Prominent personalities

* **Adi Shankara (8th century):** Highly influential Hindu philosopher and theologian who consolidated the doctrine of Advaita Vedanta. * **Raja Ravi Varma (1848–1906):** One of the greatest painters in the history of Indian art, known for fusing European academic art with Indian iconography. * **E. Sreedharan:** Civil engineer known as the "Metro Man" for his instrumental role in building the Delhi Metro and the Konkan Railway. * **P.T. Usha:** Legendary track and field athlete, often called the "Queen of Indian track and field." * **Shashi Tharoor:** Prominent author, former UN Under-Secretary-General, and Member of Parliament for Thiruvananthapuram. * **Arundhati Roy:** Author who won the Man Booker Prize for her novel *The God of Small Things*, which is set in Kerala. * **Mohanlal & Mammootty:** Two of the most celebrated and awarded actors in the history of Malayalam and Indian cinema. * **K. R. Narayanan (1920–2005):** The 10th President of India and the first from the Dalit community.