List of Vanniars

Vanniyar (Tamil: வன்னியர்), also called Palli (Tamil: பள்ளி), is a large social group and feudal caste in South India. Vanniyars are descendants of Kadavas and Sambuvarayars Kings. They primarily live in Tamil Nadu where they speak Tamil, while in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala,they speak their native Dravidian languages namely, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam respectively.

Some of the prominent people of the Vanniar social group are

Kings/Rulers

• Chera
• Chola
• Pallavas
• Nolamba Pallavas
• Sambuvarayars
• Kadavarayars
• Kopperunchinga I
• Kopperunchinga II
• Kailaya Vannian
• Pandaraka Vanniyan
• Adhiyamaan
• Valvil Ori
• Mazhavaraayars
• Kanthavarayan, Chingelpet king
• Kandappa Raja, Ruled Ancient Mylapore

Zamindars

• Pichavaram Zamin
• Sivagiri Zamin
• Udayarpalayam Zamin
• Alagapuri Zamin
• Elayaram Pannai Zamin
• Sirkali Vadakal Ravuthaminda Nainar Zamin

Freedom Fighters

• Mother-Daughter pair, Anjalai Padayatchi and Leelavathi Padayatchi, IAF.

Politics

• Late Thiru S. S. Ramasami Padayachi, Former Minister of Tamil Nadu , Tamil Nadu Toilers Party.
• Late Thiru M. A. Manickavelu Naicker, Former Minister of Tamil Nadu, Founder Commonwheel Party. Supported the Kamaraj to become CM in 1951.
• Late Thiru Vazhapadi K. Ramamurthy, Former Union Minister , Veteran Congress & Trade Union Leader.
• Late Thiru A. Govindasamy Nayakar, Tamil Nadu Toilers Party MLA. Mugaiyur. Former Minister of Tamil Nadu, First MLA of DMK, donated 'Rising SUN' symbol to DMK.
• Dr.S. Ramadoss Gounder, Founder, Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK).
• Honorable N.Rangaswamy, Ex Chief Minister of Pondicherry, India.
• Veerapandi S Arumugam, Agriculture Minister of Tamil Nadu, MLA Veerapandi.
• Thiru.Durai Murugan , TN Minister for Public Works. Tamil Nadu, MLA Katpadi.
• Dr Anbumani Ramadoss, Former Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, MP Rajya Sabha.
• M.Krishnasamy Gounder, Former Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) President, MP Arani.
• M. R. K. Panneerselvam, Tamil Nadu Health Minister, MLA Kurinjipadi.
• R. Velu, IAS, Former Union Minister of State for Railways, Ex MP Arakkkonam.
• S. Jagathrakshakan Gounder, MP Arakkonam, Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting .
• G.K. Mani, President PMK, MLA Mettur.
• T.G.Venkatraman, Former Union Minister for Surface Transport, Ex MLA Tindivanam.
• Panruti Ramachandran, Former Minister TN Government, DMDK Presidium Chairman.
• Gingee N. Ramachandran, Former Union Minister of State for Finance, Ex MP Vandavasi.
• A. K. Moorthy, Ex Minister of State for Railways, Former MP Chengalpattu.
• Radhakrishna Padayachi, Minister in South African Government.
• Veerapandi. A. Raja, MLA Veerapandi.
• Vazhapadi Rama Suganthan, Congress Leader & Managing Trustee, Rajiv Gandhi-Vazhapadi Ramamurthy Charitable Trust.
• Vijayalakshmi Palanichamy, Former TN Social Welfare Minister, Ex MLA Panamarathupatti.
• S. Semmalai, MP Salem and Former Minister of Government of Tamil Nadu.
• N.T. Shanmuga Gounder, Former Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Ex MP Vellore.
• Tindivanam K. Ramamurthy, National Congress Party, former TNCC President.
• C.V.E. Shanmugam, MLA Tindivanam & Former Minister of Government of Tamil Nadu
• T. M. Selvaganapathy ,Former Minister of Government of Tamil Nadu.
• Dr.C.N.Ramamurthy Gounder, Founder, Pattali Makkal Munnettra Katchi (PMMK).
• Mr.M.C.Sampath ,Former Minister of Government of Tamil Nadu.
• Mr.Rathakrishnan, Former Minister of Government of Tamil Nadu
• Mr.Anbalagan , MLA Palacode, Former Minister of Government of Tamil Nadu.
• Thellur. M. Dharumarasan, President of Gandhi Kamaraj Desiya Congress and Tamilnadu National Agriculturist Association, Ex Chairman - West Arni Panchayath Union, Editor, Vidivelli Newspaper.
• Sankarapuram K.Srinivasan. Ex-Panchayat Union Chairman,Ex State Organising Secretary, AICC.
• "Kaduvetti" Guru, Vanniar Sangam Leader, Ex MLA Andimadam.
• T. Velmurugan, MLA Panruti.
• Malladi Krishna Rao , Minister Puducherry government,MLA Yanam.
• Mopidevi Venkata Ramana Rao , Minister of Law & Technical Education , Andhra Pradesh.
• Mr P.R Ramesh Tigala, Former Mayor of Bangalore City.

