Monday, Dec 16, 2013
Thiruvananthapuram: Uthradom Tirunal Marthanda Varma, titular head of the erstwhile Travancore kingdom that comprised southern Kerala, passed away early on Monday, bringing to an end an era that marked him taking over from his elder brother Sri Chithira Tirunal Balarama Varma as the first head of Travancore without the trappings of power.
Uthradom Tirunal was 91 and had been ailing lately, though that did not prevent him from calling on Prince Charles at Kumarakom last month when the Prince of Wales visited Kerala.
The nonagenarian had been admitted to the Sree Uthradom Tirunal Hospital here a week ago and had intestinal bleeding. His end came this morning following a cardiac arrest. His close family members were present at the hospital, including his son Padmanabha Varma, daughter Parvathi Varma and his nephew Moolam Tirunal Rama Varma who will be his successor as the head of the Travancore family.
After his brother Balarama Varma saw through the years that marked the shift of power from the kingdom to an independent India, Uthradom Tirunal took over the titular post of the head of Travancore in 1991 on his brother’s demise.
The nonagenarian was born in 1922 to Ravi Varma Koyi Thampuran and Maharani Sethu Parvathi Bayi. He studied economics, politics and history and was a Sanskrit scholar, though he was perhaps best known for his photography skills and his penchant for motoring.
Employment
After his education in Kerala and London, Uthradom Tirunal also briefly worked with the Plymouth company in Bengaluru.
Uthradom Tirunal held the key ritual position of the custodian of the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple and was an endearing figure. When the underground vaults of the temple were found to have large quantities of gold, silver and precious stones worth billions of rupees in 2011, the Travancore royal family also joined issue, but Uthradom Tirunal managed to keep his poise even while he had disagreements with the public perception about what to do with the treasures in the temple.
An early morning visit to the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple was part of his daily routine, and as his car carrying the conch-shell insignia of the former Travancore kingdom made its way to the temple and back through the city, many passersby would still bow in reverence.
There was no pomp whatsoever as his vehicle traversed the narrow but well-laid out lanes in the Kerala capital, and that was a reflection of the man himself, who seemed to have taken both the early part of his life as a member of the ruling Travancore royal family and the latter part of his life as the custodian of the Padmanabhaswamy Temple with solemnity and grace.
By Akhel Mathew ?Correspondent
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