Kumaramangalam: A Visit to a House Frozen in Time

      Last December, during my trip to Trivandrum, I had the opportunity to visit my friend Devu’s ancestral home, a charming 300-year-old naalukettu veedu located near the Padmanabhaswamy Temple. Knowing that I was standing in a house that old, gave me chills. This beautiful home was recently renovated. A million thanks to Devu for asking me to visit her house, even though she wasn’t in town. Maybe she just knew I’d fall in love with this heritage home and for its beautiful history.

As I was about to say goodbye, sitting on the veranda, putting on my shoes; I couldn’t help but wonder: a heritage home like this, situated in West Fort, so close to the Padmanabhaswamy Temple and the palace, must have some kind of historical connection. I was too shy to ask, but then, gathering all my courage, I finally dropped the question.

With a smile, Lekha Aunty (Devu’s mother) shared a fascinating piece of history about the house, which took me back to the time of King Marthanda Varma, who founded the Travancore kingdom in the early 1700s. Intrigued, I began my research and found the history even more captivating. But with work and unexpected trips, I couldn’t write right away. Usually, I paint first and then write about it.. but this time, I started writing first. I found myself immersed in it, even before I could finish the sketch of “Kumaramangalam”.

To understand the significance of this house, we need to travel back in time to the late 1600s, to explore the history of Venad and the rise and fall of the Ettuveetil Pillamar (The Lords of the Eight Houses). They rose during the Venad kingdom and they fell at the dawn of the Travancore era. Honestly, I don’t have to go that far back to tell the story of the Kumaramangalam house, but I just wanted to go back one more generation . I’m sorry if it feels a bit long.

History of modern Southern  Kerala 

Late 1600s;

Last Queen of Venad;

The ‘Travancore’ was previously known as the ‘Venad’. Queen Aswathi Tirunal Umayamma Rani served as regent of Venad and was the last queen to rule the kingdom i.e. from 1677 to 1684.

       To put it more precisely, this was a period when the entire Indian subcontinent was caught in constant battles and wars. In the north, the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb was trying to expand his empire towards the south (Deccan). In the west, Shivaji Maharaj launched a major southern (Dakshin) campaign across Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. In fact, after the fall of the Vijayanagara Empire, neighbouring powers began eyeing the south, and slowly, European forces like the Portuguese, Dutch, French, and English also turned their attention there.

It was, quite literally, a time of chaos everywhere and Venad was no exception. The kingdom faced political instability, with both internal and external threats. As a woman ruling in a male-dominated society, Umayamma Rani faced significant challenges, especially from the powerful feudal lords known as the “Ettuveetil Pillamar”. 

Who are Ettuveetil Pillamar? In Malayalam,  ‘Ettu -Veetil -Pillamar’

‘Ettu’ meaning numerical 8;  

‘Veetil’ meaning Houses’;

‘Pilla’ is their title. (“Pillamar”- Plural)

The following are not the exact names of the Ettuveetil Pillamar, but rather titles based on the territories or ancestral houses they belonged to

1. Marthandanth Pilla – Pilla from Marthandanthil House

2. Ramanamandath Pilla – Pilla from Ramanamandathil House

3. Kulathoor Pilla – Pilla from Kulathoor

4. Kazhakkoottath Pilla – Pilla from Kazhakkoottam 

5. Venganur Pilla – Pilla from Venganur

6. Chembazhanthi Pilla – Pilla from Chembazhanthi

7. Kudaman Pilla – Pilla from Kudamon

8. Pallichal Pilla – Pilla from Pallichal

The Ettuveetil Pillamar, a group of eight powerful landlords, controlled most of the land and revenue, making it difficult for the monarchs to exercise direct rule. Like the Jagirdars of the Mughal Empire (who were given land in return for service to the emperor), the Pillamar were granted lands and positions by the Venad royal family. But there’s a slight difference: Jagirdars were more like official appointees who could be transferred or removed. In contrast, the Ettuveetil Pillamar were hereditary lords (naduvazhis) whose families had controlled the same lands for generations. They behaved almost like small kings in their own territories.

Over time, they grew from being mere landlords to powerful local chiefs. They controlled the temple treasury (Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple), land revenue, and even military forces, making it extremely difficult for Umayamma Rani to implement her policies. Their authority was not just political but also deeply entrenched socially and economically. Since their power was hereditary, they often refused to obey the ruler and acted independently.

