Kilimanoor palace
Encyclopedia
Kilimanoor palace is famous as the birth place of Raja Ravi Varma
, the celebrated India
n painter.
Raja Ravi Varma is said to have built and maintained some of the buildings from the proceeds of his paintings.
Families related to the Travancore royal house continue to live here.
has a history stretching back more than 300 years, although the oldest buildings are from a much earlier period. However, it was in 1753 that the palace was built in its present form.
Thattarikovilakam, a Kolathunadu
royal house, were adopted into the Royal house of Venad
. Ittammar Raja's sister and her sons, Rama Varma and Raghava Varma, settled in Kilimanoor and married the now adopted sisters. Marthanda Varma
, the founder of the Kingdom of Travancore
, was the son of Raghava Varma. The nephew of Raghava Varma, Ravi varma Koil Thampuran, married the sister of Marthanda Varma. Their son became known as Dharma Raja
Kartika Thirunnal Rama Varma.
In 1740 when an allied force, led by Dutchman Captain Hockert supporting the Deshinganadu King, attacked Venad, an army from Kilimanoor resisted and then defeated them. Although a small victory, this was the first time an Indian army had defeated a European power. In 1753, in recognition of this feat, Marthanda Varma exempted the areas controlled by the Kilimanoor palace from taxes, and granted them autonomous status. The present palace complex was built at this time, together with the Ayyappa temple. for the family deity,Sastha or Ayyapan.
Velu Thampi
Dalawa
held meetings at Kilimanoor palace while planning uprisings against the British. He handed over his sword at the palace before going into his final battle against the British, and India's first President, Dr Rajendra Prasad
received this sword from the palace and it is now kept in the National Museum in Delhi
.
Raja Ravi Varma
Raja Ravi Varma was an Indian painter from the princely state of Travancore who achieved recognition for his depiction of scenes from the epics of the Mahabharata and Ramayana...
, the celebrated India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n painter.
The Palace
The Palace complex covers more than six hectares, and comprises the traditional residential structures of Kerala, like the Nalukettu, small and medium sized buildings, two ponds, wells and sacred groves (kaavu).Raja Ravi Varma is said to have built and maintained some of the buildings from the proceeds of his paintings.
Families related to the Travancore royal house continue to live here.
History
The royal house at KilimanoorKilimanoor
Kilimanoor is a census town in the state of Kerala, India. It is located on MC/SH 1 Road, 36 km from the city of Thiruvananthapuram .The town area is administered by 2 grama panchayats, pazhayakunnummel and kilimanoor grama panchayat....
has a history stretching back more than 300 years, although the oldest buildings are from a much earlier period. However, it was in 1753 that the palace was built in its present form.
Kilimanoor palace and Travancore royal house
In 1705 (ME 880) the son and two daughters of Ittammar Raja of BeyporeBeypore
Beypore or Beypur is a ancient port town and part of Calicut municipal corporation in Kozhikode district in the state of Kerala, India. The place was formerly known as Vaypura / Vadaparappanad. Tippu Sultan named the town “Sultan Pattanam”.This place also has a marina and a beautiful beach...
Thattarikovilakam, a Kolathunadu
Kolathunadu
Kolathunādu was one of the three most powerful feudal kingdoms on the Malabar Coast during the arrival Portuguese Armadas to India along with Zamorin's Calicut and Venad. Kolathunād had its capital at Ezhimala and was ruled by Kolathiri royal family and roughly comprised the whole northern...
royal house, were adopted into the Royal house of Venad
Venad
Venad Swarupam was one of the three prominent late medieval Hindu feudal kingdoms on Malabar Coast, south India, along with Kingdom of Calicut and Kingdom of Cannanore. In the early 14th century, Venad ruler Ravi Varma Kulasekhara had established a short-lived supremacy over southern India...
. Ittammar Raja's sister and her sons, Rama Varma and Raghava Varma, settled in Kilimanoor and married the now adopted sisters. Marthanda Varma
Marthanda Varma
Marthanda Varma , was the founder of the Indian Hindu feudal kingdom of Travancore from Venad SwaroopamHe ruled from 1729 till his death in 1758, having succeeded his maternal uncle Dharma Raja.King Marthanda Varma is usually credited as the "founder of Kingdom of Travancore" from...
, the founder of the Kingdom of Travancore
Travancore
Kingdom of Travancore was a former Hindu feudal kingdom and Indian Princely State with its capital at Padmanabhapuram or Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. The Kingdom of Travancore comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of...
, was the son of Raghava Varma. The nephew of Raghava Varma, Ravi varma Koil Thampuran, married the sister of Marthanda Varma. Their son became known as Dharma Raja
Dharma Raja
Dharma Raja Karthika Thirunal Rama Varma was the Maharajah of Travancore from 1758 until his death in 1798. He succeeded his uncle Marthanda Varma, who is credited with the title of "maker of modern Travancore"...
Kartika Thirunnal Rama Varma.
In 1740 when an allied force, led by Dutchman Captain Hockert supporting the Deshinganadu King, attacked Venad, an army from Kilimanoor resisted and then defeated them. Although a small victory, this was the first time an Indian army had defeated a European power. In 1753, in recognition of this feat, Marthanda Varma exempted the areas controlled by the Kilimanoor palace from taxes, and granted them autonomous status. The present palace complex was built at this time, together with the Ayyappa temple. for the family deity,Sastha or Ayyapan.
Velu Thampi
Velu Thampi Dalawa
Velayudhan Chempakaraman Thampi was the Dalawa or Prime Minister of the Indian kingdom of Travancore between 1802 and 1809 during the reign of His Highness Maharajah Bala Rama Varma Kulasekhara Perumal...
Dalawa
Dalawa
Dalawa can be:*the number two in certain Asian languages*an alternative title for the Dewan of an Indian ruler, as in Travancore*a name...
held meetings at Kilimanoor palace while planning uprisings against the British. He handed over his sword at the palace before going into his final battle against the British, and India's first President, Dr Rajendra Prasad
Rajendra Prasad
Dr. Rajendra Prasad was an Indian politician and educator. He was one of the architects of the Indian Republic, having drafted its first constitution and serving as the first president of independent India...
received this sword from the palace and it is now kept in the National Museum in Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
.
Personalities
- Raja Ravi VarmaRaja Ravi VarmaRaja Ravi Varma was an Indian painter from the princely state of Travancore who achieved recognition for his depiction of scenes from the epics of the Mahabharata and Ramayana...
, Famous Painter - Kareendran thampuran, Poet, Composer, Childhood friend Of Swathi Thirunal
- Raja Raja Varma, Uncle of Raja Ravi Varma.
- C. Raja Raja VarmaC. Raja Raja VarmaC. Raja Raja Varma was an accomplished Indian painter. He is more famous as the youngest brother of the famous painter Raja Ravi Varma. He acted assistant, secretary, and business manager of Raja Ravi Varma....
Koil Thampuran, Painter, Brother of Raja Ravi Varma