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Neerazhi Palace ( ml, നീരാഴി കൊട്ടാരം) was the royal palace of the
Thekkumkur The Kingdom of Thekkumkur ( ml, തെക്കുംകൂർ രാജ്യം) (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. Shung ...
kingdom. Palace is located at
Puzhavathu Puzhavathu is a place in Changanasserry town, in Kerala state. It is 1 km from Changanasserry bus stand and 2.5 km from railway station. Religion The place is known for the number of places of worship: Kavil Bhagavathi Temple, The Ch ...
in
Changanassery Changanassery or Changanacherry is a municipal town in Kottayam district in the state of Kerala, India. History The first recorded history on the origin of Changanacherry is obtained from Sangam period literature. According to Sangam era d ...
. The palace was used by the Thekkumkur dynasty until 1750 and later by the Parappanad dynasty who settled in
Changanassery Changanassery or Changanacherry is a municipal town in Kottayam district in the state of Kerala, India. History The first recorded history on the origin of Changanacherry is obtained from Sangam period literature. According to Sangam era d ...
from North Malabar. It was here that the last king of Thekkumkur, Aditya Varman Manikandan escaped to Nattassery of
Kottayam Kottayam () is a municipal town in the Indian state of Kerala. Flanked by the Western Ghats on the east and the Vembanad Lake and paddy fields of Kuttanad on the west. It is the district headquarters of Kottayam district, located in south-we ...
in the
Travancore The Kingdom of Travancore ( /ˈtrævənkɔːr/), also known as the Kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor, was an Indian kingdom from c. 1729 until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvananthapuram. At ...
invasion of 1790 (
Battle of Changanassery The Battle of Changanacherry was a battle between the kingdoms of Thekkumkur and Travancore in September 1749.Shungoonny Menon - A HISTORY OF TRAVANCORE - First edition: 1878 , New edition: 1983, Page 130, 131 - Defeat in this decisive battle ...
). The Neerazhi palace was earlier known as ''Neerazhikettu''.


Thekkumkur Kingdom

In the early eighteenth century, the capital of Thekkumkur shifted to
Puzhavathu Puzhavathu is a place in Changanasserry town, in Kerala state. It is 1 km from Changanasserry bus stand and 2.5 km from railway station. Religion The place is known for the number of places of worship: Kavil Bhagavathi Temple, The Ch ...
in
Changanassery Changanassery or Changanacherry is a municipal town in Kottayam district in the state of Kerala, India. History The first recorded history on the origin of Changanacherry is obtained from Sangam period literature. According to Sangam era d ...
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 d ...
,
Manikandapuram Manikandapuram ( ml, മണികണ്ഠപുരം) was the capital of the Kingdom of Thekkumkur (now part of India). Manikandapuram is a part of Vakathanam Gramam in the Changanassery Taluk of Kottayam District. At the beginning of the T ...
and others. The last king of Thekkumkur was Aditya Verma Manikandan and he resided in the Neerazhi Palace at
Puzhavathu Puzhavathu is a place in Changanasserry town, in Kerala state. It is 1 km from Changanasserry bus stand and 2.5 km from railway station. Religion The place is known for the number of places of worship: Kavil Bhagavathi Temple, The Ch ...
. 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 The Battle of Changanacherry was a battle between the kingdoms of Thekkumkur and Travancore in September 1749.Shungoonny Menon - A HISTORY OF TRAVANCORE - First edition: 1878 , New edition: 1983, Page 130, 131 - Defeat in this decisive battle ...
by Travancore military. The
Vazhappally Pathillathil Potimar Vazhappally is a suburb of Changanasserry Municipality, Kottayam District, in central Kerala. The famous Vazhappally Shiva Temple is situated in Vazhappally. Vazhappally is a part of Changanacherry Taluk in Kottayam District. It is located in ...
(administrator of
Vazhappally Maha Siva Temple Vazhappally Maha Siva Temple ( ml, വാഴപ്പള്ളി മഹാശിവക്ഷേത്രം) is a Hindu temple located in Vazhappally near Changanassery in Kottayam district in the Indian state of Kerala. The temple is adminis ...
) assisted the Thekkumkur king in the Neerazhi Palace and transferred him to Nattassery at
Kottayam Kottayam () is a municipal town in the Indian state of Kerala. Flanked by the Western Ghats on the east and the Vembanad Lake and paddy fields of Kuttanad on the west. It is the district headquarters of Kottayam district, located in south-we ...
. After the
Battle of Changanassery The Battle of Changanacherry was a battle between the kingdoms of Thekkumkur and Travancore in September 1749.Shungoonny Menon - A HISTORY OF TRAVANCORE - First edition: 1878 , New edition: 1983, Page 130, 131 - Defeat in this decisive battle ...
, 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 The Battle of Changanacherry was a battle between the kingdoms of Thekkumkur and Travancore in September 1749.Shungoonny Menon - A HISTORY OF TRAVANCORE - First edition: 1878 , New edition: 1983, Page 130, 131 - Defeat in this decisive battle ...
. After
Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma (Malayalam: ) 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") (1758–98).Subrahmany ...
overthrew the king of Thekkumkur (
Aditya Varma Manikandan Aditya Varma Manikandan ( ml, ആദിത്യ വർമ്മ മണികണ്ഠൻ) 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 T ...
) in 1750, during the infamous raid of
Hyder Ali Hyder Ali ( حیدر علی, ''Haidarālī''; 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 att ...
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) and ...
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 (Malayalam= രാജ രാജ വർമ്മ കോയിത്തമ്പുരാൻ), also known as Raja Raja Varma, was a Malayalam language poet and translator from the Indian state of Kerala who had an equ ...
, father of
Travancore The Kingdom of Travancore ( /ˈtrævənkɔːr/), also known as the Kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor, was an Indian kingdom from c. 1729 until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvananthapuram. At ...
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) and ...
(Parappangadi and Beypore),
Malabar Malabar may refer to the following: People * Malabars, people originating from the Malabar region of India * Malbars or Malabars, people of Tamil origin in Réunion Places * Malabar Coast, or Malabar, a region of the southwestern shoreline o ...
. 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 Lakshmipuram Palace ( ml, ലക്ഷ്മീപുരം കൊട്ടാരം) is the royal palace of the Parappanad royal families at Changanassery. Palace is located at Puzhavathu near to Kavil Bhagavathy Temple. The Lakshmipuram Pal ...
. Until then, the royal family lived in Neerazhi Palace at
Puzhavathu Puzhavathu is a place in Changanasserry town, in Kerala state. It is 1 km from Changanasserry bus stand and 2.5 km from railway station. Religion The place is known for the number of places of worship: Kavil Bhagavathi Temple, The Ch ...
.


References

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