The village has had a rich musical history. Bhaskar Avadhani, an authority on the History of Rudrapatna calls the place the confluence of Veda Brahma and Nada Brahma. He recounts that the people of the village migrated from Sengottai in Tirunelveli District of Tamil Nadu. They came in two groups. While one group settled down at Koushika village in Hassan, another came to Bettadapura. People from there started inhabiting on the banks of river Cauvery and one such village formed as Rudrapatna. Sanketis, as they were known, practised Vedas and music. While Dikshitars and Somayajis performed Yajna and Yaga, others spent most of their time learning Shathavadhana, chanting of Veda and music. It was a place of Ghanapathi, Shatvadani, Ashtavadhani and musicians. The Channakeshava Temple of this village is more than a thousand years old. Unlike other contemporary musicians, it is claimed that musicians from this village did not aspire for Rajashraya. Renowned musician from Rudrapatna R K Padmanabha adds that a mass desertion of the village took place following a plague. He also claims that nearly 60 per cent of the currently performing Carnatic musicians in Karnataka hail from Rudrapatna.
Noted musicians
Several noted musicians such as R.S. Keshavamurthy, R.K. Ramanathan, R.K. Srikantan, R.K.Srinivasamurthy, R.K. Suryanarayana, R.N. Thyagarajan and R.N. Tharanathan, R.K. Raghavan, R.K. Prakash, R K Prasanna Kumar, R.K. Padmanabha, R.S. Ramakanth, R.N. Sreelatha and Rathnamala Prakash, R.P. Prashanth and R.P. Pramod, who have carved a niche for themselves, hail from this village. R.K. Krishna Shastry was another noted vocalist and Harikathe Vidwan, who hailed from Rudrapatna. Venkataramiah, popularly known as Thimmappa, was a renowned Veenavidwan. He is best known for his Viriboni Varna in Bhairavi raga. Shathavadhani Venkataraya was another popular veena vidwan. Veene Shamanna, Veene Shrikantaiah, Veene Ranganath and R.S. Keshava Murthy, who was a disciple of the legendary Veene Subbanna are all from Rudrapatna. Music critic Mysore V Subrahmanya has noted that the village has produced several musicians and scholars, including Veena Rangashastry, who have occupied the position of court musicians at the Mysore palace.
Padmavati Gangadhergowda is Daughter of RH Javaragowda has been elected as Mayor of Karnataka capital Bangalore. She also been elected as Janata party president in the year 2008.
