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{{Short description|Indian judge and musician (1893–1971)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2025}}
{{Use Indian English|date=November 2025}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix = [[The Honourable|Hon'ble Mr. Justice]]
| name = T. L. Venkatarama Iyer
| honorific_suffix =
| image =
| caption =
| office = Third president of the [[Madras Music Academy]]
| term_start = 1965
| term_end = 2 January 1971
| predecessor = K. V. Krishnaswami Iyer
| successor = T. S. Rajam
| office1 = [[Law Commission of India|Chairman, 2nd Law Commission of India]]
| term_start1 = 1958
| term_end1 = 1961
| prime_minister1 = [[J. L. Nehru]]
| appointer1 = [[Rajendra Prasad]]
| predecessor1 = [[M. C. Setalvad]] (1st)
| successor1 = Jeevan Lal Kapur (3rd)
| office2 = Judge of the [[Supreme Court of India]]
| term_start2 = 4 January 1954
| term_end2 = 24 November 1958
| nominator2 = [[M. Patanjali Sastri]]
| appointer2 = Rajendra Prasad
| office3 = Judge of the [[Madras High Court]]
| term_start3 = 7 January 1951
| term_end3 = 24 November 1953
| nominator3 = 
| appointer3 = Rajendra Prasad
| predecessor2 = 
| successor2 = 
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=y|1893|11|25}}
| birth_place =
| death_date = {{death date and age|1971|1|2|1893|11|25|df=y}}
| death_place =
}}

'''Tirunelveli Lakshmanasuri Venkatarama Iyer ''' (25 November 1893 – 2 January 1971) was a judge of the [[Supreme Court of India]], a [[Carnatic music]]ian, and a [[musicologist]].<ref name=hindu>{{cite web|url=https://www.thehindu.com/arts/Music-holds-court-literally/article12373966.ece|title=Music holds court, literally|author=V. Sriram|work=[[The Hindu]]|date=30 November 2012|access-date=26 November 2019|archive-url=https://archive.today/20191126053511/https://www.thehindu.com/arts/Music-holds-court-literally/article12373966.ece|archive-date=26 November 2019}}</ref>

== Early life ==
T. L. Venkatarama Iyer hails from [[Arikesavanallur|Harikesanallur]], [[Tirunelveli district]], Tamilnadu. He was born in a family with a tradition in music and research. His father, M. Lakshmanasuri was a Sanskrit scholar and was instrumental in bringing up his son to the level he achieved later in life.
Venkatarama Iyer was a close relative of [[Muthiah Bhagavatar|Harikesanallur Muthiah Bhagavatar]] (a recipient of Sangeet Kalanidhi award in 1930), and was a disciple of Ambi Dikshitar (a grand-nephew of [[Muthuswami Dikshitar]]).
<ref name=carnatica>{{Cite web|url=http://www.carnatica.net/special/legal1.htm|title=Legal Personalities and their role in promoting Carnatic music - Part 1|website=carnatica.net|author=Mohan Parasaran|archive-url=https://archive.today/20191126071812/http://www.carnatica.net/special/legal1.htm|archive-date=26 November 2019}}</ref>

== Law ==
T. L. Venkatarama Iyer graduated from Madras Christian law College in 1916. After doing apprenticeship under Sir [[Alladi Krishnaswamy Iyer]], he started practicing in the [[Madras High Court]] from 1917. He became a Judge of the Madras High Court in 1951 and continued to serve till November 1953. Thereafter he served as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India from 1954 up to 1958. During his tenure as Supreme Court Judge, he was also part of the constitutional bench.
In 1958, T. L. Venkatarama Iyer held the office of the Chairman of the Second Law Commission of India till 1961.

== Carnatic music ==
He was an authority on Muthuswami Dikshitar's compositions. He had trained musicians like Vidya Shankar, [[D. K. Pattammal]], Kalpagam Swaminathan, S. Srinivasa Rao and Kannamma Sharma.
In April, 1928, an Experts Committee consisting of some of the leading musicians and scholars was appointed by the [[Madras Music Academy]]. The committee was to advise the Music Academy on all technical matters including music education on correct and modern lines. T. L. Venkatarama Iyer was one of its members.<ref name=carnatica />
He succeeded K V Krishnaswami Iyer, upon the latter's death in 1965, and served as the 3rd president of the Madras Music Academy until his death in 1971.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://musicacademymadras.in/past-presidents/|title=Past Presidents|website=musicacademymadras.in|access-date=28 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190602025204/https://musicacademymadras.in/past-presidents/|archive-date=2 June 2019}}</ref>

=== Disciples ===
He taught several disciples, prominent among them being Sangeeta Kalanidhis D.K.Pattammal and B Rajam Iyer. His disciples include Sandhyavandanam Srinivasa Rao, Vidya Shankar and B Krishnamurthy.

=== Publication ===
He published the life of Muthuswami Dikshitar as a book entitled ''The Life of Muthuswami Dikshitar''.<ref name=carnatica />

== Awards ==
*[[Sangita Kalanidhi]] conferred by the Madras Music Academy in 1944<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://musicacademymadras.in/awards/sangita-kalanidhi/|title=Sangita Kalanidhi Awardees|access-date=26 November 2019|archive-url=https://archive.today/20191126074617/https://musicacademymadras.in/awards/sangita-kalanidhi/|archive-date=26 November 2019}}</ref>
*[[Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship]] - 1964

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book |last=Gadbois |first=George H. |title=Judges of the Supreme Court of India: 1950–1989 |year=2011 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-807061-0 |doi=10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198070610.001.0001 |pages=46–48 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GIAyDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT51}}

== External links ==
*[https://www.jstor.org/stable/43950783?seq=1 Book Review]
*[http://www.tlvefoundation.org/index.php TLV Foundation]

{{Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship}}

[[Category:Justices of the Supreme Court of India]]
[[Category:Carnatic singers]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship]]
[[Category:1893 births]]
[[Category:1971 deaths]]

T. L. Venkatarama Iyer - Revision history

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