rama Varma Maharaja (1860–1880)
• Visakham Thirunal Rama Varma Maharaja (1880–1885)
• Shri Moolam Thirunal Maharajah (1885–1924)
• Sethu Laksmibhai Ranee (1924–1933)
• Shri Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma Maharajah (1933–1949) – last King of Travancore; Rajpramukh of Thiru-Kochi

Government Service

Reserve Bank of India

• S. Venkitaramanan - 18th Governor of the Reserve Bank of India.

Navy

• Admiral Oscar Stanley Dawson - 12th Chief of Naval Staff of the Indian Navy.
• Admiral Sushil Kumar - 16th Chief of Naval Staff of the Indian Navy.
• Admiral Nilakanta Krishnan - Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.

Police

• F. V. Arul - 2nd Central Bureau of Investigation Director.
• Walter Devaram - Former Director general of police of Tamil Nadu.
• Christopher Nelson - Former Director general of police of Tamil Nadu.
• G. Nanchil Kumaran - Former Director general of police of Tamil Nadu.
• N. Paramasivan Nair - Former Director general of police of Kerala.
• Joel Davis - Director general of police, Hyderabad.
• Dr.C. Sylendra Babu - Former Director general of police of Tamil Nadu.

Chief Justice of State

• N. Paul Vasanthakumar - Chief Justice of Jammu & Kashmir (2015-2017).

Jurists

• Omana Kunjamma - First Indian Women Magistrate.

Diplomats

• Bijay Selvaraj - Indian Ambassador to UK, Egypt, and Bangladesh.

Government Secretaries

• Nilakanta Mahadeva AyyarCIE - Former Governor of Bengal and Chief Secretary to the Government of India.
• Y. S. Rajan - Secretary, Department of Space, Indian Space Research Organisation.
• Sheela Balakrishnan - Former Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu.
• Girija Vaidyanathan - Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu.
• M. G. Devashagayam - Former Chief Secretary of Haryana.

Scientists

• G.D.Boaz - First Indian psychologist.
• Raja Chelliah - Indian economist and recipient of Padma Vibushan.
• Ranjan Roy Daniel - Indian cosmic-physicist and former director of Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Recipient of Padma Bhushan.
• Subbayya Sivasankaranarayana Pillai - Indian mathematician and inventor of Pillai's conjecture, Pillai's arithmetical function, Pillai prime, Pillai sequence.
• M.S.S. Pandian - Renowned social scientist and former Dean of Department of Social Science at Jawaharlal Nehru University.
• H. S. S. Lawrence - Special Envoy to Afghanistan.
• C. Livingstone - Indian plant taxonomist.
• Kolappa Kanakasabhapathy Pillay - Indian historian and former dean at University of Madras.
• Ajayan Vinu - Indian material scientist and professor University of Queensland.

Defence Research and Development Organisation

• A. Sivathanu Pillai - Former chairman of DRDO.
• S. Christopher - Chairman of DRDO.

Indian Space Research Organisation

• G. Madhavan Nair - 6th Chairman (2003-2009)
• Kailasavadivoo Sivan - 10th Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation
• Nambi Narayanan - Aerospace Scientist and Founder of Cryogenic Engine in India.

Entertainment

Film, television, theater, and dance

• Azhagam Perumal - Indian Actor
• Sathyan - First Malayalam film superstar.
• Sukumari - Indian film actress.
• Manju Warrier - Malayalam film actress.
• Madhavan Nair - Malayalam film actor.
• J. C. Daniel - Father of Malayalam film industry.
• Thikkurissy Sukumaran Nair - Malayalam film director.
• Nyla Usha - Malayalam film actress.
• Manu Ramesan - Indian film composer.
• M. Rajesh - Tamil film director.
• K. R. Ramsingh - Indian theater artist.
• M. R. Gopakumar - Renowned Indian theater artist.
• Deepti Omchery Bhalla - Indian Mohiniattam dance exponent.
• Padmesh - Indian cinematographer.
• Vijay Vasanth - Indian actor.
• Menaka Suresh - Indian actress.
• Bala Singh - Indian actor
• Aarav - Indian Actor

Comedians, humorists, and entertainers

• N. S. Krishnan - Tamil actor.
• Kanal Kannan - Renowned Indian action choreographer, stunt co-ordinator.

Musicians

• Vishwas Nicholas - Singer/Songwriter/Composer (Guinness World Record Holder).

• Vijay Antony - Indian music composer, playback singer.
• K.V. Mahadevan - Composer; winner of the National Film Award for Best Music Direction (1968 & 1980).
• Neelakanta Sivan - Carnatic music composer.
• Nagercoil S. Ganesa Iyer - Prominent Carnatic musician and exponent.
• Leela Omchery - Indian classical singer, musicologist and writer.
• Nagercoil Harihara Iyer - Indian violinist.
• Bhoothapandi Arunachalam Chidambaranathan - Indian film composer and musician.
• Kamukara Purushothaman - Indian playback singer.
• R. Muttusamy - Sri lankan musician and singer.
• Neyyattinkara Vasudevan - Carnatic music vocalist.
• Poongani, Veteran villupaattu exponent.

Art, literature, journalism, and philosophy

• Kavimani Desigavinayagam Pillai - Tamil Renaissance poet.
• Thirunainar Kurichi Madhavan Nair - Renowned Indian poet, novelist and lyricist.
• T. V. Ramasubbaiyer - Founder of Indian Daily Newspaper Dinamalar.
• Amsi Narayanapilla - Renowned Malayalam Poet.
• T. N. Gopakumar - Editor in chief of Asianet News
• Aiyappan Pillai - Renowned Malayalam Author.
• Neela Padmanabhan - Indian writer and 2007 recipient of Sahitya Akademi Award.
• Nanjil Nadan - Indian writer and 2010 recipient of Sahitya Akademi Award.
• T. M. Chidambara Ragunathan - Indian writer and 1983 recipient of Sahitya Akademi Award.
• Thoppil Mohamed Meeran - Indian writer and 1997 recipient of Sahitya Akademi Award.
• Ponneelan - Indian writer and 1994 recipient of Sahitya Akademi Award.
• Rajasekharan Parameswaran - Indian painter.
• David Davidar - English novelist.
• B. Jeyamohan - Indian writer and literary critic.
• S. Ramesan Nair - Indian poet.
• Aravindan Neelakandan - Indian columnist at Swarajya

Entrepreneurs and businessmen

• H. Vasanthakumar - Founder and director of Vasanth & Co.

Environmentalists

• Jivanayakam Cyril Daniel - Indian naturalist.
• A. J. T. Johnsingh - Former director of Wildlife Institute of India.
• S. S. Davidson - Indian environmentalist.

Sports

• Ramanathan Krishnan - Retired Indian tennis player and Wimbledon semifinalist in 1960 & 1961.
• Thalaivan Sargunam - Indian cricketer.
• Antony Dhas - Indian cricketer.

References