Monarchs From India

"I am what I am because I was the son of a princess. Women have always been very educated and progressive in my family."

"Sri Chithira Tirunal Maharaja was a visionary. Gandhiji came here after the Temple Entry Proclamation was made by my brother, throwing open the temples to all the castes. The Mahatma said it was not a trip but a pilgrimage. The carpet on which he sat is now a prized possession of the family."

"From the age of eight, I have grown up in an atmosphere pervaded by religion. The State was surrendered to Lord Padmanabhaswamy in 1750 by my ancestor whose name I bear. Nothing is greater than this concept and since that day, every morning, the ruler has the tradition of rendering an account of the previous day's administrative events to the lord. Whether I can communicate this attachment and devotion to others — the younger people in the family — is what worries me. Are they in attendance at the right time at the temple? This alone bothers me."

"When we have guests, my wife and I serve them sometimes. In fact, a mediaperson from Germany who probably expected me to dress in fine clothes, once mistook me for my secretary."

"We are rulers on His behalf, I live because of His grace."

"In 1840 a new resident of Travancore state who aspired to be Dewan reported to Madras that Swati Tirunal’s authority spending on his court musicians was extravagant and unnecessary. The resident’s continuous complaints effectively undermined Swati Tirunal’s authority several years before his death in 1846."

"What Swati Tirunal’s court introduced, as had Surfoji’s before and the Mysore and Vizianagaram courts later, was the idea of the court as a showpiece of culture, a collection of the best musicians from around the world."

"Instead of taking place at the temple steps, music making took place in Swati Tirunal’s [[durbar hall as a recital, with the king himself as the audience; musicians were invited to his courth because of their skill. Swati Tirunal himself is said to have kept a small room in his palace with a view of Padmanabhaswamy Temple as his composing room. The palace structure thus introduced the idea of a space for music that was separate from the temple and other living spaces. Meanwhile, the economic structure in which musicians were supported out of the palace budget, with some holding official positions like chief palace musician, created the atmosphere in which music became a profession"

"Under Swati Tirunal’s rule, the forms of music and dance peculiar to Travancore, including - the sapna sangitam (literally: step music) sung on the steps of temples and the dance form of Mohiniattam – were significantly altered, brought closer to the forms of music and dance practiced at Tanjavur. Swapna Sangitam known for its slow renditions and limited improvisation, was altered not only by the influx of new style of composing and singing represented by Vadivelu and other Tanjavur Musicians but also by the very structure of music that Swati Tirunal’s court suggested."

"The most important elements in this improvement were the English language and Karnatic music. An English school was started in Trivandrum as early as 1834, earlier than English education was imparted in the Madras Presidency directly under the British rule."

"In 1980, Swati Tirunal appointed Subba Rao as Dewan. Together they attempted to make the kingship – an example of enlightened leadership and Travancore, a center of learning."

"He assumed the rule of Travancore state in 1829, at the age of sixteen. At the suggestion of Colonel John Munroe, the British Resident of Travancore, Swati Tirunal had been tutored in English, Sanskrit, Marathi, political science, and Karnatic music by Subba Rao from Tanjavur, also known as English Subba Rao for his skill in the English language."

"Both intellectually and morally, he was indeed far beyond his country and equals in rank; in both respects he might have taken a high place among the most enlightened of European Sovereigns had his destiny been so cast."

"Thanks to Swati Tirunal, Mohiniyattom became highly refined. His contribution to the education sector too is remarkable. He started the Maharaja’s High School and then Maharaja’s College (now University College). He set up an observatory. He reformed the judicial and law and order systems."

"Swati Tirunal’s contribution to the socio-cultural awakening of Kerala has no parallel,"

"His Highness The Rajah Of Travancore, already celebrated for the munificence with which he promotes the education and mental improvement of his subjects, resolved in the latter part of last year on the establishment, at his capital, Trivandrum, of an Observatory of a superior kind; with the double view of affording his aid to the advancement of astronomical science, and of introducing by its means correct ideas of the principles of this science among the rising generation under his government; and having confided to me the superintendence of the institution as Astronomer, I take this early opportunity of introducing it to the notice of the public…"

"There are many other evidences of Swathi’s efforts to promote education and modern science....Many of his reforms were progressive and many put an end to superstitions. One instance would be enough to mention in this regard – abolishing the practice of Sucheendram Kaimukku where accused persons were to dip their fingers in boiling oil to prove their innocence."

"Swathi Thirunal was a Honorary Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society. This society was founded in 1823 by the eminent Sanskrit scholar Henry Colebrooke and a group of like minded individuals. It is also seen from The Asiatic Journal and Monthly Register for British and Foreign India, China, and Australia, Published by Parbury, Allen, and Co., 1835, that Swathi Thirunal was a patron of the Madras Literary Society."

