Raja Raja Varma Koil Thampuran, also known as Raja Raja Varma, was a Malayalam language poet and translator from the Indian state of Kerala who had an equal facility in writing in English and Sanskrit. He was born in Neerazhi Palace, Changanassery. He was part of the royal family of erstwhile Parappanad (Parappangadi and Beypore), Malabar. [1]
He was born in Changanacherry at the Neerazhi Palace, which is now known as Neerazhikettu kottaram. He married Princess Ayiliam Thirunal Gauri Lakshmi Bayi of Travancore. From this marriage Raja Raja Varma Koil Thampuran had issue, a daughter and two sons. His daughter was Maharani Gowri Rukmini Bayi, who was born in 1809. His eldest son, the famous Maharajah Swathi Thirunal, was born on 16 April 1813. Swathi Thirunal became a musician and artist and ruled independently from 1829 to 1846. Thampuran next had a son in 1814, Maharajah Uthram Thirunal, who ruled from 1846 to 1860. His wife Gauri Lakshmi Bayi lost her health after giving birth to Uthram Thirunal and died in 1815. [2]
Gauri Lakshmi Bayi built a new palace in Changanassery for her husband and his family members during her reign, which was called Lakshmipuram Palace. [3]
Sri Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma III was the Maharaja of the Kingdom of Travancore. He is also was a music composer and is credited with over 400 classical compositions in both Carnatic and Hindustani style.
Kerala Varma Valiya Koil Thampuran ; 19 February 1845 – 22 September 1914) also spelt Kerala Varma Valiya Koilthampuran and known as Kerala Varma, was a Malayalam - language poet and translator who had an equal facility in writing in English and Sanskrit from the Indian state of Kerala. He was a prince of Parappanad, and consort to the Senior Rani of Attingal and Maharani of Travancore, Bharani Thirunal Lakshmi Bayi, intended to father future sovereigns of Travancore, although the couple was childless, necessitating the adoption of Lakshmi Bayi's grand-nieces. Kerala Varma is also known as the Kalidasa of Kerala, and was both brother-in-law and cousin to painter Raja Ravi Varma, also a prince of Parappanad, though from the Kilimanoor branch, whom he presented with his first oil paints. A third Parappanad prince, his grammarian nephew A. R. Raja Raja Varma, is known as the Panini of Kerala.
Iravivarman Thampi, better known as Irayimman Thampi, was an Indian Carnatic musician, music composer and poet from the Kingdom of Travancore. He was a vocalist in the court of Swathi Thirunal. His compositions include the lullaby Omanathinkal Kidavo, one of the most popular lullabies in Malayalam.
Sir Sri Ayilyam Thirunal Rama Varma IVGCSI CIE (1832–1880) reigned as Maharaja of Travancore from 1860 to 1880. His reign was highly successful, with Travancore, gaining the appellation of "model state of India", with such celebrated administrators as Raja Sir T. Madhava Rao and Sir A. Seshayya Sastri serving him as Diwans.
Pooradam Thirunal Sethu Lakshmi Bayi CI was the monarch, though designated as the Regent due to British policy, of the Kingdom of Travancore in southern India between 1924 and 1931. She, along with her younger cousin, Moolam Thirunal Sethu Parvathi Bayi, were adopted into the Travancore royal family and were the granddaughters of the celebrated painter, Raja Ravi Varma.
Maharani Ayilyom Thirunal Gowri Lakshmi Bayi (1791–1815) was the Maharani of the Indian state of Travancore from 1810 till 1813 and Regent from 1813 till her death in 1815 for her son Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma. She was the only Queen of Travancore to have reigned in her own right which she did for three years before becoming the regent for her son.
Sri Padmanabha DasaSir Sri Visakham Thirunal Rama Varma VFRAS, also known as Rama Varma the Learned, was the Maharaja of Travancore from 1880 to 1885 AD, succeeding his elder brother Ayilyam Thirunal on the musnud, or throne. He was a noted scholar of Sanskrit and literary composer in Malayalam, who reversed his brother's policy, liberally patronizing poet Kerala Varma, while hostile to painter Raja Ravi Varma.
Parappanangadi is a major town and a municipality in Tirurangadi taluk of Malappuram district, Kerala, India. It is a coastal town located close to the Arabian Sea.
Sri Uthram Thirunal Marthanda Varma II was the Maharajah of Travancore state in southern India, succeeding his elder brother Maharajah Swathi Thirunal in 1846 till his demise in 1860. Known for his progressive rule, he abolished slavery in the kingdom. He was succeeded by his nephew Maharajah Ayilyam Thirunal in 1860. His mother was Her Highness Maharani Gowri Lakshmi Bayi. He had three wives. The Maharajah's daughter was married by his nephew and heir Maharajah Ayilyam Thirunal.
