Famous Hindus Born in March: Birthdays by Date

Famous Hindus born in March include the singer Gangubai Hangal (5 March), Potti Sriramulu (16 March), the composer Muthuswami Dikshitar (24 March, the date usually given) and Swami Yogananda, a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna (30 March). This page lists people whose Gregorian birth dates are documented, in date order, with a short note on each and the source for the date.

March birthdays at a glance

5 March: Gangubai Hangal (1913–2009)

Born in Dharwad, Gangubai Hangal trained under Sawai Gandharva in the Kirana gharana, the same teacher as Bhimsen Joshi, and became one of the leading Hindustani vocalists of the 20th century, known for her deep voice and slow, detailed raga development. She overcame prejudice against women performers and against her family's background. She received the Padma Vibhushan in 2002 and died in Hubballi in 2009.

16 March: Potti Sriramulu (1901–1952)

Born in Madras to a Telugu family, Sriramulu worked for the railways before joining Gandhi's movement and his Sabarmati ashram. He fasted for the opening of temples to Dalits in his home region and, in 1952, for a separate state for Telugu speakers. He died on the 58th day of that fast, on 15 December 1952. Within days the Government of India announced the formation of Andhra State, which came into being on 1 October 1953. Andhra Pradesh honours him as Amarajeevi, "the immortal one".

24 March: Muthuswami Dikshitar (1775–1835)

Born at Tiruvarur, Dikshitar is one of the Trinity of Carnatic music with Tyagaraja and Syama Sastri. He studied at Varanasi with his guru Chidambaranatha Yogi, and his kritis, mostly in Sanskrit, are hymns to the deities of the temples he visited, including the sets on the Navagrahas and on Kamalamba of Tiruvarur. His birth date, 24 March 1775, is the one usually given, worked out from the traditional record of his birth. He died at Ettayapuram on Deepavali day in 1835. Read more: Tyagaraja.

30 March: Swami Yogananda (1861–1899)

Born Jogindranath Roy Choudhury near Dakshineswar, he met Sri Ramakrishna as a youth and became one of his monastic disciples. He was the first person to receive initiation from Sri Sarada Devi, served her for years, and was the first vice-president of the Ramakrishna Mission in 1897. He died in 1899. He is a different person from Paramahansa Yogananda, the author of Autobiography of a Yogi.

What about saints whose jayanti follows the Hindu calendar?

Many saints' jayantis are kept by the tithi, so their Gregorian date changes every year. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was born on Phalguna Purnima, the full moon of Holi, which usually falls in March; his jayanti, Gaura Purnima, moves with the moon. Sri Ramakrishna's jayanti is also kept by the tithi and often falls in late February or March. We list such days on our festival pages for each year rather than here.

How we choose people for this page

The Famous Hindus section is for people who were Hindu by their own statement or by uncontested record. For each name we give the date from a reliable source. Where a person was born into a Hindu family but did not speak publicly about faith, we say only that.

Frequently asked questions

Which famous Hindus were born in March?

Gangubai Hangal (5 March), Potti Sriramulu (16 March), Muthuswami Dikshitar (24 March, the usual date) and Swami Yogananda of the Ramakrishna Order (30 March).

Who is Amarajeevi Potti Sriramulu?

A Gandhian born on 16 March 1901 who died fasting for a Telugu-speaking state in 1952; Andhra State was formed the next year.

When was Muthuswami Dikshitar born?

The date usually given is 24 March 1775, at Tiruvarur in Tamil Nadu.

Is Swami Yogananda the same as Paramahansa Yogananda?

No. Swami Yogananda (1861–1899) was a disciple of Sri Ramakrishna. Paramahansa Yogananda (1893–1952) wrote Autobiography of a Yogi and was born on 5 January.

When is Gaura Purnima?

On Phalguna Purnima, the full moon of Holi, so the Gregorian date changes each year.

Sources

• Encyclopaedia Britannica, "Gangubai Hangal"; Padma Awards directory, Ministry of Home Affairs (Padma Vibhushan, 2002).
• Government of Andhra Pradesh, "Amarajeevi Potti Sriramulu"; the Andhra State Act, 1953.
• T. K. Govinda Rao (editor), Compositions of Muddusvami Dikshitar (Ganamandir Publications, 1997); Encyclopaedia Britannica, "Muthuswami Dikshitar".
• Belur Math, "Swami Yogananda" (belurmath.org/holy-lives/swami-yogananda).

Last reviewed: 12 November 2026.

Related: Famous Hindus born in January · Famous Hindus born in February · Famous Hindus born in April · Sri Sarada Devi