When we talk about the Ettuveetil Pillamar, we must also consider their influence over the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple during their time. Even in the 21st century, this temple remains the richest Temple, with treasures estimated to be worth over ₹1 lakh crore (approximately $12 billion USD). Considering the cultural and historical value of the artifacts, the total worth could exceed $22 billion USD. We can only imagine the intense rivalry in the early 1700s between the Ettuveetil Pillamar and the royal family to gain control over such an immensely wealthy and powerful temple.

The affairs of the Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple were managed by the Ettara Yogam, meaning the “Council of Eight and a Half” (Yogam in Malayalam means Assembly/ Meeting; Yogakkar refers to the Assembly members). This council included six Pootis, one Brahmin, the King of Venad/Travancore, and a Nair representative, each with one vote, except the king who had only half a vote. Hence, a total of 8½ votes! The Ettara Yogam was the most powerful governing body in the Venad kingdom, and the Ettuveetil Pillamar, having control over most of the votes, were key decision-makers.

The Ettuveetil Pillamar demanded tributes, influenced local rulers, and installed puppet kings to safeguard their own power, grow even stronger, and gradually weaken the royal family’s control over Venad. They were indirectly trying to challenge the Marumakkathayam system (matrilineal succession), which the royal family had followed for generations to decide the line of succession. 

First, let me explain the Marumakkathayam system. In this matrilineal tradition, the king’s sister was the queen, and she played an essential role in the royal succession. She was expected to have children, at least one boy, but more importantly, one girl. The biological son of the king could not be the next in line; instead, his nephew (his sister’s son) would succeed him. If a queen had only male children, the king had to adopt a princess from a neighbouring royal family, usually from Kolathunad or Parappanad to continue the line.

The Ettuveetil Pillamar, however, supported rival male heirs, biological sons of kings over matrilineal successors, directly challenging the Marumakkathayam system. Their goal was to retain power and influence, and placing puppet kings and queens on the throne served their interests. These power struggles are mentioned in historical records such as the Travancore State Manual by V. Nagam Aiya -1906 (Page-313, 334), Travancore State Manual Vol II by T. K. Velu Pillai (page 259), Elements of these conflicts also survive in oral traditions and ballads from southern Kerala, temple records, and official histories.

Around 1684 CE, when Ravi Varma, the nephew of Umayamma Rani, came of age, he formally took the throne as the king of Venad. That same year, Umayamma Rani stepped down from active rule. However, before her retirement, she anticipated a succession crisis as there were no female heirs to carry the succession line.  She didn’t want the lineage to be at risk, therefore to secure the future of the dynasty, she initiated the process of royal adoption. Historical records mention that this adoption took place three times during her reign: first in 1682, when Aaditya Varma and two girls were adopted; then 1684, when Kerala Varma was adopted; and again in 1688, when two girls and their brothers, including Rama Varma and his elder brother Unni Kerala Varma from Kolothunad royal family, were brought in to the lineage. 

When I learnt this, an obvious question popped into my head: why did they adopt the boys when their main purpose was to adopt the girls? If you had the same question, then here’s why. Even though the Marumakkathayam system prioritized female lineage, adopting their brothers was customary because the boys could become ceremonial kings if needed. Adoption was a kind of insurance,  they needed more royal family members to handle wars, palace politics, and the feudal threats.

After the time of King Ravi Varma (the nephew of Umayamma Rani), the adopted princes ascended the throne one after the other. Rama Varma, the last among them, would have never imagined that he would be remembered as the final king of Venad. And with that, Umayamma Rani’s chapter quietly closes by the late 1600s; she remains the last queen of Venad. Little would she have known that a visionary leader from her adopted line would soon rise to end the turmoil and unite the land under a new kingdom. 

Early 1700 CE;

A New Kingdom was Born;

  During the early 1700s, European powers in India were still trading entities, not colonial rulers. But the status of Europeans in India was slowly shifting from mere traders to influential political and military players, though they were still subordinate to powerful Indian empires. However, they had fortified posts, private armies, and were beginning to interfere in local politics. In 1706, when Rama Varma was ruling Venad,  we can only imagine the state of the kingdom with no heir to the throne and its king being weak. Venad was going through both internal and external turmoil. When the whole of Venad was waiting for an heir, one of Rama Varma’s sisters (Queen Karthika Thirunal Uma Devi) gave birth to a baby boy in 1706.  Anizham Thirunaal Marthanda Varma was born.

