Shubhamsaini9 at 00:45, 27 May 2025

2025-05-27T00:45:18Z

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{{short description|Malayalam-language poet and translator}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}
[[File:Kerala Varma Valiya Koil Thampuran Changanassery Lakshmipuram Palace.jpg|200px|thumbnail|right|Kerala Varma Valiya Koil Thampuran [[Changanassery]] [[Lakshmipuram Palace]]]]
'''Kerala Varma Valiya Koil Thampuran''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|CSI}}; (19 February 1845 – 22 September 1914) also spelt '''Kerala Varma Valiya Koilthampuran''' and known as '''Kerala Varma''', was a [[Malayalam]] - language poet and translator who had an equal facility in writing in English and [[Sanskrit]] from the Indian state of [[Kerala]].<ref name=apmila>Paniker, Ayyappa, [https://books.google.com/books?id=m1R2Pa3f7r0C&dq=%22Balijepalli+Lakshmikantham%22&pg=PA231 "Modern Malayalam Literature"] chapter in George, K. M., editor, ' 'Modern Indian Literature, an Anthology' ', pp 231, 236 published by Sahitya Akademi, 1992, retrieved 10 January 2009</ref> He was a prince of [[Parappanad]], and consort to the [[Travancore royal family|Senior Rani of Attingal and Maharani of Travancore]], [[Bharani Thirunal Lakshmi Bayi]], intended to father future sovereigns of Travancore, although the couple was childless, necessitating the adoption of Lakshmi Bayi's grand-nieces. Kerala Varma is also known as the ''Kalidasa of Kerala'', and was both brother-in-law and cousin to painter [[Raja Ravi Varma]], also a prince of Parappanad, though from the [[Kilimanoor Palace|Kilimanoor branch]], whom he presented with his first oil paints.<ref>{{cite book|last=Sreedhara Menon|first=A.|title=Cultural Heritage of Kerala|page=199}}</ref> A third Parappanad prince, his grammarian nephew [[A. R. Raja Raja Varma]], is known as the ''Panini of Kerala''.

Kerala Varma has been called "a colossal Renaissance figure in 19th century Kerala" and "perhaps the first of the major [Malayalam language] writers who consciously and deliberately began to absorb and celebrate the Western influence" on his native literature. He advocated resuscitation of [[Malayalam]] literature by absorbing selected Western influences combined with native Sanskritic elements in poetry, drama and prose.<ref name=apmila/>

==Life==
He was born in [[Changanacherry]] at the [[Lakshmipuram Palace]] on 19 February 1845 (6 Kumbham 1020) in [[Pushya|Pooyam]] star{{Clarify|date=August 2011}}. His mother was Pooram Nal Devi Amba Thampuratti while his father was [[Cheriyoor]] Mullapally Narayanan [[Nambudiri|Namboothiri]] of [[Perimchellur|Perinchelloor]] Gramam in [[Taliparamba]], in [[Kannur]]. His family had fled [[Malabar (Northern Kerala)|Malabar]] and sought refuge in [[Travancore]] during the invasion of [[Tipu Sultan]] towards the end of the 18th century. After peace was restored, however, the [[Parappanad]] Royal family agreed to accept a pension from the [[British Empire|British]] government and also from that of [[Travancore]], in which several branches would remain, from among which future [[Prince consort|princes consort]] of the seniormost two females in the [[Travancore royal family]], [[Rani of Attingal|Senior and Junior Rani of Attingal]], each a Maharani of Travancore, were drawn.

