TRAVANCORE

Copyright©John D. McMeekin

The Kulasekhara Dynasty

GENEALOGY

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1885 - 1924 Colonel H.H. Maharaja Raja Ramaraja Sri Padmanabha Dasa Vanchipala Sri Rama Varma VI [Mulam Tirunal], Kulasekhara Kiritapati Manney Sultan Bahadur, Shamsher Jang, Maharaja of Travancore, GCSI (24.5.1888), GCIE (1.1.1903). b. at Trivandrum Fort, 25th September 1857, only surviving son of H.H. Rani Lakshmi Bayi [Pooradam Tirunal], Junior Rani of Attingal, by her husband, M.R.Ry. Sri Raja Raja Varma Avargal, Koil Tampuran, educ. privately. Succeeded on the death of his maternal uncle, 4th August 1885. Installed on the gadi, at Trivandrum Fort, 19th August 1885. Continuing the traditions of his predecessors, he expanded education by establishing the Sanskrit, Ayurveda (indigenous medicine), Law, and Women's Colleges. He founded the department for the publication and preservation of historic documents and oriental manuscripts, and established the first Legislative Council in any Indian state in 1888. Granted a personal salute of 21-guns, 31st December 1898. Hon Col 10th (Territorial) Battalion, 3rd Madras Regiment, 13/2/1923. Mbr Royal Asiatic Soc (MRAS) (London). Patron Trivandrum Friend-in-Need Soc, Sri Mulam Maharaja’s Reading Room & Library (Alleppey), Kottayam Reading Room & Library, The Nagercoil, The Union, Sri Mulam Rama Varma, and Trivandrum Clubs, etc. Rcvd: Delhi Durbar gold medals (1903 and 1911), Officer of the Order of Public Instruction of France. m. (first) Nagercoil Ammachi Panapilla Amma Srimathi Anantha Lakshmipilla Kochamma (d. at Trivandrum, 1882), adopted daughter of H.H. Maharaja Raja Ramaraja Sri Padmanabha Dasa Vanchipala Bala Rama Varma IV [Ayilyam Tirunal], Kulasekhara Kiritapati Manney Sultan Bahadur, Shamsher Jang, Maharaja of Travancore, GCSI, CIE and daughter of Srimathi Kunjulakshmi Amma, of the Mathiripally (or Mathripillil) family of Cheranallur, a cousin of Nagercoil Ammachi Panapillai Amma Srimathi Lakshmipilla Kalyanikuttypilla Kochamma. m. (second) at Trivandrum, 1899, Vadasseri Ammachi Panapilla Amma Srimathi Karthyayanipilla Kochamma (b. 1875; d. at the Sundaravilasam Palace, Trivandrum Fort, Sepember 1924), former wife of M.R.Ry. Sri T. Sankaran Tampi, sometime Palace Comptroller, and sister of the famous playright Vadasseri Krishnan Tampi, a lady adopted into the Vadesseri House from Palkulangara Kaipalliveedu along with her mother and immediate siblings, but born into the Kaipallyveedu family of Palkulangara, Trivandrum. He d. from septicemia at the Sundaravilasam Palace, Trivandrum Fort, 7th August 1924 (succ. by his maternal nephew), having had issue, two sons and one daughter:
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* Information on the Ammaveedu family is based on research by Colonel Anand, whose contribution is gratefully acknowledged.
