Mavelikkara Prabhakara Varma (1928–2008) was an Indian carnatic

Carnatic music

Carnatic music is a system of music commonly associated with the southern part of the Indian subcontinent, with its area roughly confined to four modern states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu...

 singer. and teacher who descended from the royal family of Mavelikkara, Kerala.

Biography

He was born in 1928 as the second son of Chandraprabha Thamburatty (daughter of the great scholar A. R. Raja Raja Varma) and Rama Varma of Kilimanoor Palace. While in his mother's womb, Varma was affected by polio and thus was born with disorder in his right leg, which he had to carry till his death. After his initial studies, he joined the Swathi Thirunal Music Academy

Swathi Thirunal College of Music

Swathi Thirunal College of Music is a music college in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. It was founded in 1939. It was first named as "The Music Academy. The name was renamed as Swathi Thirunal College of Music in 1962. The founder of this institution was L. Muttayyah Bhagavathar.The primary...

 in Thiruvananthapuram and after the couse, joined the academy as an Assistant Professor in 1957. He retired as the principal of RLV College of Music and Fine Arts

RLV College of Music and Fine Arts

RLV College of Music and Fine Arts situated in the temple town of Tripunithura, Cochin, Kerala is affiliated to the Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam. It is one of the three dedicated Music colleges in Kerala with the others being Swathi Thirunal College of Music, Trivandrum and Chembai Memorial...

, Tripunithura (1981–84).

He has many illustrious disciples, including the famous Carnatic vocalists Neyyatinkara Vasudevan, Dr.K. Omanakutti and Sankaran Namboodiri.

He passed away on November 2, 2008.