Venkata Ramana Bhagavathar, one of the magnificent Maestros of Carnatic music in Tamil Nadu, is another gem born of the Sourashtra soil. He was born in Ayyampettai, a few kilometres from Thiruvaiyar. He became an ardent admirer of Srimath Thiagabrahamam in his early life itself. His master's hymns and his mellifluous voice always enraptured him. Once Sri Thiagabrahamam was pouring forth his soul in his Lord's praise as usual. Venkata Ramanar was standing outside his house and listening to the master's music in rapt attention. The sky started pouring down all on a sudden, but the young boy who was bathing in that divine music was hardly conscious of it. Only at the end of his devotional out pouring, did the great saint see the state the young boy was in. He was quite enamoured of the boy's intense absorption in music and took him in. And there upon began one of the truest guru sishya relationships in the realm of carnatic music. Venkata Ramana Bhagavathar was the life-long prime disciple of Sri Thiagaraja Swamigal. His profound love for his master in fact knew no bounds. As the saint poured forth his divine music walking along the streets, people came out of their houses and gave him a staggering under the weight without any sign of any suffering, he was quite amazed and angry as well. It is this guru-sishya (master-disciple) relationship that is depicted in most of the paintings and pictures of Sri Venkata Ramanar, with a portrait of Sita-Rama-Lakshmanar at the background. This portrait was the favourite of both master and disciple. When Sri Thiagaraja was looking after the wedding ceremonies of his daughter, a variety of presents poured in. Venkata Ramana Bhagavathar also went there to make a present of his favourite portrait of Sita-Rama-Lakshmanar. It was this portrait that the saint valued more than any other gift. And remarkably, the Kirthana "Nanupaalamba" had its origin in this episode. In the last days of his life Sri Thiagaraja entrusted all his possessions, including the portrait, and all his palm-leaf inscriptions to the care of his great and most valued discipline. Nothing else could be a great example of a true master-discipline relationship.

Venkata Ramana Bhagavathar too expressed his enduring loyalty by including the word "Thiagaraja" at the end of all his Kirthanas. The writings and possessions of this Sourashtra saint have been carefully preserved by his progeny. Apart from the slippers used by Sri Thiagarja , his Telugu Bhagavatham, his palm-leaf manuscripts, the musical notes of his kirthanas, the rare possessions of Sri Venkata Ramana Bhagavathar have been received by the Madurai Sourasthra Sabha and kept under protection since 1943. The slippers of Sri Venkata Ramana Bhagavathar, his pooja vessels, the Kirthanas he has composed, his new "varnas", his musical notations in palm-leaves, all have been installed in the "Thiagaraja-Venkattaramana Manthara" and treasured with great devotion by the Sourashtra Sabha.

A few more incidents in the life of Sri Venkata Ramana Bhagavathar are worth mentioning , As a boy, Venkata Ramana Bhagavathar was engaged in weaving, his family profession singing the praise of Lord Krishna in self-absorption as he did so. The shuttle fell down, but he was not aware of it. It is said that Lord Krishna himself took it up and put it in his hand because, he did not want the flow of his music to be impeded.

Venkata Ramana Bhagavathar's son was all praise for the Punnagavarali raga which he had happened to hear once in a carnatic concert. The father got the desire to sing that raga to his soul satisfaction. That was a time when he had to do pooja to his Lord Krishna. So, he sang a Kirthana in Punnagavarali and totally lost himself in it. Since this raga, sung to perfection, has a tremendous attraction for snakes, a 12 feet long black cobra came there from somewhere and began to dance before the unconscious singer raising its hood. A Crowd of people who had seen the snake, gathered around not knowing what to do. The Bhagavathar (Singer),who came to appease the cobra singing another kirthana and sent it back.

The name Venkata Ramana Bhagavathar has become synonymous with musical saint hood. This great singer's life history is found in an old book titled "Sri Thiagabrahmopanishad" published in 1935. Another is a great biography in 1964 on the occasion of the Venkata Ramana Bhagavathar's birthday celebrations conducted at Madurai Meenakshi Temple. By way of commemorating this great saint-singer, an annual music festival is being organised under the auspices of the Venkata Ramana Bhagavatha Jeyanthi Committee at Aiyampettai, the birth place of the saint. This committee has recently rendered Venkata Ramana Bhagavathar's Krithanas into musical notations and published a book.