Copyright© Christopher Buyers
Copyright© Christopher Buyers
Copyright© Christopher Buyers
Copyright© Christopher Buyers
1924 - [1991] Major-General H.H. Maharaja Raja Ramaraja Sri Patmanabha Dasa Vanchipala Bala Rama Varma III [Sri Chithira Tirunal], Kulasekhara Kiritapati Manney Sultan Bahadur, Shamsher Jang, Maharaja of Travancore, GCSI (1.1.1946), GCIE (3.6.1935). b. at Kowdiar Palace, Trivandrum, 7th November 1912, eldest son of H.H. Sri Patmanabha Sevini Vanchipala Dyumani Raj Rajeshwari Maharani Setu Parvati Bayi, Junior Maharani of Travancore, by her husband M.R.Ry. Ravi Varma Avargal, Kochu Koil Tampuran of Kilimanur, educ. privately. Succeeded on the death of his uncle, 7th August 1924. Installed on the gadi, at the Durbar Hall of the Puthenkacheri, Trivandrum, 17th September 1924. Reigned under the Regency of his aunt until he came of age and was invested with full ruling powers, 6th November 1931. Removed all restrictions on Hindus wishing to enter places of worship, including untouchables and outcastes, in 1936. Signed the instrument of accession to the Dominion of India, 15th August 1947. Merged his state with Cochin and served as Rajpramukh of the Travancore-Cochin Union from 1st July 1949 until 31st October 1956. The GOI amended the Indian Constitution to remove his position as a “ruler” and his right to receive privy-purse payments, 28th December 1971. Hon Maj 12/1/1943, prom Hon Lieut-Col 11/7/1944, Hon Col 15/8/1945, and Hon Maj-Gen 15/10/1946. Hon Col 16th Light Cavalry, IA 3/3/1947, 12th (Malabar) Btn 3rd Madras Regiment (ITF) 1/9/1940, and 16th (Travancore) Btn The Madras Regiment 1/5/1954. Col-in-Chief Travancore State forces 1924-1954. Chancellor Univ of Travancore 1937-1956. Life Mbr Senate of Andhra Univ. Hon D.Litt. Benares Hindu Univ 1936, Annamalai and Andhra Univs. Patron-in-Chief Trivandrum Tennis Club (TTC) 1938-1991, Sri Swati Tirunal Sangita Sabha 1942-1991, Travancore Athletic Assoc. Patron Travancore Boy Scouts Assoc, Trivandrum Friend-in-Need Soc, Patron Sri Mulam Club (Trivandrum) 1940-1991, Trivandrum Club, Rama Varma Club (RVC) (Kollam), etc. Chair Aspinwall and Co Ltd 1971-1991. Rcvd: Silver Jubilee (1935), Coron (1937) and Indian Independence (1948) medals. He d. unm. at the Kowdiar Palace, Trivandrum, 19th July 1991 (succ. by his younger brother).
Copyright© Christopher Buyers
Copyright© Christopher Buyers
Copyright© Christopher Buyers
Copyright© Christopher Buyers
Copyright© Christopher Buyers
Copyright© Christopher Buyers
Copyright© Christopher Buyers
Copyright© Christopher Buyers
Copyright© Christopher Buyers
[1991- 2013] Colonel H.H. Maharaja Raja Ramaraja Sri Patmanabha Dasa Vanchipala Martanda Varma III [Uthradom Tirunal], Kulasekhara Kiritapati Manney Sultan Bahadur, Shamsher Jang, Maharaja of Travancore. b. on the staircase at Sundara Vilasam Palace in Trivandrum Fort, 22nd March 1922, second son of H.H. Sri Patmanabha Sevini Vanchipala Dyumani Raj Rajeshwari Maharani Setu Parvati Bayi, Junior Maharani of Travancore, by her husband M.R.Ry. Ravi Varma Avargal, Kochu Koil Tampuran of Kilimanur,educ. privately and at Univ of Travancore (BA 1st class hons 1943, Gold Medalist in Sanskrit), Trivandrum. Became Heir Apparent with the title of Elaya Raja, at birth. Joined Plymouth & Co in Bangalore 1952, working for them as a peon, clerk and driver, Exec Chair & MD Varma Industries Ltd (Bangalore) 1956-1967. Succeeded on the death of his elder brother as the Head of the Royal House of Travancore and Supreme Guardian of the Sri Padmanabhaswami Temple, 19th July 1991. Hon Col Univ of Travancore Labour Corps and Hon Lt-Col The Maharaja's Bodyguard, in the Travancore-Cochin State Forces until 