Civil Service

• Late Thiru A.N. Sattanathan, IAS, Chairman 1st Tamil Nadu Backward Class Commission.
• Late Thiru J.A. Ambasankar, IAS, Chairman 2nd Tamil Nadu Backward Class Commission.
• Mr A.M. Kasi Viswanathan, IAS, Chairman, Tamilnadu Public Service Commission.
• Mr Chandrasekhar, IAS, Chairman, Tamilnadu Election Commission.
• Mr Revu Muthyala Raju, IAS. All India topper in IAS, Sub-Collector, Kareemnagar, Andhra Pradesh.
• Mr R.K. Boopathy, National Award holder for Best Teacher.
• Mr E. Dasarathan, IAS, served in various departments.
• Mr S. Udhayakumaran, IRS, Commissioner of Income Tax, Mumbai.
• Thiru Gopalakrishnan, IPS Rtd,Former City Commissioner of Salem.
• Thiru R.Sekar, IPS, Former Commissioner Chennai City.
• Thiru Elangovan IPS Rtd.
• Mr V.Anbukumar, IAS, Assistant Commissioner, Madhugiri, Karnataka.

Legal Service

• Justice S Sambandam, Former Judge, Chairman, Tamil Nadu Human Rights Commission.
• Justice Kulasekaran, High Court Judge.
• Late Mr. T. Ayakannu Nayakar, First Madras High Court Lawyer from Vanniya Kula Kshatriya community. Authored two books, Vannikula Vilakam: A Treatise on Vanniyar Caste, 1891 and Varuna Darpanam, Mirror of Castes, 1901.

Academics, Science & Technology

• Rao Bahadur, Philanthrophist, P.T. Chengalvaraya Naicker, P.T. Lee Chengalvaraya Trust, 1886.
• Philanthrophist, Vallal Sankara Kandaswamy Kandar, Kandasamy Kandar Educational Trust, 1890.
• Malladi Satyalingam Naicker,MSN Charities and Educational Trust.
• Dr. Vishwanathan, Former Anna University Vice Chancellor.
• Kalaimaamani Dr.(PORKO)Pon.Kothandaraman,Former Vice Chancellor of Madras University, VijayRatna, Thamizh Peravai Chemmal,Pulavar and Vidwan.
• Dr.P.Murugesa Boopathi,B.Sc.(Ag), M.Sc.(Ag), Ph.D,Vice-Chancellor, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore.
• Padmashri Prof. Emeritus Dr.B.Palaniappan MS, FRCS, Kilpauk Medical College, Chennai.
• Prof. K. Thayalan, Head of Department, Radiological Physics, Madras Medical College.
• Dato' G. Raja Gopal, FRGS, Who's Who in The World 2007, Academician Malaysia.
• Dr. K.M. Tamizhmani, Ph.D. Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences, Pondicherry University.
• Dr. P.G.K.Natarjan, P.G.K Hospitals, Anthiyur.
• Prof. Dr. N. S. Rajendran, Sultan Idris Education University, Malaysia.
• Mr. Natana Kasinathan, Former Director of Archaeology, Tamil Nadu. Senate Member of Annamalai University, Chidambaram. President Vanniyar Varalaru Thoguppu Kuzhu.

Spiritual

• Thavathiru 'Amma' Bangaru Adigalar.
• Late Thiru Vanniya Adigalar Swami.

Entrepreneurs

• Mr Murugavel Janakiraman, Founder of world's largest matrimony portal, Bharatmatrimony.com
• Late Mr Murugesa Naicker, Renowned Industrialist, Constructed the Largest Mansion and Office Complex in Madras.

Academic Institutions

• P.T. Lee Chengalvaraya Naicker Polytechnic and Engineering Colleges.
• Kandasamy Kandar College (KKC).
• Dr. S. Jagathrakshagan. 20 plus Matriculation schools, Arts, Engineering and Medical colleges.
• Mr. M.G. Sekhar. 5 Engineering colleges.
• Adhi Parasakthi Trust Matriculation schools, Engineering and Agriculture colleges.
• Lakshmi Ammal Kalvi Arakkattalai. 2 Engineering colleges.
• Mr. K.N. Ramachandran, 1 Engineering college.
• Mr. Duraimurugan, 1 Engineering college.
• Mr. Veerapandi Arumugam, 1 Engineering college.
• Mr. MRK Pannerselvam, 1 Engineering college.
• Mr. Virugai Jayaraman, 1 Engineering college.
• Mr. Jayamkondam Sinnapan, 1 Engineering college.
• Mr. Natrampalli Anbazhagan, 1 Engineering college.
• Dr.M.Latchumanan,Chairman, SMG Anjalai Ammal Educational Society, Pondicherry State.
• Dr. H. Narasimhaiah, Founder, National College, Bangalore.
• Mr. Kesavan, Chairman, Manakula Vinayar Educational Trust, Pondicherry State.

Poet and Literature

• Late Lyricist Mr Trichy Thiagarajan, fierce competitor to Kannadasan.
• Kavingar Arivumathi.

Sports

• 'Kabadi Thandhai', Thiru.M.Rathinasabapathy,Chairman,Kandasamy Kandar Educational Trust.

Artist, Journalism & Media

• Dhanraaj Master, Music teacher, Guru of M.S.Visvanathan, Ilaiyaraaja, A.R.Rahman.
• Late Thiru Thenkachi Ko. Swaminathan, Indru Oru Thagaval, All India Radio.
• Mr.Thangar Bachchan, Cinematographer turned director and actor in movies.
• Mr.Chinna Ponnuswamy Padayachi, theatrical Actor and Guru of Sivaji Ganesan.
• Mr.Kali N. Rathnam, Actor, Guru for M.G.Ramachandran (MGR).
• Mr.Janakaraj, Actor.
• Mrs.Vadivukkarasi, Actress.
• Mr.Pushpavanam Kuppusamy, Singer
• Mr.Marumalarchi Bharathi, Cinema Director.
• Mr.Sankagiri Rajkumar, Film Director
• Mr.Santhanam, Famous Comedy Actor.
• Mr. Raja, Chief News Editor, Sun Network.