Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar

Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar (1890– January 23, 1967), popularly known as Ariyakudi, was a Carnatic music vocalist, born in Ariyakudi, a town in the Karaikudi district, present-day Sivaganga district of Tamil Nadu. Ariyakudi developed a unique style of singing which came to be known as The Ariyakudi Tradition and is followed by his students. He established the modern katcheri (concert) traditions in Carnatic music.
The doyen of Carnatic music, Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, is known to have remarked, "I was greatly influenced by Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar. I do not want another life. But if there is one, I want to be able to sing like Ramanuja Iyengar". And another maestro, G N Balasubramaniam, a contemporary of Ariyakudi, is known to have prostrated in front of him out of respect. With Palghat Mani Iyer, the mridangam maestro, he formed a formidable partnership on the concert platform and a friendship born out of mutual respect. Palghat Mani Iyer is reported to have said, "Anaa (Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar) and Iyengarval (Ariyakudi) are like my two eyes".
In 1954, he was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship, the highest honour conferred by Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy for Music, Dance and Drama. This was followed by Padma Bhushan by Government of India in 1958.

Ariyakudi was born in Ariyakudi, a town in the Karaikudi district, present-day Sivaganga district of Tamil Nadu, South India, in the year 1890. He studied under Pudukottai Malayappa Iyer and Namakkal Narasimha Iyengar in his early years. Later he studied for several years under Poochi Srinivasa Iyengar, who was the senior most disciple of Patnam Subramania Iyer.

He made his debut at Tyagaraja Aradhana in 1918.

Ariyakudi's famous disciples include K V Narayanaswamy, B Rajam Iyer, Alappuzha Venkatesan and Madurai N Krishnan.

• Sangeetha Kalanidhi award (1938)
• Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1952)
• Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship (1954)
• Isai Perarignar (1950) by Tamil Isai Sangam, Chennai
• Gayaka Shikhamani by Mysore darbar
• Sangita Ratnakara by Vellore Sangeetha Sabha
• Sangita Kala Shikhamani by Indian Fine Arts Society, Chennai
• Padma Bhushan award by Government of India in 1958

• "Sangita Kalanidhi recipients". Madras Music Academy website. 
• "SNA: List of Akademi Awardees". Sangeet Natak Akademi Official website. Archived from the original on 2016-03-31. 
• "SNA: List of Sangeet Natak Akademi Ratna Puraskarwinners (Akademi Fellows)". SNA Official website. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. 
• AWARDEES OF SANGEETHA KALASIKHAMANI
• "Padma Awards Directory (1954–2009)" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-05-10.