Sakthan Thampuran

Rama Varma Kunji Pillai Thampuran (1751–1805), or Rama Varma IX, popularly known as Sakthan Thampuran (Sakthan meaning powerful), was the ruler of the Kingdom of Cochin. The current southern Indian city of Kochi was part of the erstwhile princely state of Kochi. He resided at Vadakkechira Palace in Thrissur. The city of Thrissur is referred to as the Cultural Capital of Kerala owing to its many traditional festivals and historic temples. Sakthan Thampuran was the planner of the city of Thrissur. The festival Thrissur Pooram was started by him.

Biography

Early life Sakthan Thampuran was born on 26 August 1751 AD at Vellarapally Palace to Anujan Namboodiripad of the Chennamangalam Mana and Ambika Thampuratti of the Cochin Royal Family.

Marriage A view of the entrance of Shakthan Thampuran Palace where he was cremated.

Thampuran was married twice. His first wife came from the renowned “Vadakke Kuruppath” family of Thrissur, and he married her when he was 30. It is said that he had a daughter with his first wife. However, Nethyar Amma, the title given to the consort of the Cochin Rajah, died soon after the birth. The Thampuran then remained unmarried for several decades before marrying again at the age of 52. His second wife was Chummukutty Nethyar Amma, a musician and dancer from the Karimpatta family. She was 17 years old when she married the Thampuran. The Thampuran died four years after their marriage. As widowed Nethyar Ammas did not receive financial support from the state at the time, Chummukutty returned to her ancestral home at the age of 21. Sakthan Thampuran transferred his capital from Thrippunithura to Thrissur to found the city. He cleared the teak forests around the Vadakkunnathan Temple and developed the Thekkinkadu Maidan, which is now at the heart of the city. After clearing the forest, he built a circular concrete road now known as Swaraj Round.

Thrissur Pooram The Thrissur Pooram or "Mother of all Poorams", as it was known, was the brainchild of Sakthan Thampuran. At the time, Arattupuzha Pooram was the largest temple festival in Kerala. Temples in and around the city of Thrissur were regular participants. Once, they were denied entry to Arattupuzha Pooram because they were late. All the late participant temples went to Sakthan Thampuran, then Maharaja of Cochin, and complained about the issue. Thampuran invited all the temples to bring their deities to Thrissur and pay obeisance to Lord Shiva, the deity of the Vadakkunnathan Temple. Thampuran classified the participants into two groups, the Western and the Eastern. The Western group consisted of the Thiruvambady, Kanimangalam, Laloor, Ayyanthole, and Nethilakkavu temples while the Paramekkavu, Karamukku, Chembukavu, Choorakottukavu and Panamukkamppilly temples came under the eastern group.

Shakthan Thampuran Palace

Named after Shakthan Thampuran, the palace is spread over of Thrissur and was earlier known as Vadakkechira Kovilakam. It is one of the most historic cultural and architecturally relevant palace of the erstwhile Maharaja of Cochin, which has now been converted into a heritage museum. The palace is now a blend of traditional Kerala and Dutch architectural styles following its 1795 reconstruction.