Giriraja Kavi was a noted composer of Carnatic music, who lived in the 18th century in the kingdom of Thanjavur. His hometown, Tiruvarur, lies in the present-day state of Tamil Nadu. Roughly 200 of his padas, ragas, and talas are housed in the Saraswathi Mahal Library in Thanjavur. Giriraja wrote about 150 padas in honour of his patron, Śāhaji, and Śāhaji's lover Rājamōhini. Kavi was one of the first, if not the first, to use northern Hindustani ragas, such as Brindavani, in the south.

Family

Giriraja's brother, Kavigiri, was known as Venkatagiri and was a scholar and musician. Giriraja's grandson by one of his daughters was the composer Tyagaraja.