TALES FROM THE CAPITAL CITY - XX

SWARUPATHU VEEDU

Swarupathu Veedu*, now known as ‘Kaniyan Vilakam’ is an old aristocratic Nair tharavad situated in Thiruvananthapuram. The ancestral house of this family is located near the famed Mukkolakkal Devi temple in Sreevaraham, near Muttathara; to the south of Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple.

There are no authentic records on the origin of the family, and going by the local lore and family traditions one can come to the conclusion that the family and its members were associated with the ancient Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple from times immemorial. There are many references to the family and the services rendered by them in the temple records, the Mathilakam Churuna, chronicling the history of Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple. Princess Lekshmi Bai of Travancore royal family in her book ‘Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple’ has expressed her gratitude to numerous old aristocratic families, located in the capital city that had rendered valuable service in managing the day to day activities of the temple; Swarupathu Veedu is one among them.

The poomukham of the house - Photograph taken by the author.

The family was in existence from very old days and the ancestors of the family may have been associated with the Ettarayogakar, the potty families who controlled the temple affairs. Travancore, before the period of Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma (b.1706-d.1758), was under the control of feudal lords, the Ettuveetil Pillamar, Nair chieftains who were the feudatories of the Potty families. However, later they gained prominence in the society and allied themselves with the Ettarayogam and thus became the uncrowned kings of Thiruvananthapuram. Some prominent Nair families assisted the Yogakkar in running the temple such as Mathilakam Pillamar. According to the present family members, their ancestors assumed the title ‘Mathilakam Pilla’ and supervised the day to day activities of the temple. They were also assigned the duty of taking care of the 'Pandara vaka' estates owned by the royals and the temple.

Mathilakam Pilla:

Thiruvananthapuram, the small temple town developed into a capital city during the reign of Veera Marthanda Varma and his illustrious successor Karthika Thirunal Rama Varma (Dharmaraja). Marthanda Varma shifted the capital from Kalkulam to Thiruvananthapuram and started with the renovation works of Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple followed by large-scale development activities. Dharmaraja, his successor followed his uncle's footsteps and thus during his reign, Thiruvananthapuram emerged from its status as a 'temple town' to a powerful 'capital city'. The city comprising of the temple and a small population around it transformed into a city during the latter half of the eighteenth century, a fort was created which sort of defined the boundary of the settlement of the elite class and people belonging to lesser castes and profession began settling around it, they were allotted land in accordance with their social positions.

The name Mathilakam Pilla is seen in many records preceding the time of Marthanda Varma, so the mathil or wall mentioned here must be the temple wall, the prakaram which surrounded the Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple. There are references of a mud wall surrounding the temple in the old records. Later during the reign of Marthanda Varma orders were given for complete renovation of the temple and a new granite wall occupied the position of the old mud wall. Therefore, as the name suggests, the members of the family supervised the works inside the mathilakam, i.e., the temple.

Social position:

The title Mathilakam Pilla was a significant post that demanded much respect and the family’s alliances with other aristocratic families including the famed Chittaloor Elankom strengthened their roots in the capital city. The connection with temple administration and their loyalty to the royal family made them prosperous. The family also received vast areas of farming lands free of tax from the rulers of Travancore.

In addition to this, they received mada choru, cooked rice from the temple every day and that too in large quantities. According to the present head of the family Mr. Sreekumaran Nair, in old days the karnavar of the family made arrangements to sell this rice and to distribute the rest to the poor.

Locality:

The family is located behind Mukkolakkal Devi temple, on the outskirts of the old capital city; the surrounding regions are marshy farming areas, with many canals and culverts for irrigation. In old days this area was known by the name Thottam, meaning garden. It was common for large temples like Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple to have farming lands in its vicinity, supplying flowers, fruits, grain and other raw materials for the day to day activities of the temple. Padmanabha Swamy temple had numerous paddy fields and gardens surrounding it. Ananthapuravarnanam, a 13th-century composition by an unknown poet provides us with a beautiful description of the temple town. Syanandoorapuranam, another work mentions the temples, sacred groves and numerous ponds of this town. To the southwest of the temple was a temple sacred grove known as Padinjarae Nadakkavu. The author of Ananthapuravarnanam has compared this grove to the nandavanam. According to the elders of the locality, Mukkolakkal and the nearby Thottam regions were ‘gardens’ or rather farmlands which supplied flowers, banana and coconut to the temple and the settlements around it. The members of Swarupathu family were the feudal lords who were the caretakers of these fields and it may be the reason why they settled near Thottam. A large pond by the name ‘Pookulam’ was in existence till recently next to the house, however, now it has been filled and is used as a playground.

Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple and its precincts, with the old 'garden' marked in green**.

Thottam is well known all over Travancore for its Ezhava and Vishwakarma settlements. Many prominent Ezhava families like Vellutheri, Perunelli and Perumpadsherri of the region has produced many gifted poets and scholars, many illustrious members of these families were well-known physicians and were appointed as Kottaram Vaidyanmar to the Kings of Travancore. Many Tamil Vishwakarma guilds such as Thavalodu and Thuppini were engaged in the renovation works of Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple and later they also settled in Thottam.

The house:

The tharavad is made in pure traditional architectural style followed in southern parts of Travancore. The exact date of construction is not available; however, from the looks and the style of construction one can easily infer that it is not less than 250 to 200 years old. The house, in its complete form, was an ettukettu, with rooms arranged around two courtyards. However, one nalukettu constructed using laterite had fallen with time and only the portion made of timber exists today. The existing structure is a perfect example of the traditional architecture of Kerala and bears testimony to the high degree of craftsmanship attained by the traditional craftsmen. The construction of the building is in accordance with the traditional Vastu canons, facing East direction. The major building materials used are timber, for walls and furniture, doors, rafters and thatched coconut leaves for roofing. Exquisite carvings of Goddess Durga, the vyali and parrot motifs along with the lotus and other floral motifs display the expertise of local craftsmen. The walls are made of timber planks which are interlocked. The corner rafters and pillar heads are decorated with carvings. The structure includes a poomukham used by the karnavar of the family; in old days it acted as a transition space in between the main living block and the thekkath, the place of worship. Male guests were entertained in this poomukham, which was detached from the ettukettu. The poomukham has a small sit out space with charupadi and there are rooms on both sides.

The existing nalukettu - Photograph taken by the author.

The intricate carvings - Photographs taken by the author.

The wall separating mens and womens blocks, the small kilivathil used by women can be seen on the left - Photograph taken by the author.

The existing nalukettu block also had an ara that housed the thekkath, where the deities of the family, kalaman kombu (deer antlers) and the ancestors were worshipped. The other rooms were used by the karnavar, in the front verandah there is a wooden cot used by the karnavar with storage space below it, the valuables of the family and important documents were stored there, under the strict vigil of the karnavar. The room near the thekkath served as a storeroom where the large vessels of the family were kept. The inner space around the courtyard was used by the occupants of the family. The adjacent nalukettu which was in ruins had been demolished years ago and according to Mr. Sreekumaran Nair, it was used by the women and children of the family. That portion housed the kitchen, dining space and bedrooms. A wall, painted red, with an opening in its centre separated the two blocks; earlier, women were not allowed to come near the block that housed the family deities. A small kilivathil can still be seen on the wall, once used by the women to communicate with the karnavar and the male members who occupied the first nalukettu.

Life in the joint family:

The Nairs were matrilineal, with the mother’s eldest brother occupying the position of karnavar, the male head of the family who looked after the family, their land and assets. The power and property passed hands to the sons of the karnavar’s sister and never to his children. Though women had no significant role in the society, she was the fulcrum around which the family functioned, the matrilineal system of inheritance ensured their safety and women were respected. The nephews were taken care of by the male head, the karnavar. During post-colonial years, the Land Reforms Ordinance of the 1950s led to massive loss of land-ownership by Nair feudal lords and some Nair gentry were relegated to poverty overnight. However, Swarupathu family is financially sound and many of the members are top brass government officials who are sensitive towards their rich heritage.

Sharat Sunder Rajeev

November 2011.

Note: This article was written two years back when I was doing some research on Thiruvananthapuram and the old families there. I would like to thank Sri Sreekumaran Nair, the present head of Swarupathu Veedu, who was kind enough to spare some time with me. He took me around the old house and shared with me whatever history he knew about the house and the locality.

P. Venugopal and L. Madhavan and late. L. Jalaja (Krishnammal) were some of the elders I contacted to know more about the local history of the area.

The map used here is a cropped portion of the 'Trivandrum Guide Map' (Survey of India 1968-69).

* Alternate spelling for 'Swarupathu Veedu', is 'Swaroopathu Veedu'. In old days there were some families of 'Kaniyanmar' (traditional astrologers) who lived near the house, this was the reason why the house and its surrounding areas later came to be known as 'Kaniyan Vilakam'.

