Brahmarshi V Gopalakrishna Bhagavathar (1931) hails from a family of musicians at Kerala. It was obvious therefore that he showed keen interest in Bhajans from early childhood. Early 1950s brought him to Bangalore where he was to take up a job with ITI. That was also when he came in contact with ‘Appa’ (Pudukkottai Sri Gopalakrishna Bhagavathaswamy) during his annual visits, from whom he learnt the Sampradaya Bhajans. He soon was leading a Bhajan group conducting regulator Saturday Bhajans in the locality.

While in Bangalore, Bhagavathaswamy made it a point to visit ITI and conduct Bhajans and Sri Gopalakrishnan would participate in all the Guru’s programmes. Later in 1967, when Sri Sanjeevi Bhagavathaswamy started visiting Bangalore almost every year, Sri Gopalakrishnan became a regular member of his group in all Bhajan programmes and Kalyana Uthsavams. He also participated with several other Bhagavathars of repute like, Srirangam Sethumadhava Bhagavathar, Sri Narayana Sastrigal, Srivanchiyam Ramachandra Bhagavathar and others.

Later, he was to associate himself closely with Bhagavatha Ratnam R Seetarama Bhagavathar, his Guru and mentor alongside whom he played a leading supportive role in all Bhajab programmes and Kalyana Uthsavams in and around Bangalore. From early 1964, he had specialised in rendering Ayyappa Bhajans and continues to perform to this day during Mandala seasons.

Malleswram Rama Mandiram Bhajana Sabha conferred on him, the title of ‘Bhagavatha Bhushan’. Ekadasi Bhajana Sabha (East Bangalore) decorated him with the title of ‘Bhagavatha Shironmani’ under the patronage of Sri Muralidhra Swamigal. In 2007 at Chennai, he was honoured and felicitated by the Bhagavatha Seva Trust.