Neerazhi Palace () was the royal palace of the Thekkumkur kingdom. Palace is located at Puzhavathu in Changanassery.[P. Shungoonny Menon - A HISTORY OF TRAVANCORE - First edition: 1878, New edition: 1983, Page 130, 131 - ] The palace was used by the Thekkumkur dynasty until 1750 and later by the Parappanad dynasty who settled in Changanassery from North Malabar.[History of Travancore from the Earliest Times - P. Shungoonny Menon - - Published By: Asian Educational Services] It was here that the last king of Thekkumkur, Aditya Varman Manikandan escaped to Nattassery of Kottayam in the Travancore invasion of 1790 (Battle of Changanassery).[The Travancore State Manual Vol 1 to 4; Publisher : Kerala Council for Historical Research; ; Edition : 1996; Pages: 2500; Author:T.K. Velu Pillai; Editor:S.Raimon; Category:Manuals; Year of Publishing:1940] The Neerazhi palace was earlier known as Neerazhikettu.[Encyclopedia of Tourism Resources in India; Author: Dr. Manohar Sajnani, Published in 2001, Published by: Kalpaz Publications; Address: C-30, Satyawati Nagar, Phase-III, Ashok Vihar, Delhi-110052, (set), (Vol II)]
Thekkumkur Kingdom
In the early eighteenth century, the capital of Thekkumkur shifted to
Puzhavathu in
Changanassery after
Vennimala,
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).
[A. Sreedhara Menon (1987). Political History of Modern Kerala. DC Books. pp. 140–. . Retrieved 10 August 2012.][N.E Kesavan Namboothiri, Thekkumkoor Charithravum Puravrithavum (Kottayam: National Book Stall, 2014), 8-9.] The Thekkumkur fort and the Neerazhi palace were attacked in September 1750 in the Battle of Changanassery by Travancore military.
[Thekkumkoor Charithravum Puravrithavum, Author: Prof N E Kesavan Nampoothiri, Publisher : NBS (National Book Stall, Kottayam: 2014), ] The Vazhappally Pathillathil Potimar (administrator of Vazhappally Maha Siva Temple) assisted the Thekkumkur king in the Neerazhi Palace and transferred him to Nattassery at
Kottayam. 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 overthrew the king of Thekkumkur (Aditya Varma Manikandan) in 1750, during the infamous raid of
Hyder Ali in 1766, the palace used to house the fleeing princes and princes of the royal family of
Parappanad of Malabar.
[Logan, William (2006). Malabar Manual, Mathrubhumi Books, Calicut. ][Title Tipu Sultan: Villain Or Hero? : an Anthology Author: Sita Ram Goel; Publisher: Voice of India, 1993; Original from the University of Michigan; Length: 85 pages]
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.
[Menon, P Shungoonny (1878). History of Travancore from the Earliest Times by P Shungoonny Menon (Dewan Peishcar of Travancore). 105, Mount Road, Madras: Higginbotham and Company. pp. 152, 153.]
Raja Raja Varma Koil Thampuran, father of Travancore Maharaja Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma, was born in Neerazhi Palace in Changanassery. He was part of the royal family of erstwhile Parappanad (Parappangadi and Beypore), Malabar Coast.[Visakham Thirunal - Editor: Lennox Raphael Eyvindr - ] 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.[History of Travancore from the Earliest Times - P. Shungoonny Menon - - Published By: Asian Educational Services]