** Since I was not able to come across any proper records showing the extent of the old garden, I have conjecturally marked it in the map.

TALES FROM THE CAPITAL CITY -XIX

STONE MASONS OF CHITTATINKARA, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

Killi Ār*, the chief tributary of Karamana River flows to the east of Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple. Built across this water body is the famous ‘Killipālam’. The King of Venad dynasty, Veera Marthanda Varma (b.1706-d.1758) who personally supervised the renovation works of Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple ordered his workmen to find a suitable monolith hill from where he could get a chunk of granite, so big to make a monolith ‘mandapam’ in front of the main shrine at Padmanabha Swamy temple. The workers located a small granite hillock not far from the temple. Thirumala, as the place is now famous, indicating its connection with the sacred hillock, was at that time a part of Chittatinkara in ‘Anjam mada’ village (‘mada’ means drain). Anjam mada or ‘Anchamada’ - were the five madas dug for draining water to Karamana and Killi River. Kaduvetty, Maruthankuzhi, Pangode, Kundamankadavu and Vallakadavu were the five madas and these areas are still known by the names of the respective madas.

Stonemasons were employed to cut the large boulder into required size and the mathilakam records state that Nair and Ezhava labourers toiled for days to get the large boulder to the worksite near Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple. A large cart with huge wooden wheels was made for the purpose of transportation and the stone was hauled by elephants. A new road was made by the labourers, connecting the granite quarry to the temple. The road running through Poojappura, Karamana, Aranoor, Chalai and connecting to Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple is still in use. A small guild of stonemasons was located near the quarry and they were assigned the task of hewing granite blocks into required size for making the pillars and roof slabs. The descendants of these masons still live there.

On top of the hillock is a small temple ‘Trichakrapuram’ Sree Krishna Swamy temple (also known as 'Parakovil') dedicated to Lord Sree Krishnan. It is said that the hillock got its name, ‘Thirumala’, meaning ‘sacred hill’, due to the presence of this ancient temple.

Trichakrapuram Sree Krishna Swamy temple, on top of the granite hill - Photograph taken by the author.

The spot from where the large boulder was cut for the 'ottakkal mandapam'

- Photograph taken by the author.

The huge granite boulder, in its journey to the work site, passed through Karamana before reaching the Killi River, in those days there were no means for transporting the huge stone to the other side. Marthanda Varma gave instructions to divert the river. The course of the river was changed and thus the boulder reached the other side of the river. There are many stories circulating amongst the local population about the King and the divine assistance he got from Sree Padmanabha Swamy to get the boulder to the other side of the river. One of the senior members of Chittatinkara guild narrated such a story that he has heard from the elders. On reaching Killi River, the labourers found it impossible to transport the boulder and their leader went to the King and told him about the situation. The King after thinking for a while took a palm leaf and the stylus and wrote something in it and handed it over to one of his ministers. In the leaf was written the number ‘six’ (6) in the Malayalam numeral and there was a cut across it. The clever minister got the point and asked the labourers to build an embankment across the river. In Malayalam the numeral six (6) is pronounced as ‘Ār’/‘Āru’, the same word for river. The line drawn across meant that an embankment was to be constructed across the river.

The Malayalam numeral 'six' (left) - Ar and the sign given by the king to build an embankment across the river (Ar).

The granite boulder being hauled to Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple - Sketch by the author.

Vettamukku Vilakathu Veedu (Shiva Bhavanam) an old Tamil Vishwakarma family of stone workers (silpins) is settled in Chittatinkara. Padmanabhan Achari (b.1850s), an early ancestor of the family owned large areas of land near Trichakrapuram Sree Krishna Swamy temple, his son Shiva Thanu Achari (d.1940s) was a well-known figure. Senior citizens say that in old days there were three Tamil silpin families in Vettamukku, associated with the renovation work of Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple. Thirumala and the surrounding areas like Edapazhinji and Vattiyoorkāvu had large rock boulders. The large rocky hills in Thirumala region provided enough granite for the construction of the temple and the fort walls. According to present family members, Uchudamakali Achari, son of Shiva Thanu Achari used to say that the granite panels, used as roofing for the ‘Sheevelipura’ of Padmanabha Swamy temple were made by his ancestors. Going by the popular family traditions and hearsay the ancestors of this family had settled in Thiruvananthapuram during the reign of Marthanda Varma (c.1730s). They were stone workers associated with the renovation works of Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple. The present descendants claim that their ancestral family was located in Dhanushkodi, near Rameshwaram. The ancestors of this family had initially settled in Karamana and Choorakattupalayam, where many of the Vishwakarma families were concentrated. In due time the region occupied by this guild came to be known as ‘kalppalayam’ - meaning abode of stone masons. The temple housing their principle deity - Goddess Amman is still there in Karamana. The renovation works of Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple started by Marthanda Varma was carried forward by his illustrious successor, Karthika Tirunal Rama Varma a.k.a. 'Dharmaraja'. In 1768 AD/ 943 M.E., Ezhava labourers were employed for bringing to the temple, twenty-eight Mandira Moorthy pillars, which were made in Thirumala (Churuna 28, Olas 99 & 100, Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple, Princess Gouri Lakshmi Bayi.)