"Over the years, some of the Maharaja’s compositions have become very popular but there are so many more. My aim has been to present some of these rarely heard compositions every year."

"Tyagaraja aradhanas are held all over India and abroad. But the one in Tiruvayyar is special. The Government of Kerala used to conduct the festival in Kuthiramalika Palace till a few years back. But then they decided to hold it in different places all over Kerala. While the thought behind the move was laudable, it was a pity that it was at the cost of the festival being discontinued at Kuthiramalika. So, although there were only two weeks to go, I managed to organise the festival in 2000 and keep it going."

"The literary works of Swati Tirunal include Bhakti Manjari, Syanandurapuravarnana Prabandham, Padmanabhasatakam, Muhana prasa antya prasa vyavastha, Ajamila, Kuchela Upakhyanas and Utsava Varnana Prabandha. His musical compositions, varied in form and structure, approximate 400 in number, in Carnatic and Hindustani ragas, both familiar and rare. Varnam, kriti, tillana, ragamalika, swarajati, jatiswaram, padam, javali, khayal, dhrupad and tappa, the Navaratri and Navaratnamalika thematic compositions, he composed them all, this prolific output implying an impressive degree of effortlessness on his part. Being a linguist, he opted for a choice of languages like Sanskrit, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi and Manipravalam (a combination of two chosen languages). He was a past master in the usage of swaraksharas - a musical device where the lyric phonetically matches the note that couches it. He affixed his compositions with the mudra ‘Padmanabha’ and its synonyms."

"He was devoted to Lord Padmanabha, the deity in the Tiruvantharapura temple, but he saw no distinction between Siva and Vishnu, whom he considered as two forms of the same Divinity. His famous song Visvesvar darsan exemplifies this philosophy of his."

"Swati Tirumal also imbibed the best from the many Hindustani musicians who flocked to his court and composed many songs in Hindustani ragas."

"Swati Tirumal was a contemporary of the Carnatic musical trinity :Thagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar and Syama sastri but did not meet any of them."

"Young Swati Tirunal was prodigiously talented, and also innately musical. This predilection was not surprising considering that his ancestry boasted of talented musicians, scholars and composers such as Karthika Tirunal (1758-1798) and Asvati Tirunal (1756-1788). Thanjavur Subba Rao, also known as English Subba Rao because of his mastery over the language, was a past master in Carnatic music. He taught the young king to play the swarabat. The king had other music teachers too including Karamana Subramanya Bhagavatar. Government records stand testimony to the fact that young Swati Tirunal was trained in instruments such as the mridangam, veena and the swarabat."

"The sovereign of this beautiful country [Kerala] is about twenty-six years of age, of a very pleasing countenance, and his manners strikingly simple and gentlemanlike. He speaks English with perfect fluency, is an accomplished Persian and Arabic scholar, and is in other respects unusually well informed; having had the advantage of a much better education than commonly falls to the lot of oriental princes. Could he escape from the swaddling-bands of the Brahmins, it is supposed that he would shew himself a really enlightened ruler. This however seems almost impossible, as these crafty priests have thrown their meshes so effectually around him that he can scarcely stir hand or foot without their permission. They possess unbounded influence over his mind, the influence which can only be attained by superstition; and the puppet of royalty is moved according to their will and pleasure by the brahminical string. It is very much to be lamented; as unquestionably he might do, and probably has the inclination to do, much for his country, which now remains undone. Certainly their terrible religion is the bane and curse of India."

"Cullen “assumed almost sovereign authority.” Such was his oppressive intrusion in the administration. The king was made totally powerless. Compounding this atrocity was the machinations of his aide Krishna Rao, who schemed with Cullen for his own personal gain."

"Swathi Thirunal, a devout Hindu, is seen to have agreed to teaching of Christian scriptures in the school supported by a government grant, and it admitted students of all caste and religion."

"In December 1834, His Highness the Rajah of Travancore travelled about in the Southern parts of his kingdom and paid a visit to the important Mission establishments. Messrs Mead and Mault spared no pains to make the Rajah’s visit as interesting as possible… His Highness’ visit to the Nagercoil English Seminary and the Mission Press produced important results to the State, for he was so much delighted with the working of these useful institutions, and so much impressed of their importance as civilising agents, that he very much regretted that his own capital could not boast of such establishments. When therefore His Highness requested the Missionaries to help him to establish similar institution in Trivandrum, they heartily agreed. In consequence of this Mr. [John] Roberts the Headmaster was induced to go and start an English school at Trivandrum and workmen from the Mission Press were also sent to start the Sircar Press. Such was the origin of the Maha Rajah’s College, and the Government Press at Trivandrum."

