Mavelikkara - Eminent Personalities From Mavelikkara

Eminent Personalities From Mavelikkara

• The current line of the Travancore Royal Family. Raja Ravi Varma was married to Pururuttathi Nal Bhageerathi Amma Thampuran (Kochu Pangi) of the Royal House of Mavelikkara, with whom he had two sons and two daughters. Their eldest son, Kerala Varma, born in 1876, went missing in 1912 and was never heard from again. Their second son Rama Varma (born 1879), was an artist who studied at the Sir Jamsetjee Jeejebhoy School of Art, and married Srimathi Gowri Kunjamma, sister of Dewan PGN Unnithan. Raja Ravi Varma's elder daughter, Ayilyam Nal Mahaprabha Thampuran, appears in two of his prominent paintings and was mother of Maharani Sethu Lakshmi Bayi of Travancore. His second daughter, Thiruvadira Nal Kochukunji Thampuran, was grandmother of Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma Maharajah. His descendants comprise the Mavelikkara Royal House, while two of his granddaughters (including the aforementioned Sethu Lakshmi Bayi) were adopted to the Travancore Royal Family, the cousin family of the Mavelikkara House. Well known among his descendants are writer Shreekumar Varma (Prince Punardam Thirunal), artists Rukmini Varma (Princess Bharani Thirunal) and Jay Varma and classical musician Aswathi Thirunal Rama Varma among others.
• P. G. N. Unnithan, the last Diwan (Prime Minister) of independent Travancore. hailed from the Edassery Pattaveettil family of Mavelikkara which had a history of high military service to the Travancore Royal Family. He succeeded Sir C.P. Ramaswami Iyer on 20 August 1947 following the latter's resignation (subsequent to the attempt on Ramaswami's life at the Swathi Thirunal Music academy on 25 July 1947). He chaired the Travancore Constitutional Reforms Committee. He relinquished office on 24 March 1948 when a people's government led by Pattom Thanu Pillai as Prime Minister took over. Unnithan Lane at Sasthamangalam in Thiruvananthapuram is named after him.
• C. M. Stephen Leader of Congress and of the INTUC, and the former Indian Union Cabinet Minister for Home as well as Communications in Indira Gandhi's Government. He also served as the opposition leader when Mrs Gandhi lost the 1977 election.
• Archbishop Aboon Geevarghese Mar Ivanios, OIC, Servant of God, founding father of the Syro–Malankara Catholic Church and founder of Bethany Ashram, who was the Archbishop of Trivandrum and established many major educational institutions in South Kerala.
• Abu Abraham, cartoonist and writer
• Advocate Achutha Warrier, Communist Leader, Eminent Lawyer, Former president of Bar Association, President of Pathiyoor Panchayat, former President of KCT(co-operative)
• Yesudasan, cartoonist
• Chellappan Pillai, Kathakali artist
• Sivaraman Cheriyanadu, novellist
• Vishnu Prakash, actor
• Late Mavelikkara Velukkutty Nair, Carnatic mridangam player.
• Late Mavelikkara Prabhakara Varma, carnatic singer
• Late Mavelikkara Krishnankutty Nair, carnatic mridangam player
• Ramesh Chennithala, President of the KPCC
• Late Professor R Narendra Prasad, actor, author and college professor
• Mavelikkara S. R. Raju, carnatic mridangam player
• P. C. Alexander, Principal Secretary to former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, Indian High Commissioner to the UK, ex Governor of Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra.
• Mavelikara Ponnamma, actress
• Chunakkara Ramankutty, lyricist
• Eravankara Unnithan Brothers, Neelakandan Unnithan & Kochunnithan - Famous Kathakali Singers
• C.K. Rajam- Stage actress and heroine of Malayalam Movie Jnambika
• Sarathchandran.S, Lyricist and script writer. ( Block youth co-ordinator, Kerala State youth Welfare board.)
• Vinayan M Kurup. Social Activist. Convener CSRA, Railway Station master, Trade Union Leader.
• Sethu Lakshmi Bayi (Maharani of Travancore)
• K.K. Sudhakaran (writer)
• Late Mr.N.Kunjukrishnan Unnithan (eminent Lawyer, first Municipal Commissioner of Mavelikkara)
• Late Mr. Punnamoodu Devadas (writer)
• Polachirackal Kocheeppan Tharakan, Born in 1861,he is famous as a historian, journalist, dramatist and novelist. He is the nephew of sri. Kandathil Vrghese Mappila, the founder of the Malayala Manorama. It is he who wrote the first original Malayalam drama- Mariyamma. He is one among the founder constituter of the Bhashaposhini Sabha which later became a literary magazine .He also penned so many essays related to a number of subjects. He died in 1940 at the age of 70.
• Chithramezhuthu K M Varghese, was born on 1889 April 22 at Thazhakara. He made a mark in artistic, cultural and literary fields by his sheer dedication, intelligence and skill. Adept in portrait painting, he has to his credit 118 paintings including that of Kerala Varma Valiyakoyi Thampuran, Kochi Maharaja, Sree Narayana Guru etc. When Gandhiji visited Changanacherry, he happened to see Varghese's portrait of Sree Narayana Guru and was fascinated by it.K M Varghese was the innovator of prose poems in Kerala. In 1957 he became a part of the governing body of Kerala Fine Arts Society. He died on July 21, 1962.
• Sree Shubananda Guru Devan, He is the founder of the new Bhakthimargam called Aathmabodhodhayam. Irrespective of cast and creed he preeched that 'moksha' can be attained by anyone who prays to God wholeheartedly. On April 28, 1882 Pappankutty (Guru formerly known) born to a sambava couple Ittyathy and Kochuneely at Budhanoor. After 25 years of intense prayers 'Subhanandha' was born to them. After several years of wandering Guru returned to Chennithala and established an Ashram in 1918.Athmabodhodhayasangam was established the next year itself. Guru met Gandhiji on 1934 January 19 when the latter visited Mavelikara. On July 29, 1950 he left for his Holy Abode at 'Kottarkavu Ashramam'.
• Mavelikara R.Balachandran(carnatic Mrudangam player)
• Padinjarethalakkal Jacob Kurian. Born in March 12, 1884 to the famous Padinjarethalackal family, Jacob Kurien did his matriculation at the M.D.Seminary High School in Kottayam. He is the youngest ever member of the Sree Moolam Assembly. Jacob Kurien's oratory skill was admired by thosands. The Maharaja of Travancore visited Assembly hall to hear Jacob Kurien .This was his one and only visit to the 'Sabha'.Jacob Kurien was also the founder member of Kerala Chrystava Samithy. He also sow the seed for 'Paura samathva vaadam' of Travancore. He did on 1950 June 26.
• T K Madhavan One of the great reformist leadres of modern Kerala, was born on 1886 at Kannamangalam. Right from his school days Madhavan was against untouchability and inequality. In 1904 he made his maiden speech at the Sree Moolam Assembly inlieu of his uncle Komalezhathu Kunju pillai chevakar. In 1917 he took over Desabhimani daily. Madhavan became a member of Sree Moolam Assembly in 1919.In all his speeches he pressed the demand for Temple entry proclamation. He met Gandhiji at Thirunelveli and divulged the matter. This made Mahatma accept Temple entry demand and included it as an agenda of the congress. He lead the Vaikkom Sathyagraha along with K.P.Kesava Menon. T.K.Madhavan was the first non-Christian who addressed Maramon convention. In 1927 he was made organizing secretary of the SNDP Yogam. He died at his residence in 1930.A monument was raised in his honour at Chettikulangara. In 1964 T.K.Madhavan memorial college was founded at Nangiarkulangara.