P. Shiva Thanu Achari and his wife Valli Ammal – From the private collection of Mr. Padmanabhan.

The old house, Shiva Bhavanam was made by Shiva Thanu Achari. Unlike other houses in the surroundings, we can see perfectly dressed granite blocks serving as steps and the plinth above which the house is built. Behind the house was a large pond (14.5 cents) formed as a result of cutting out of large blocks of rock from the boulder. The pond was used by the family and the locals of the region.

Later, during the latter half of 18th century, some families from Karamana settled in Chittatinkara. They were all involved in the cutting and dressing of granite for the construction works of Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple. The stone blocks for building the Fort walls were also supplied from Thirumala. Trichakrapuram Sree Krishna temple was a small structure during that time and it seems that the guilds of stonemasons were involved in the construction of the temple and the associated structures in the present form. They were given land near the temple. The ancestors of this family, along with the craftsmen families like Chatharathala and Eruparathala families formed a guild of village artisans.

*Ār - means river in Malayalam.

Sharat Sunder Rajeev

TALES FROM THE CAPITAL CITY- XV

ERUMKULANGARA DEVI TEMPLE AND THE EZHAVA SETTLEMENTS IN THOTTAM

We, the final year architecture students of C.E.T have been visiting every nook and corner of the Fort and its surrounding regions for the last couple of weeks as a part of our urban design project- ‘Revival of the Temple Town’. With frequently emptying water bottles, we explore the city under the gaze of the scorching sun. However, for those interested in exploring the heart of the city, its culture, the Fort is like an open book with its gates wide open, inviting everyone inside, to be a part of the history or rather the mystery surrounding it. We walked past the busy streets lined by street hawkers, beggars and tourists who sometimes seem troubled by the curious eyes that follow them. Though new buildings have diminished her beauty and poisonous gases are gripping a tight hold on her neck, the capital city still continues to overwhelm us with the stories of valour, resistance, conspiracies, and perseverance.

Over the ages, many people belonging to different castes have migrated and settled down in Trivandrum. The most important and large-scale migrations happened during the period of Marthanda Varma when he invited Brahmins from all over south India to settle in the capital city. During the period of Dharmaraja also many Brahmin and other families from northern Kerala migrated to the safe hands of our capital city fearing Tippu’s attacks. Since my childhood days, I was interested in the history of Travancore and its migrant population. It may be due to the fact that I was born into a family that migrated to Travancore from Tirunelveli in 1730’s for the renovation works of Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple.

The second phase of the study included the areas surrounding the fort, the different caste settlements around the fort, which helped in the growth of the town. Our group covered Manacaud, Thottam and Muttathara areas surrounding the fort. It was an interesting study as the area covered the most colourful and wide variety of caste settlements we can see in the whole of Trivandrum. In Manacaud we have the Muslim settlements, the Pathans who worked in Travancore mounted force and as the king’s chamber guards, along with them are the Rajpoot settlements. However, the most interesting part of the study came in Thottam area, a vast area with a boundary set by four stones, the ‘nalukallu’.

‘Thottam’ as the name suggests was the garden of Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple, in old days the temple owned vast lands under its control as fields which provided rice for the temple, flowers and fruits were grown in ‘nandavanam’, a garden in the south-west part of the fort. Thottam near Manacaud was also a garden associated with the temple. Ezhavas and Vishwakarmas formed the majority of the population. These two communities were the major working class, Vishwakarmas of the region were engaged in construction works of the temple and the Ezhavas assisted them as manual labourers, a ‘churuna’ of Padmanabha Swamy temple records that in 1768 AD/ 943 ME, Ezhava labourers were employed for bringing to the temple, twenty-eight ‘Mandira Moorthy’ pillars, which were made in Thirumala.

What remains of Velutheri, the famous Ezhava tharavad in Thottam - Photograph taken by the author.

