Menon's sister was married to Raja of Cochin
Lalan Thampuran of Cochin Royal family had married from the famous Vengalil Nair family of Calicut.He had not finished his school finals.Maybe the Vengalil family members thought a relationship with the Royal family was what mattered,more than anything else.The family was already related to the Kadathanad Raja.
Lalan's wife Kochunarayanikutty Amma was none other than the sister of V K Krishna Menon.She was seven years younger than Menon;Lalan was 16 years elder to her!My brother who lived in Mumbai for 40 years and who saw Menon contesting a Loksabha election there is an ardent fan of Menon.Whenever I meet him,he comes up with stories about Menon.To provoke him,once I quoted an infamous line from Khushwant Singh,arch rival of Menon,which Singh attributed to a General:Menon was a bachelor,the same as his father!
My brother was truly amazed when I told him the following story which was shared by my former colleague R T Ravi Varma,who was writing under the pseudonym,Seeri, on agricultural matters.Seeri is Balaraman of the puranas,the man with the plough.Here we go:
Menon who was a Barrister in London and an active worker in the freedom movement,reached Calicut on vacation.He sent a telegram to his sister and Lalan who were living in a Tripunithura palace:I am reaching Ernakulam by the night train.Please send the vehicle.The telegram didn't reach them.
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| Menon,June 1964/Photo:James Burke/Life |
Menon reached the Railway station around 10 PM.None was there to receive him.Menon who had never been to Tripunithura,was approached by a stranger with a big bundle.He asked the bewildered Menon what bothered him.Menon said he is from Kozhikode and wanted to see his sister.The stranger,a Nambudiri, assured that he will take him to the palace.They started walking.Since I am from Tripunithura,I know the distance is 10 kilometres.
Nambudiri told Menon that he is from Chendamangalam and is married to a lady of the famous Paliath family.The bundle is full of handloom clothes.Since Chendamangalam hand loom is much in demand in Tripunithura,he sells it there.Nambudiri found Menon stout and healthy and asked him whether he can carry the load of cloth bundle.Menon agreed without hesitation.
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| Lalan Thampuran |
They reached Tripunithura;Nambudiri showed Menon Lalan's palace and left him there.The family was wonder struck by the unexpected visitor and perplexed to hear what the Nambudiri had done to him.The Nambudiri was summoned to the palace.He apologized.Menon gave him a small gift.
Menon used to see Lalan and sister in Tripunithura or Trichur whenever he was in Kerala.It was Menon who sent his sister's daughter Ammalukutty Amma(born 1922) to Stella Marie's College in Madras.
Lalan and Narayani were married in 1919.She was 16 and he,32.Compared to Lalan,Kochunarayanikutty Amma was more knowledgeable.She was well mannered and knew Sanskrit.Lalan's mother who knew Sanskrit was a solace to her.She was born in 1903 to Advocate Krishna Kurup Komath and Lakshmikutty Amma Vengalil.She had two sisters,Janaki and Padmavathi.Krishna Kurup was the son of Kadathanad Raja Udaya Varma and Komath Sreedevi Kettilamma of Komath family,Vatakara.Kochu Narayanikutty's mother Lakshmikutty Amma was the grand daughter of Raman Menon,Dewan of Travancore(1815-1817).Raman Menon,a Judge of the Huzur Court was appointed Dewan at the suggestion of the Resident Col Munro,by Gowri Parvati Bayi,Regent during Swati Thirunal.Vengalil family originated from Narayana Menon and wife Narayani Amma. It was customary for the princes and their nethyarammas(nair wives) to visit the Poornathrayeesa Temple at Tripunithura.The ladies were not allowed to wear blouses;instead,they were asked to use an upper cloth.Kochunarayanikutty Amma (Narayani Amma in records)rebelled and refused to go to the Temple.The King relented and lifted the ban on blouses.It is said that the men were dejected and the women became more coercive.
Lalan's real name was Ramavarma(1887-1975) Kunjikidavu Thampuran,belonging to the Padinjare Kovilakath Thavazhi.He was nicknamed Lalan because he was always seen with flowing saliva in childhood.In later years it was red saliva because of his addiction to chewing betel leaf.He walked with both the hands on his back with the betel leaf box in one hand.He had bouts of depression.He was seen in the palace for six months;he was out for another.He skipped classes while he was a student.When once he skipped and ran away,he was caught by the Director for Education,Davis,who was from Scotland.
"Where are you going in a hurry?",Davis asked.
"Rome was not built in a day",Lalan replied and ran away.
It didn't make any sense to Davis.So he asked Lalan the hidden meaning of the tricky sentence when he met him next."Nothing",Lalan said,"I just wanted to escape,that's all!".
Lalan was liked by all;he conqured people by cracking jokes. He was successor to King Parikshith Thampuran,and could be termed Ramavarma XIX.But the King Parikshit had lost the kingdom in 1949 after the merger of Travancore and Cochin.Lalan became Valiyathampuran or Chief of the Royal family after the death of Parikshit in 1964.He died in 1975.He stayed in Krishna Vilasom Palace near Siva Temple,Ernakulam till 1970;later shifted to daughter's residence on Warriam Road.He had a son too-Raman Menon(born 1920),who was Superintendent in Madras Secretariat(1945-1964).
Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru wrote this letter from Calicut to his private secretary on December 27,1955:"When I arrived in Calicut and reached Krisha Menon's house,I found that there was much consternation at the prospect of my having to be provided with plenty of meat after the European style.The house is vegetarian and they were unhappy about this.Worse still,the District Magistrate sent four chickens to be slaughtered and cooked.The lady of the house was completely upset about this idea.Fortunately I came in time to prevent this outrage on her sentiment and I asked specially for a Malayali vegetarian meal.A very good dinner was given to me which I enjoyed".Prodded by Padmaja Naidu,Sarojini Naidu's daughter whom Nehru loved,his secretary had sent a non vegetarian menu to all states!
Now let us meet Mappilakuttan.Mappila means a Christian.
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| Rama Varma XVI |
The Poornathrayeesa Temple was damaged in a severe fire in 1921.The fire was first seen in the Sreekovil(sanctum sanctrorum) around 3 AM.Within minutes the entire Temple was engulfed by fire.There were no fire engines then.The bell in the mani malika close to the temple was set in motion.A prince by the name Kuttan Thampuran went to the Puthen Church outside the Fort and asked the Jacobite Christians to ring the Church bell.All the Christians around the town entered the Temple,cut the Anakottil(shelter for elephants) and prevented the fire from spreading to other parts.The Christians were led by DSP Kandaramparampil Chacko(You have a story on Chacko in muralirvarama.blogspot.in,told to him by Parayil Abraham Tharakan.).That Christians entered the Temple became a big controversy and Chacko was summoned by the King Rama Varma XVI,Madrasil Theepetta Thampuran (the King who died in Madras)to Hill Palace.In police uniform,he saluted the King.
"Chacko!did u enter the Temple?",the King questioned.
"Yes,your Highness".
"Chacko,are you not aware that Christians are not allowed in temples?"
"Yes your Highness",Chacko said,"but I didn't enter the Temple as a Christian;I entered as Your DSP to lead the rescue operations".
King was extremely happy by the reason Chacko provided;he gave Chacko Onappudava.The conservatives who were flustered by the action of the King turned against Kuttan Thampuran and began to call him Mappilakuttan;Christian Kuttan!
In a poem by Vayalar Rama Varma,a Pariah became a Christian taking the name Ithapiri to escape from the cruel practice of untouchability.From then on people called him,Parayan Ithapiri!
See my blog,PRINCE RAMA VARMA BECOMES JACOB RAMAVARMA