Although the Koil Thampuran was born at Changanacherry, his family subsequently moved to [[Haripad]] and settled at the Ananthapuram Palace. In 1859 he was married to Her Highness [[Bharani Thirunal Lakshmi Bayi]], the adopted niece of [[Uthram Thirunal]], then Maharajah of [[Travancore]]. His marriage to the Senior Rani thus brought him into close association with the [[Travancore Royal Family]]. Later, however, through palace intrigues and personal disaffection with the Maharajah [[Ayilyam Thirunal]] he was confined at [[Haripad]] forcefully in 1875, only to be released and reunited with his wife in 1880 by Maharajah [[Visakham Thirunal]]. He wrote an apology letter to Ayilyam Tihirunal on 26 January 1877 admitting all charges including being in league with Visakham Thirunal and writing a letter to the diwan and later lying that he never wrote such a letter. He also admitted of being attracted to [[Christianity]] and addicted to [[Bhang]].<ref>{{citation|work=The Ivory Throne: Chronicles of the House of Travancore|page=67|editor-last1=Pillai|editor-first1=Manu S|title=Valiya Koil Thampuran|url=|publisher=Harper Collins|year=2013}}</ref> He was awarded with the [[Order of the Star of India|Companion of the Order of the Star of India]] in 1885 by the [[British Empire|British]] Government. After the death of his consort Rani Lakshmi Bayi in 1901 he was appointed the guardian of her two grandnieces, the Senior and Junior Ranis of [[Travancore]], including Maharani [[Sethu Lakshmi Bayi]].

He died in a car accident in September 1914. At that time, cars were rare in India, and only rich people like him had cars. According to the sources, Kerala Varma was going to [[Vaikom Mahadeva Temple]] with his nephew and disciple [[A. R. Rajaraja Varma]], another great scholar, called as 'Kerala Panini'. On the way of return, he stayed at [[Ananthapuram Palace]], [[Haripad]]. The next day, while going to [[Thiruvananthapuram]], his car got crashed, and he succumbed to his injuries two days later. It is regarded as first [[Road accident]] related death in India.<ref>{{Cite web |title=India’s first motor vehicle accident led to the death of a Kerala prince in 1914 |url=https://english.mathrubhumi.com/news/kerala/india-first-motor-vehicle-accident-led-to-the-death-of-kerala-prince-22-september-1914-ba3c60da |access-date=2025-05-24 |website=@mathrubhumi |language=en}}</ref>

People from various spheres mourned his death. He was cremated with full state honours at his home in [[Changanassery]].

==Literary works==

Kerala Varma was in close touch with literary movements in both northern and southern parts of Kerala, including ''Bhashaposhini Sabha'' and magazines such as ''[[Vidya Vinodini]]'' and ''[[Malayala Manorama]]''.<ref name=apmila/>

His work ''Abhijnana Sakunthalam''(1898), a translation of Kalidasa's ''Sakunthalam'', is one of the most acclaimed works of poetry in [[Malayalam]] from that period. It influenced a number of other translations of Sanskrit classics into Malayalam and was a success on the stage. The subsequent spate of translations from English and Sanskrit into Malayalam was an important feature of Malayalam literature in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.<ref name=apmila/>

He has also written ''Mayoorasandesham'' (also spelt ''Mayura Sandesam''; 1894<ref name=apmila/>) on the line of Kalidasa's ''MeghaDooth''(aka ''Meghaduta''). In this poetry he has used the peacocks of [[Haripad]] temple to send his messages to his wife, the Maharani, in [[Trivandrum]]. His celebrated work ''Visakhavijaya'' was written after his release by [[Visakham Thirunal]].

==See also==
{{portal|Poetry}}
*[[Muloor S. Padmanabha Panicker]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}
* Travancore State Manual by Velu Pillai
* Visakhavijaya- A Study by Poovattoor Ramakrishna Pillai

{{Malayalam Literature |state=collapsed}}
{{Kingdom of Travancore}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thampuran, Kerala Varma Valiya Koil}}
[[Category:Indian male poets]]
[[Category:Malayalam poets]]
[[Category:Poets from British India]]
[[Category:Indian Sanskrit scholars]]
[[Category:Translators of Kalidasa]]
[[Category:1845 births]]
[[Category:1914 deaths]]
[[Category:Companions of the Order of the Star of India]]
[[Category:Travancore royal family]]
[[Category:Road incident deaths in India]]
[[Category:19th-century Indian poets]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian poets]]
[[Category:People from Changanassery]]
[[Category:Writers from Kottayam district]]
[[Category:Poets from Kerala]]
[[Category:19th-century Indian translators]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian translators]]

Kerala Varma Valiya Koil Thampuran - Revision history

Shubhamsaini9 at 00:45, 27 May 2025