Historic Alleys

Rajarshi Rama Varma’s final abode

First, let us get an insight into the illustrious raja. HH Maharaja Sri Sir RAMAVARMA XV ruled over Cochin 1895-1914, Maharaja [cr.1921], G.C.I.E., G.C.S.I., K.C.S.I., born 27^th December 1852, passed away in 1932 at Trichur. It is said that he ruled Cochin during crucial times and was not only a legendary figure but also one of the greatest rulers of modern times. An erudite scholar in Sanskrit and English and was considered - A scholar among princes and a prince among scholars. This Raja brought permanent reforms to the Department of Revenue and Accounts. The Village Panchayat Bill was a valiant attempt to get the people at the grassroots involved in administration. The Tenancy Act was a personal triumph of Rajarshi. But after all these decorations and successes, he abdicated his throne in1914. There are many reasons attributed to his abdication. One of the very talked about version is that he had differences with British Empire because of his proximity with Germans. There is also another version in his biography that says he resigned due to ill health. Some mentions can be found about his disputes with the British Resident at Madras and the Resident’s high-handed attitude and treatment of the monarch. He died in January 1932 and is also known as Ozinja Vallia Thampuran (Note that the king is typically mentioned in contemporary times as Kochi Valiya Thampuran, not as Kochi Rajavu as we know today).

Some years ago, I wrote about this fascinating Raja and his fondness for the railway, a fondness which culminated in the creation of the Cochin Railway and the Shoranur Cochin Link. The king was considered quite rigid in his views, somewhat traditional, driven by his personal religious beliefs, old-fashioned and not quite forward in his social thinking. He also presided in the infamous 1905 Tatri case. Nevertheless, administration was not his forte, and he decided that enough was enough and decided to abdicate and retire in 1905, but was asked to continue till the next raja took over. This waiting period lasted another 10 years. A very hands-on Raja, he insisted on being personally involved in the goings on in his realm.

All in all, he was an interesting character, the founder of Modern Cochin and the person who finally shook hands in ceremonial peace with the Zamorin of Calicut – the author’s great grandfather, Vidwan Ettan Thampuran of Calicut, in July 1914, after a long and acrimonious relationship between the two Kingdoms spanning all of 600-700 years. Strangely, it took all that time, for these two scions, to meet as friends!

World War II had commenced in August 1914, and Rama Varma abdicated formally on 7th Dec1914. Some months after the meeting with the Zamorin, he decided to abdicate his throne, much to the shock of all around. Returning to Calicut, Ettan Thampuran, the last ruling Zamorin, also abdicated, after handing over his estate to the wards, to be managed by the administrator JA Throne. Ettan Thampuran and Rama Varma exchanged many letters in Sanskrit, the language both loved.

Rajarshi expected certain benefits after he left the administration. In addition to a family pension of a hundred rupees a month for his wife and children even after his death he requested - “Another point about which I should like to make a proposal is that a separate home may be built for my residence after my retirement and after my time the same may become the property of my wife and her children. I shall be very glad if this request can be favorably considered.” This was approved and that was how the Merry Lodge was built.

I will write about the abdications another day, but in 1915, just a few months after the meeting with the Zamorin, and following the abdication, he moved to his newly constructed retirement abode at Trichur, named Merry Lodge.

Living at the lodge

Borrowing the words of IKK Menon, (nephew of the Raja’s biographer IN Menon, Rama Varma’s only son) and editor of the Rajarshi book, we can see the course of events. IKK Menon lived at Merry Lodge for 12 years, with the ex-Raja.

After the abdication, His Highness stayed on at Ernakulam for some months while his Palace at Trichur was in the process of construction, and during the summer of 1915, he shifted to Trichur where he stayed till the end of his life. His residence in Trichur, known by the name ’Merry Lodge' was built for him by his old and loyal friend the late Mr. T. Namberumal Chetty, the founder and the head of the firm of Construction Engineers, now known as T. Namberumal Chetty and Sons. The Palace was situated at some distance from the bustle of the town and stood on an extensive site of over fourteen acres. It overlooked a vast expanse of paddy fields which used to flood during the rains and afforded splendid boating. Here, surrounded by his family and constantly visited by intimate friends and near relations, engaged mainly in study and reflection, and continuing to take a deep interest in the welfare of the people of Cochin, stayed the Modern Janaka of Cochin for over seventeen years.

