Although he did not receive any formal musical training, his compositions exhibit deep technical brilliance.
Neelakanta Sivan was born in 1839 at Vadiveeswaram, a part of Nagercoil, he stayed at Padmanabhapuram, the capital of the old Travancore.
His father, Subramanya Iyer, was an official in Neelakantaswamy temple at Padmanabhapuram.
He worked as a village magistrate for a few years and left this profession to take up religious practices.
The songs Sambo Mahadeva Saranam (raga Bowli); Ananda nadamaaduvaar Thillai ambalam thannil (Purvikalyani); Enraikku Sivakirupai varumo (Mukaari) Enna vanthalum naan unnai marapathillai (Kambhoji); Oru naal orupozhuthakilum Sivanai ucharikka venum (Kamas); Vaa vaa kalaimathi (Shankarabharanam); Oraru Mugane (Reetigowla); Kadaikkan paaraiyya (Darbar); and Sivanai ninai- thu thuthi paadikkol maname (Kambhoji) are very popular songs in Tamil.