Before the time of Marthanda Varma, Travancore was not a unified kingdom but a fragmented chiefdoms  controlled by local chieftains (Madampis) and feudal lords (Naduvazhis). King Rama Varma (Uncle of Marthanda Varma) was the ruling king of Venad but he was seen as a weak King. So, the Ettuveetil Pillamar, the Ettara Yogam, and other nobles had more power than the king himself.  Monarchy has been weakened since the mid 1600s.. We saw this power imbalance even during Umayamma Rani’s period. The Venad royal family’s authority was weakened over time due to internal power struggles and interference from foreign forces such as the Madurai Nayaks and European traders. Earlier in the late 1600s Umayamma Rani likely engaged in diplomatic relations with the Dutch and the English to counter the internal threats, threats from the Madurai Nayaks and pirates. This continued even during the weak King’s period (King Rama Varma). 

Years passed by and the nephew Marthanda Varma, as a crowned prince, interfered  in all the royal matters to support his uncle Rama Varma.  He started questioning Ettuveetil Pillamar when they failed to respect the crown. He was a visionary prince who had all the qualities of a king who also dreamt of a centralized kingdom. The small principalities between Cochin and Venad (like Kayamkulam, Ambalapuzha, Chembakasserry (Purakkad), Mavelikkara, Karunagappally, etc.) were once part of larger Venad Kingdom during earlier centuries. Overtime, due to internal fragmentation, external invasions, and weakening of central authority, these regions broke off and evolved in to semi-idependent or independent feudal states.

He dreamt of reuniting all those principalities and together call it “Thiruvidamkoor” (Travancore). This move frightened the Ettuveetil Pillamar, who had been controlling both the kingdom and the Padmanabhaswamy Temple. They saw this as threat. So, Ettuveetil Pillamar conspired multiple times to assassinate Marthanda Varma when he was prince. Pillamar brought the Thampimar (cousins of Marthanda Varma) the biological sons of King Rama Varma to claim for the throne. Marthanda Varma rose against this, as it was breaking the long tradition of “Marumakkathayam” system which the Royal family had been following for generations to choose their succession line. Marthanda Varma survived many assassination attempts and many times fled and went in to hiding. Incidents of these assassination attempts are recorded from some historical events, oral tradition, folklore and early chronicles, so there is a mix of documented fact and legendary elements. 

In 1729, at the age of 23, Marthanda Varma ascended the throne of Venad, succeeding his uncle Rama Varma. The small kingdoms in-between  Cochin and Venad were sometimes not on good terms but they all had one goal in common which is winning over Venad and destroying Marthanda Varma. They even took the help of Dutch and East India Company to achieve their goal.

 

He started eliminating his enemies one after the other after ascending the throne. In 1730, he first executed his cousins, Padmanaabhan Thampi and Raman Thampi (the biological sons of Rama Varma) as they attempted to usurp the throne with the help of Ettuveetil Pillamar. And obviously, his next targets were Ettuveetil Pillamars’ who were caught red handed, attempting to kill the King. Determined to secure his rule, the king launched a ruthless campaign to eliminate them. The Ettuveetil Pillamar were captured with the help of the East India Company, accused of treason, and brutally executed hanging them upside down in public and their bodies were left for days to rot and vultures and animals to eat. This cruel act was displayed to scare his enemies. And then their whole wealth was seized, their women and children were sold to fishermen (Mukkuvar), their families were exiled,  houses were uprooted and turned into ponds, erasing all traces of what once was. These were the attempt may be to erase their names totally from the history. But the story did not end there. After this public execution, King Marthanda Varma couldn’t rule in peace and he lost his sleep. 

The Wandering Spirits and the Need for a Ritual;

          Now this is where history begins to merge with superstition. Even though it may seem unscientific, I have to share this, because our main subject, Kumaramangalam-The heritage home in Trivandrum, has its story deeply intertwined with these superstitions. Also the history of Marthanda Varma wouldn’t be complete without this part. I believe history isn’t just about what happened; it’s also about why people acted the way they did. When a ruler believes in a prophecy, or when a priest interprets an omen, it can shift the course of events. To ignore that would be to leave the story incomplete.

Following their execution, eerie rumors spread across the land. People whispered that the vengeful spirits of the Pillamar roamed restlessly, refusing to leave the mortal world. Strange occurrences, unexplained disturbances, and an overwhelming sense of unease gripped the region. The fear of these wandering souls became so widespread that even the king grew concerned. 

To restore peace, Marthanda Varma sought the help of learned priests to perform a sacred ritual to get him some sleep and nothing really worked. But this was no ordinary exorcism. It required immense spiritual power, precision, and unwavering faith and trap the spirits and prevent them from haunting the living.