The Travancore royal family was the ruling house of the Kingdom of Travancore.The Travancore royal family signed a treaty with the British in 1788, thereby adopting British dominance. Later, in 1805, they revised the treaty, leading to a diminution of royal authority and the loss of political independence for Travancore. They had to give up their ruling rights over the common people in 1949 when Travancore were forced to merge with Independent India and their political pension privileges were abolished in 1971.
Rukmini Varma is an Indian artist based in Bangalore.
Maharani Bharani Thirunal Lakshmi Bayi CI was the Senior Rani of Travancore from 1857 till her death in 1901. Her consort was the famous poet and writer, styled the father of Malayalam literature, Sri Kerala Varma Valiya Koil Thampuran.
Parappanad was a former feudal city-state in Malabar, India. The headquarters of Parappanad Royal family was at the town Parappanangadi in present-day Malappuram district. In 1425, the country divided into Northern Parappanad and Southern Parappanad. Southern Parappanad included parts of Tirurangadi Taluk and the town Parappanangadi. Northern Parappanad included Panniyankara, Beypore, and Cheruvannur of Kozhikkode Taluk. Parappanad royal family is a cousin dynasty of the Travancore royal family.
Rani Bharani Thirunal Parvathi Bayi was a junior Rani of Travancore as known as ' Attingal Elaya Rani ' Her consort was Kilimanoor Kerala Varma Koyi Thampuran. Parvathi Bayi was born in 1850 as the daughter of Bharani Thirunal Amma Thampuran of Utsava Madom Palace in Mavelikara.
Sree Padmanabhadasa Sree Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma is the current incumbent to the throne of Travancore. He is the youngest of the four children of the former titular Maharani of Travancore, Sree Padmanabhasevini Maharani Karthika Thirunal Lakshmi Bayi and her husband, Prince Consort Lt. Col. G. V. Raja of Poonjar Royal House.
Maharani Karthika Thirunal Lakshmi Bayi (1916-2008) was the only sister of the last ruling Maharajah of Travancore, Sree Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma and of his successor, Sree Uthradom Thirunal Marthanda Varma. Under the matrilineal Marumakkathayam system of inheritance prevalent in the kingdom of Travancore, it was her children who were heirs to the throne. She therefore held a very special place in the Travancore court, superior to the Maharaja's wives, and was termed the Rani of Attingal in her own right. In 2013, her only surviving son duly succeeded his uncles as titular Maharaja of Travancore and is known as Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma.
Moolam Thirunal Sethu Parvathi Bayi (1896–1983), better known as Amma Maharani, was the Junior Maharani (Queen) of Travancore as well as a promoter of Indian Classical music. She was the mother of Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma, the last King of Travancore. She was the president of the National Council of Women in India in 1938–1944.
Koyi Thampuran was the title of the Prince Consorts of the Queens and Princesses of Travancore. The Koyi Thampurans' gained prominence and prestige in Kingdom of Travancore as they were the fathers of the then reigning Kings. In Travancore, there were ten clans of Koyi Thampurans. The most ancient were the ones settled at Kilimanoor ; others were Kirthipuram, Pallam, Paliyakkara and Nirazhi, Ananthapuram, Chemprol, Cherukol, Karazhma and Vatakkemadham.
Neerazhi Palace was the royal palace of the Thekkumkur kingdom. Palace is located at Puzhavathu in Changanassery. The palace was used by the Thekkumkur dynasty until 1750 and later by the Parappanad dynasty who settled in Changanassery from North Malabar. It was here that the last king of Thekkumkur, Aditya Varman Manikandan escaped to Nattassery of Kottayam in the Travancore invasion of 1790. The Neerazhi palace was earlier known as Neerazhikettu.
Lakshmipuram Palace is the royal palace of the Parappanad royal families at Changanassery. Palace is located at Puzhavathu near to Kavil Bhagavathy Temple. The Lakshmipuram Palace was built in 1811 AD by Travancore ruler Maharani Ayilyom Thirunal Gouri Lakshmi Bayi (1791–1815) on behalf of the family of her husband Raja Raja Varma Valiya Koil Thampuran. Until then, the royal family at the Neerazhi Palace in Changanacherry had been moved to newly built Lakshmipuram Palace. It was the seat of the royal family of Koi thampurans and has produced many illustrious writers such as Raja Raja Varma Koil Thampuran, Kerala Varma Valiya Koil Thampuran and A. R. Raja Raja Varma. Noted Malayalam singer and classical musician L. P. R. Varma also hails from this palace.