"My sense of the high advantage derived from this establishment in a scientific point of view, as I am fully sensible that by reason of my patronizing it, my name, however, undeserving of any celebrity is favorably noticed even in distant regions, among the scientific personages of the present day."

"As a monarch, Swati Tirunal was incredibly hardworking and supremely committed to his kingdom and people. Unfortunately, the dice in the game of life seemed to have been heavily loaded against him. The appointment of General Cullen as Resident sounded the death knell for the Maharaja."

"The Maharaja was a remarkable Sanskrit author. He composed numerous works on religion, metaphysics etc....He also composed songs (on religion) in Telugu, Hindustani, Mahratta and other languages."

"Creditably, notwithstanding his limited powers, he aimed to make Travancore a “model state.” A well-formulated code of laws, courts of Justice, introduction of English education, construction of an observatory, installation of the first Government printing press, establishment of the first manuscripts library were amongst the many initiatives taken by Swati Tirunal to modernise Travancore."

"There is perhaps no example of any conquest in which the natives have been so completely excluded from all share of the government of their country as in British India....Foreign conquerors have treated the natives with violence, and often with great cruelty, but none has treated them with so much scorn as we..."

"On April 20, 1829, Swati Tirunal formally assumed charge of his kingdom. Those were tough times for Indians."

"By the time His Highness attained his majority, he had completed his education and become a perfect master of Sanskrit, English, Persian, Hindustani, Maharatti, Telugu, Canarese, Tamil and Malayalam."

"Swati Tirunal, now thirteen... took up a book of mathematics and selecting the forty seventh proposition of Euclid sketched the figure on a country slate but what astonished me most was his telling us in English that Geometry was derived from the Sanskrit, which as Jaw metor (Jyamiti) to measure the earth and that many of our mathematical terms were also derived from the same source such as hexagon, heptagon, octagon... This promising boy is now, I conclude, sovereign of the finest country in India for he was to succeed to the Musnud (throne) the moment he had attained his 16th year."

"It was a tradition with the Travancore royalty to prefix the names of their children with the asterism under which they were born. The new born was named Swati Tirunal Rama Varma. Submitting to the commands of Lord Minto, the Queen arranged for the coronation of four-month-old Swati Tirunal as King of Travancore on August 28, 1813, and stepped down to rule as his regent. He was now -- Sree Padmanabha Dasa Vanchi Pala Rama Varma Kulasekhara Kiritapathi Swati Rama Raja Manney Sultan…"

"All that I write whether poetry or music centred around God. This is an act of faith in me. Music is not worth its name otherwise."

"Very few rulers could come anywhere near Swati Tirunal in his patronage of arts, his catholicity of religious outlook, his transcendence of narrow regional, religious and caste barriers. He was truly a evolved royal sage."

"When Lord Mountbatten came visiting in 1948, it was he [Uthradom Thirunal] who led a cavalry demonstration. It is said that Mountbatten was greatly impressed and congratulated him."

"I went to a State at the extreme tip of India. Here the king's son is not the king, but the king's sister is a very important person. Anyway, it is very good for the women."

"He remained well-loved, and presided over about 200 ceremonies annually such as the deity’s sea-bathing. He received visitors including, in 2013, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, and, farther back, Somerset Maugham, Agatha Christie and Eleanor Roosevelt, who noted the matrilineal rules of succession, saying she did not understand them, but thought they were good for women"

"The man still called “king” in Travancore, south India, found himself the centre of world attention in his nineties in June 2011 when the temple hoard of which he was guardian came to light. The rubies, diamonds, 18ft gold chains, golden bows and arrows, gold umbrellas, coins, and diadems piled in six vaults under the Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Trivandrum, Travancore’s capital, were estimated as being worth £26 billion."

"His favourite car, the copper blue 180D Mercedes Benz, was in his possession till he breathed his last. A person with varied interests, he had to his credit several trophies won as an amateur horse rider at various places in the country."

"During his Bangalore days he was a motor enthusiastic who clocked 4 million miles in his Mercedes Benz 180 D.. During those days Mercedes used to honour drivers who crossed one-lakh miles and it had presented him with 10 medals."

"His passion for photography took him to take an air sortie on the VTAYK aircraft that the Travancore Royal Family owned in 1939, all over the erstwhile Travancore region."

"His passion for photography from a tender age and it was his brother, the last ruler of Travancore, Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma, who presented him his first camera. With the Rolleiflex camera presented to him in 1934 he learned the basics of photography and then there was no looking back."

"He had varied interests including photography, sports and motoring. He has won trophies as an amateur horse rider and has even played table hockey, tennis, football and polo."

"He held the prestigious post as trustee of the famous Padmanabaswamy temple, which is deemed as the richest temple in the country."