1954. Chief Scout Travancore, Travancore-Cochin and Kerala Boy Scouts Assocs. Patron-in-Chief Thiruvananthapuram Kendra Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. Chief Patron Sneham Super Speciality Hospital Project. Patron Sri Swati Thirunal Sangita Sabha 1991-2013, Shree Uthradom Tirunal Hospital (SUT) Royal Hospital 1991-2013, Muthalamada Sneham Charitable Trust, Sri Uthradom Tirunal Hospital, Trivandrum Tennis Club (TCC) 1938-2013, Century Club (Bangalore) 1956-2013, Trivandrum Club, Trivandrum Friend-in-Need Soc, etc. Chair Aspinwall and Co Ltd 1992-2013, and Aspinwall & Co (Travancore) Ltd 1999-2013. Rcvd: Silver Jubilee (1935), Coron (1937) and Indian Independence(1947) medals.m. (by puttam parivattavum) at Trivandrum, 5th September 1945, Panapilla Amma Shrimathi Radha Devipilla Kochamma [Sri Radha Devi] (b. at Kayamkulam, Travancore, 1927; d. from diabetic complications, at a private hospital in Chenai, 12th December 2005), a gifted jewellery and furniture designer, Mbr Century Club (Bangalore), daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel Krishnan Gopinath Pandalai, MB, CM, FRCS, LRCP, late IMS, of “Binfield”, Kilpauk, Madras, sometime Superintendant of the Government General Hospital, Madras and founder Presdt Indian Assoc of Surgeons, by his wife, Srimathi Kamala Pandalai. He d. from heart failure at the Shree Uthradom Tirunal Hospital (SUT) Royal Hospital, Pattom, Trivandrum, 16th December 2013 (succ. by his nephew), having had issue, one son and one daughter:
  • 1) N. Sri Ananda Padmanabhan Thampi. m. (div.) ...
  • 1) Shrimathi Parvati Devipilla Kochamma [Dr Parvathi Devi]. m. (div.) ...
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    Copyright© Christopher Buyers
    Copyright© Christopher Buyers
    Copyright© Christopher Buyers
    Copyright© Christopher Buyers
    [2013] H.H. Maharaja Raja Ramaraja Sri Patmanabha Dasa Vanchipala Rama Varma VII [Mulam Tirunal], Kulasekhara Kiritapati Manney Sultan Bahadur, Shamsher Jang, Maharaja of Travancore. b. at Kowdiar Palace, Trivandrum, 12th June 1949, younger son of Princess Lakshmi Bayi [Kartika Tirunal], by her husband, Lieutenant-Colonel M.R.Ry. Sri P.R. Goda Varma Raja Avargal, of Poonjar, educ. Mar Evanios Coll, and the Univ of Travancore (BSc), Trivandrum. Joined Aspinwall and Co Ltd in Mangalore 1972, and served as a consultant and in various executive positions, Additional Dir 2004-2005, Dir of Planning 2005-2007, Exec Dir Aspinwall & Co (Travancore) Ltd 2005-2007, Mbr Aspinwall Promoter Group since 2005, MD Aspinwall and Co Ltd in Mangalore since 2007. Became Heir Apparent with the title of Elaya Raja, 19th July 1991. Succeeded on the death of his maternal uncle as the Head of the Royal House of Travancore and Supreme Guardian of the Sri Padmanabhaswami Temple, 16th December 2013. Dir Nirlon Ltd (Mumbai) since 1978 (Indep 1978-2006, Non-Exec since 2006), Varma Exports Ltd, Pullangode Rubber & Produce Co Ltd, etc. m. (first) 1976 (div. 2002), Ammachi Panapillai Amma Srimathi Rema Varma, of Kilimanoor. m. (second) 2002, Ammachi Panapillai Amma Srimathi Girija Thankachi, of Vazhuthacadu [Dr. Girija Rama Varma], sometime radiologist in London, Dir Varma Exports Ltd since 2005.
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    Copyright© Christopher Buyers
    END.
    Copyright© Christopher Buyers
    Copyright© Christopher Buyers
    I would be grateful to hear from anyone who may have changes, corrections or additions to contribute. If you do, please be kind enough to send me an e-mail using the contact details at:
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    Copyright©Christopher Buyers, December 2001 - July 2017