IKK Menon adds – After his abdication and until his demise, Sri Rama Varma had been staying in Merry Lodge Palace, Kanattukara, Trichur, which he used to call “Sukha Vasathi”. This at present houses the Kerala Varma College. It has extensive lawns and huge buildings. The Government has placed it at his disposal. On the arch in front of the porch of the place was written Asthu Vrittam Subham Sada in Devanagari and PURE BE MY LIFE FOR EVER, in English. I have vivid memories of the Maharaja because I happened to live with him for nearly twelve years. In fact, I was born and brought up n Merry Lodge Place, and the twelve years I spent there were the best years of my life.

Years later, in 1947, his nephew Kerala Varma XV founded the Kerala Varma College. His Highness Sree Kerala Varma XV, the Maharajah of Cochin was happy about the idea and sanctioned a grant of one lakh rupees and a loan of four lakh rupees (later converted as a grant) and sufficient timber for the construction of buildings.  Further, he allotted the ‘Merry Lodge Palace’, the residence of Rajarshi Rama Varma, the abdicated Maharajah of Kochi, who was in power till 1932, and the surrounding greenery to make abode for this Centre of learning. The College was named ‘Sree Kerala Varma College’ after the founder H.H. Sree Kerala Varma XV.  The golden words inscribed on the ‘Merry Lodge Palace’ “Pure be my life forever” became the motto of the college to commemorate the principles of the former occupant of the palace.

Devan Varma from the family informs me that the Merry Lodge estate was home to many different species of trees and plants brought in from various parts of the world and that it may have been conceived as the location for the Trichur Zoo, and that the selection of that location for his retirement home, came later. Rajarshi spent a happy life in retirement, hosting many sabhas, on Sanskrit and Ayurveda to just name two, sometimes even taking on the role of the Sanskrit translator for those who were not very fluent with the language. The area where he was cremated was cordoned off for future visitors to pay their respects, and looked somewhat like a tomb, though it was just a concrete slab, to mark the location.

Meeting with Gandhi at the Merry Lodge – 18-03-1925 (100 years ago)

Gandhiji visited Trichur via Alwaye from Paravoor on March 18, 1925. He left Kerala on March 19, 1925. The plan was to meet the ex-Raja to obtain support for his cause since the ex-cochin Maharaja was well-versed in the sastras. Gandhiji’s chief purpose in this tour was to cultivate public opinion in support of the satyagraha at Vaikom for securing the use of a public road for members of these unfortunate communities.  The record mentions - 1925 March 18 - Reached Trichur at 2 p.m. Addressed were presented by the Trichur Municipality and the Nambudiri Yogakshema Sabha. Visited the ex-Maharaja of Cochin. Wrote to the Police Commissioner, Trivandrum, in connection with the removal of barriers and the lifting of the prohibition order.

Madhav Desai who maintained the diary of Mahatma Gandhi records the meeting thus - We then went to Trichur, a town in the Cochin State, simply to see the retired King of the State. He had sent two or three telegrams earnestly requesting Gandhiji to spend at least one day with him. Not one day, but one hour was given to him. The Maharaja repeatedly emphasized one thing: ‘‘Custom is always more powerful than everything else-reason, philosophy or equity, and we are slaves of custom.” ‘‘We are slaves” are the very words he used, and when he uttered the words, he felt as happy as a man who called himself ‘a humble servant of God’! That was the first time we met a man who deified custom and worshipped that idol! One of the sons of that same Maharaja was educated in England and has now returned. He keeps even a spinning wheel and is an excellent spinner! When the Maharaja was asked, '‘Is there any justice in allowing a Christian or a Muslim to pass by your palace and forbidding a (Hindu) Nayadi?’, he countered, “How is it injustice to ban Nayadis just because we can’t stop Christians or Muslims?”

