Neerazhi Palace
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Neerazhi Palace () was the royal palace of the
Thekkumkur The Kingdom of Thekkumkur () (also transliterated as ''Thekkumkoor'' or ''Thekkumcore'') was an independent kingdom in the southern part of Kerala in India from 1103 CE until 1750 CE.P. Shungoonny Menon - A HISTORY OF TRAVANCORE - First edition ...
kingdom. Palace is located at Puzhavathu in
Changanassery Changanassery, () formerly Changanacherry, is a municipality in the Kottayam district of Kerala, India. It is located south of the district headquarters in Kottayam and about north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. As per the 2011 ...
. The palace was used by the Thekkumkur dynasty until 1750 and later by the Parappanad dynasty who settled in
Changanassery Changanassery, () formerly Changanacherry, is a municipality in the Kottayam district of Kerala, India. It is located south of the district headquarters in Kottayam and about north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. As per the 2011 ...
from North Malabar. It was here that the last king of Thekkumkur, Aditya Varman Manikandan escaped to Nattassery of
Kottayam Kottayam () is a city in the Kottayam district of Kerala, India. It is the district headquarters of the district and is located about north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. As per the 2011 Indian census, Kottayam has a population of ...
in the
Travancore The kingdom of Travancore (), also known as the kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor () or later as Travancore State, was a kingdom that lasted from until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvanan ...
invasion of 1790 ( Battle of Changanassery). The Neerazhi palace was earlier known as ''Neerazhikettu''.


Thekkumkur Kingdom

In the early eighteenth century, the capital of Thekkumkur shifted to Puzhavathu in
Changanassery Changanassery, () formerly Changanacherry, is a municipality in the Kottayam district of Kerala, India. It is located south of the district headquarters in Kottayam and about north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. As per the 2011 ...
after
Vennimala Vennimala is a small village located in Puthuppally Grama Panchayath of the Kottayam district in Kerala. Vennimala is east of Kottayam. It lies between the towns of Western Kerala and the mountains of the Western Ghats. Vennimala was once a de ...
,
Manikandapuram Manikandapuram was the capital of the Thekkumkur, Kingdom of Thekkumkur (now part of India). Manikandapuram is a part of Vakathanam, Vakathanam Gramam in the Changanassery, Changanassery Taluk of Kottayam district, Kottayam District. At the begi ...
and others. The last king of Thekkumkur was Aditya Verma Manikandan and he resided in the Neerazhi Palace at Puzhavathu. Thekkumkur army provided assistance to counter Travancore's invasion of princely state Champakassery (Purakkad) and Odanad (Kayamkulam). Realizing this, King Marthanda Varma decided to invade Thekkumkoor following the fall of Champakassery (Ampalapuzha). The Thekkumkur fort and the Neerazhi palace were attacked in September 1750 in the Battle of Changanassery by Travancore military. The Vazhappally Pathillathil Potimar (administrator of
Vazhappally Maha Siva Temple Vazhappally Maha Siva Temple is a Hinduism, Hindu temple located in Vazhappally near Changanassery in Kottayam district in the Indian state of Kerala. The temple is administered by the Devaswom boards in Kerala, Travancore Devaswom Board. The t ...
) assisted the Thekkumkur king in the Neerazhi Palace and transferred him to Nattassery at
Kottayam Kottayam () is a city in the Kottayam district of Kerala, India. It is the district headquarters of the district and is located about north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. As per the 2011 Indian census, Kottayam has a population of ...
. After the Battle of Changanassery, the king was placed at Nattassery in Kottayam.


The Architecture

The Neerazhi palace compound is 1.23 acres. The palace has been rebuilt after C.E.1400 and modified again by the Travancore kings in the 18th century after the Battle of Changanassery. After
Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma (Malayalam: ; 1706 – 7 July 1758) was the founding monarch of the southern Indian Kingdom of Travancore (previously Venadu) from 1729 until his death in 1758. He was succeeded by Rama Varma ("Dharma Raja") ...
overthrew the king of Thekkumkur (
Aditya Varma Manikandan Aditya Varma Manikandan () popularly known as Aditya Varman, was the last ruling Maharaja of the Princely State of Thekkumkur. He was the ruler until September 1749 when the king of Travancore Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma ousted him from Neer ...
) in 1750, during the infamous raid of
Hyder Ali Hyder Ali (''Haidar'alī''; ; 1720 – 7 December 1782) was the Sultan and ''de facto'' ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in southern India. Born as Hyder Ali, he distinguished himself as a soldier, eventually drawing the attention of Mysore's ...
in 1766, the palace used to house the fleeing princes and princes of the royal family of
Parappanad 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 (Beypore kingdom) a ...
of Malabar.


Parappanad Royal Family

In 1788, when the king of Mysore, Tipu Sultan, invaded Malabar and destroyed the cities and temples and forcibly consolidated the Hindu religion, the Parappanad royal family fled to Travancore. One of the royal families from Parappanad settled in Neerazhi Palace in the 18th century.
Raja Raja Varma Koil Thampuran 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, Changanasser ...
, father of
Travancore The kingdom of Travancore (), also known as the kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor () or later as Travancore State, was a kingdom that lasted from until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvanan ...
Maharaja Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma, was born in Neerazhi Palace in Changanassery. He was part of the royal family of erstwhile
Parappanad 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 (Beypore kingdom) a ...
(Parappangadi and Beypore), Malabar. Maharani Ayilyom Thirunal Gouri Lakshmi Bayi built a new palace in Changanassery for her husband and his family members during her reign in 1811, which was called Lakshmipuram Palace. Until then, the royal family lived in Neerazhi Palace at Puzhavathu.


References

{{Reflist, 3 History of Changanassery Royal residences in India Palaces in Kerala Kingdom of Thekkumkur Changanassery