A 292-year-old piece of Travancore history can be found in a house in Suchindram

A 292-year-old piece of history from ancient Travancore rests in a corner of a house in Suchindram, Kanniyakumari district.

The rectangular stone slab used as a bed by Ramayyan Dalava, the Dewan of Travancore, after destroying the houses of Yogakkar, the administrators of the Suchindram Thanumalayaswamy temple, is still kept in the house known as Thekkuman Madam.

The late historian KK Pillai, author of the monograph, The Temple of Suchindram, reported that the incident took place in 1729.

The stone is five feet long and three feet wide. “Our ancestors kept it inside our old house before moving it to the southern region of the current house around 70 years ago,” said Pradeep Neelakantaru, the descendant of the Thekkumun Madam family.

According to KK Pillai, the desire of Marthanda Varma, the architect of modern Trvancore, to weaken the excessive power of the Yogakkar of the great temple coupled with his eagerness to quell the endemic corruption among them and increase government revenues had resulted in the confrontation.

The occasion had come when the king was camping at Krishnankoil. He had announced his intention to visit the temple that night in Uranmaikkar (Yogakkar). But they had led the pooja earlier than expected and closed the temple door before Marthanda Varma arrived.

AK Perumal, the author of a temple book in Tamil, said Marthanda Varma became furious after hearing the news and ordered the demolition of Yogakkar’s houses before noon the next day.

Ramayyan Dalava, in charge of this task, left the next morning with his troops. “But the Uranmaikkar escaped before the royal forces arrived. Ramayyan Dalava and the troops demolished the homes of all Yogakkars except Madam Thekkumun, ”Mr. Perumal said.

The Thekkumun Madam family had left behind an old woman.

KK Pillai had explained the popular version of the incident corroborated by Thekkumun Potri’s petition to the king.

Tired from their efforts, Ramayyan and his men finally reached Thekkumun Madame. The woman, however, was full of kindness and concern for the feast, and offered them food, which they gladly took. Reluctant to harm the house which offered hospitality, Ramayyan spared Madame Thekkuman, ”KK Pillai said.

Making special reference to the stone slab, KK Pillai had recorded that “Ramayyan Dalava is believed to have laid down on this slab, after eating the porridge (kanji) offered by the lady”.