But the Maharaja’s son condemns untouchability. He even gave Khadi in charity to the Nayadis in honour of Gandhiji s visit, and remarked, “I hope this atrocious custom ends soon.” But what has been carved on the tablet of memory most deeply is neither the gigantic meeting at Cochin, nor the meeting with the quondam Maharaja, nor with his son, but the tragic darshan of the place.

And finally, a note about the builder of the Merry Lodge, Namberumal Chetty

The small palace or lodge was as previously mentioned, built by the very famous Madras master builder Thatikonda Namberumal Chetty. He built the Government Museum, Victoria Technical Institute, YMCA, Madras Law College, Connemara Library, Bank of Madras and the Victoria Memorial Hall at Madras. The National Bank of India building that he constructed in 1914 was demolished in the late 20th century. 

Apart from building activities, Chetty was also a popular merchant and imported timber from Rangoon and Moulmein. He served as the managing director of Trichur Timber and Sawmills Ltd. which exported timber, mainly teak to Bombay, Calcutta, Colombo, London, Liverpool, Germany, New York, and South Africa. Chetty owned the Trivellore Light Railway, a small tramway line that functioned as a feeder to the Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway. In 1936, the railway owned one locomotive, three railcars, 14 coaches, and one goods wagon. He was also the first native Indian to own an automobile in Madras City and in 1923 he was conferred Diwan Bahadur.

Rama Varma must have become friendly with Chetty as Chetty ran a considerable amount of timber business from his Trichur firm and created revenue for the Cochin state. Surely a lot of the timber came from the Nelliyampathy and Parambikulam forests owned by the King and/or the Venganad family.  Whether Chetty was involved with the Shoranur - Cochin railway project is not clear, but it is a strong possibility, given Chetty’s building expertise, railway experience, and the need of timber for the railway.

A book on Southern India’s offerings states - Mr. Namberumal Chetty is managing director and lessee of the Trichur Timber and Sawmills, which is considered to be one of the best, if not the best, in India. It is a thoroughly equipped and up-to-date mill, and it has the capacity of converting logs to the extent of 100 candies a day. Timber is consigned to London, Liverpool, Germany, New York, and South Africa, as well as to Colombo, Bombay, and Calcutta. Some 200 hands are employed here.

The ex-Cochin Dewan Pattabi Rama Rao (who presided during the Tatri case), who was in dire financial straits after his investments in the Arbuthnot bank were lost when the bank collapsed in 1906 was taken in as a partner by Chetty in his building work. The red brick company started by Rao and Chetty was called the Srirama brick works situated on the Poonamalle high road, in Madras. V Sriram writes - In 1909, G.S.T. Harris, the Consulting Architect to the Government of Madras, offered Rao the contract to supply bricks for the construction of Ripon Buildings. Entering a partnership with Namberumal Chetty, Rao purchased brickfields in what is today Aminjikarai-Choolaimedu.

Sri Rama Varma, the abdicated Maharaja of Cochin, expired at the " Merry Lodge" Trichur, on 30^th Jan 1932. He was eighty years old. The funeral was performed the next morning in orthodox style in the Palace compound and well attended by officials and non-officials of all castes and creeds. All public offices, courts, and schools in the Cochin state were closed for three days as a mark of respect to the memory of the late Highness. 

References
The Rajarshi of Cochin – IN Menon, ed IKK Menon
Day to Day with Gandhi Vol VI – Mahadev Desai
Mahatma Gandhi – A Chronology – KP Goswami
Southern India, Its History, People, Commerce, and Industrial Resources - edited by Somerset Playne, J. W. Bond, Arnold Wright
Namberumal Chetty and Pattabhi Rama Rao – Articles by V Sriram, Madras Musings, The Hindu
The King's Railway - Maddy's Ramblings
Nayadis – Maddy's Ramblings

Thanks to Architect Radhika KM, for getting me started with this and sharing the lovely sketch of the front facade, dated 2022 (Not to be used without her permission).

Images - B&W picture circa 1960 - Courtesy Prof. Sashikumar, Retd Faculty, Department of Zoology & Kerala Varma College website. Namberumal Mills - Southern India book,