Neelagandan  Namboodhiri Paadu: The Chosen One

          To rest the souls of Ettuveetil Pillamar, they atlast found a solution. A royal  ritual has to be done to seal their souls in  pots forever and bury them. This has to be done by an expert Poojari / Priests. The king’s priests thought long and hard before choosing the man for this sensitive and dangerous job. There were multiple poojaris’ shortlisted to conduct this ritual and through an astrological procedure called “prashnam vaikkal”  they selected one priest. Yes!!!  Neelagandan Namboothiri paadu from Kumaramangalam Mana (House) was the chosen one. 

Ramayan Dalawa (1713–1756) was the then Prime Minister of  Travancore kingdom, also King’s right hand and best friend. He visited Kumaramangalam mana- the ancestral house (Changanassery) of Neelagandan Namboothiri in person.. This house was the main tharavaadu of Kumaramangalam which is about 500-600 years old which still stands in Changanassery. Neelagandan Namboothiri paadu of this house  is a descendant of Kaadamudi Kunjaman potty  (via his maternal side). Exorcism was the main occupation during that time period for the family. Neelagandan Namboothiri was known for his deep knowledge of rituals and unwavering devotion. ‘Vettadi Bagavathy Temple’ is their family temple which is just half a kilometer away from this house and the Devi (Goddess) of this temple is Kumaramangalam family’s Para Devata (Supreme Deity). May be this is the reason why Neelagandan Nambiothiri himself chose this particular location for this ultimate historical ritual.

 As Neelagandan Namboothiri was summoned he was taken to the palace to do the ritual but with one condition. The condition was that no royal blood could set their foot in Changanassery for all the bloodshed and for the brutality they did to them and their family. Upon agreeing to  this condition using ancient tantric methods, Namboodhiri invoked the spirits of the Ettuveetil Pillamar and, through a complex series of chants and offerings, he trapped their restless souls within 8 sacred copper pots and got them transported in boat (Vallam) through backwaters from Trivandrum to Changanacherry to ‘Vettadi Bagavathy Temple’.  

But on their way to the temple in Kayamkulam backwaters the pots were broken by the kaayal pirates. They mistook that they are carrying gold and money. The sealed pots were broken and they had to do the ritual again. But this time they sealed the souls in 8 copper pots and were buried carefully in the ‘Vettadi Bagavathy Temple’ facing the temple. With the completion of this ritual, the kingdom finally breathed a sigh of relief. The disturbances ceased, and life resumed as normal. So from then on, every year on Meenam 11  their descendants conduct poojas involve blood offerings, prayers, or other ceremonial acts intended to honor the memory of the Ettuveetil Pillamar or to seek harmony and balance in the community

At last, Marthanda Varma’s sleepless nights came to an end. As a reward, Neelagandan Namboothiri Paadu was granted significant tax-free land and property, symbolically described as “999 muri pura idam” (999 residential units) and “999 muri nilam” (999 units of agricultural land). It is said this amounted to nearly half of Changanasserry. 

Andddddd  this is where our hero enters the scene; “Kumaramangalam -Trivandrum”, the nearly 300-year-old ancestral house where I now sit, listening in awe to this incredible story. This very home was another of the king’s gifts to Neelagandan Namboothiri, perhaps a gesture to keep the loyal priest close to the palace, both in duty and in trust. So “Kumaramangalam” history ends here!!! But don’t you want to know when Venad was transformed into  “Thiruvithamkoor” (Travancore)? 

        By 1740s  Marthanda varma annexed Kayam Kulam, Quilon, and Aatingal,eventually Kollam, kottarakara, Kaayamkulam, thekkumkoor, vadakkumkoor, Chembagasherry to Venad and together he called Thiruvidhaankoor (Travancore Kingdom). 

In 1750 he surrenders the kingdom to Lord  Padmanabha (Vishnu) in a ritual called “Thrippadidanam”  dedicating the kingdom to the deity and ruling as the deity’s servant (Padmanabha Dasa). Post 1750s, the state begins to be officially called Travancore (Thiruvithamkoor), signifying a divine monarchy under Lord Padmanabha.

   Going behind this royal gift given to my friend’s ancestor 300 years back, taught me a great deal of Kerala history in much detail. Thanks to Devu Narayanan, Lekha Aunt and Uncle again for this wonderful opportunity. Also heartfelt thanks to the brilliant conservation Architect, Ashwathy Mullakkal and her team at Studiosusara, whose thoughtful work brought new life to this heritage treasure. 

And here’s my way of documenting  beautiful memories. A moment from December 2024, now forever held in my sketchbook journal. This sketch is a tribute to this 300 year old Kumaramangalam, a home filled with quiet stories, timeless charm, and the gentle presence of the past.