Famous People Born In Palakkad

E. Sreedharan is an Indian politician and engineer who played a key role in the construction of the Delhi Metro and the Konkan Railway. Nicknamed the Metro Man, Sreedharan was honored with the prestigious Padma Vibhushan Award for changing the face of Indian public transport. In 2003, E. Sreedharan was included in Time magazine's list of Asia's Heroes.

Known widely as The People’s Judge, V. R. Krishna Iyer had been a Supreme Court judge for almost 8 years. A champion for human rights, he pioneered the practice of offering legal aid to underprivileged people. The Padma Vibhushan winner was also a sports lover.

Jnanpith- and Padma Shri-winning Malayali poet Mahakavi Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri was known for ushering in modernism in Malayalam poetry. He was initially a journalist and had also worked with All India Radio. A true Gandhian, he led a simple life and also devoted much of his time to social activism.

Soumya Swaminathan is a chess player who has been honored with FIDE titles, such as Woman Grandmaster (WGM) and International Master (IM). In 2010 and 2012, she represented India at the Women's World Championships. Over the course of her career, Soumya Swaminathan has received several prestigious awards, such as the Shiv Chatrapati Award and Pune Gaurav Puruskar. 

O.V. Vijayan was an Indian cartoonist and author who played a key role in the development of modern Malayalam language literature. Also a political observer and editorial cartoonist, Vijayan worked for popular news publications, such as The Hindu and The Statesman. During his illustrious career, Vijayan won many prestigious awards including the Sahitya Akademi Award and the Padma Bhushan.

Indian badminton player P. C. Thulasi was part of the Indian women’s teams that won the South Asian Games in 2010 and 2016. She has also won 2 bronze medals at the Uber Cup and one at the Asian Games. A former national champion, she also won a gold at the 34th National Games.