| Honorific Prefix: | Padma Shri, Kalaimamani, Sangita Kalanidhi |
| Maharajapuram Santhanam | |
| Birth Date: | 1928 5, df=yes |
| Birth Place: | Sirunangur, Tanjore District, Madras Presidency, British India (now in Ariyalur district, Tamil Nadu, India) |
| Death Place: | Kooteripattu, South Arcot District (now in Viluppuram District), Tamil Nadu, India |
| Occupation: | Carnatic vocalist |
| Mother: | Visalakshi |
| Father: | Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer |
Maharajapuram Santhanam, (20 May 1928 – 24 June 1992) was an Indian Carnatic vocalist. He was awarded the Madras Music Academy's Sangeetha Kalanidhi in 1989.
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.[1] His mother was Visalakshi.[2]
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.[3] 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.
On 24 June 1992, Santhanam died in a car accident in Kooteripattu, a village near Tindivanam in present-day Viluppuram district, Tamil Nadu. A few other members of his family too died in the accident.
The Maharajapuram Santhanam Day is celebrated on 3 December every year.
His sons Maharajapuram S. Srinivasan, Maharajapuram S. Ramachandran, and his primary disciple Dr. R. Ganesh are now carrying on his musical tradition.[4]
In Chennai, Griffith Road in T.Nagar was renamed as 'Maharajapuram Santhanam Salai' in honor of Maharajapuram Santhanam. The street has the famous Krishna Gana Sabha and Muppathamman Temple.
4. ^ Maharajapuram Santhanam A Life of Music