Perunelli and Vellutheri were the famous Ezhava families of the region; the members of the family were well-known Vaidyans and scholars. Swarupathu Veedu (Kaniyan Vilakam), a very old Nair tharavad is near Thottam. They were the ‘Mathilakam Pilla’ of the kings of Travancore and owned large areas of farming lands. It is said that the famous ‘Mukkolakkal Devi’ was the family deity of the Swarupathu family.

Swaroopathu Veedu - Photograph taken by the author.

Later, Muttathara became an abode of skilled craftsmen, patronized by the royal family of Travancore. Erumkulangara Devi temple at Thottam is an old temple, about 1000 years old, complete with a large pond and kavu surrounding it with a serene atmosphere in the heart of the city. The close association with Padmanabha Swamy temple had given this temple a significant position even from old days. Thottam was a waterlogged land; the major mode of transportation was by ‘vanchis’ (canoes). The senior generations still remember the priest’s from Padmanabha Swamy temple, the Tharananalloor Namboothiris coming to the temple for the pujas. The canoes came near the temple, the priests had a separate pond for their use in addition to the large temple pond, and thus the presence of two ponds may have been the reason for the name ‘Erumkulangara’ meaning ‘on the banks of two ponds’.

Erumkulangara Devi temple - Photograph taken by the author.

However, the very first settlement patterns of Thottam were different from what we see now, according to Venugopal and L. Madhavan, two old gentlemen whom we met at Erumkulangara Devi temple office (these gentlemen were happy to share with the younger generation their experiences and knowledge) the old name of Thottam was ‘Velan Kudi’, settlement of people belonging to Velan caste, associated with ‘Vela kali’ in Padmanabha Swamy temple. Another major settlement was ‘Thacha Kudi’, the abode of Vishwakarmas. These Vishwakarmas must have been the Tamil migrants who came to Travancore during the reign of Marthanda Varma for the works of the temple. The old Erumkulangara temple was made of granite; the sheer size of the blocks had always fascinated the locals. From where these large blocks came was a mystery. If my assumptions are right, the craftsmen employed in the renovation works of Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple had carried out the construction works of this temple too. ‘Koshavanmar’, the potters also lived there in perfect harmony with Ezhavas.

Perumpadasherri Venugopal - Photograph taken by the author.

Venugopal told us an interesting story about the origin of Ezhava settlements of that area. Like many other stories we heard about the capital city, this also starts with Marthanda Varma, the father of Travancore. To be precise the story starts in 1743 when Kayamkulam war ended, the rajah was killed and it is said that the relatives of the rajah had to flee the kingdom in disguise of lower caste Ezhavas. It should be presumed that the local Ezhavas families of Kayamkulam must have helped them escape. Prominent Ezhava families such as Aalumoottil Channars were the trainers of the king’s army; it is possible that some of the late rajah’s immediate family members could have escaped the 'wiping out' by Travancore forces. Aalumoottil Channars being Ezhavas must have dressed the royals in their attire to help them escape unnoticed. The story goes on saying that the immediate family of the rajah with two young women came and settled in Thottam region with the local Ezhava population disguised as Ezhavas. However, the social system that prevailed in those days prevented them (who were now Ezhavas) from visiting the nearby Erumkulangara temple. The two young women of the family who were well aware of their Kshatriya ancestry were bold enough to visit the temple; they entered the temple dressed as local Ezhavas. Soon news reached the ears of the chief priest, a Nampoothiri of Koopakara Madhom who was furious and raised his hands to curse the women, it is said that at the same time all those who were present in the temple heard a voice from inside the shrine, the Devi herself saying that those women were her children and thereafter the temple and its properties should be given to them. And thus the power passed hands to the so-called ‘disguised Ezhavas’ or ‘Kshtriya Ezhavas’ as they called themselves. Later these women married men from Ezhava families and settled permanently in Thottam. The major governing bodies of the temple were ‘Moothillam’, Mayyanatillam’ and ‘Pallichal’ family; later they branched out and now there are twenty-five families under them. There are records of a Kayamkulam sword that was preserved in the temple until recently, this may also provide us with a clue to the temple's connection with the Kayamkulam royal family.

Thottam area in later days became famous for its guilds of craftsmen who produced quality carvings in sandalwood and ivory; it is interesting that the local Ezhavas of the area mastered the craft which was practiced by Vishwakarmas over the centuries. More on craftsmen of Thottam in next post……

Sharat Sunder Rajeev
14-09-2009.