The rulers of Ramanathapuram, called the Sethupathis, are rich in not just their treasury but also in their history as the descendants of Sethupathis claim that they were rulers of Ramanathapuram even during the time of Lord Rama and that they are mentioned in both the Ramayana and Mahabharata.
Entrance to Ramanathapuram Palace
Madurai:
The kingdom of the Sethupathis extended till Thoothukudi in the south, Sivaganga in the west and Nagapattinam in the north. Their reach even touched Chennai, with the Royapettah Government Hospital and the clock tower in Royapettah coming up on land donated by the family.
However, during the British rule their status gradually declined and they were reduced to being Zamindars, but their service to the people continued. They are held in high regard in Ramanathapuram. Kumaran Sethupathi and his wife, Rani Lakshmi Kumaran Sethupathi, reside in the 600-yearold Ramalinga Vilas palace.
Speaking to DTNext, Rani Lakshmi said that their family lineage dates back to over a 1,000 years and finds mention in both the Ramayana and Mahabharata. Guardians of the Isthumus of Rameswaram, the rulers of Ramanathapuram and Sivaganga were the contemporaries of Pandya kings who ruled Madurai.
Later, when Madurai fell into the hands of the Nayaks, the Sethupathis supplied men for their Army and on many occasions served as their protectors.
Once, when a Mysore ruler attackeda Thirumalai Nayakar, the then Sethupathi despatched his ‘Maravar Army’ to help the beleaguered king. They defeated the Mysore king and returned with the ‘Golden Durga’ idol, which had been presented to Thirumalai Nayakar.
To this day, the event is commemorated during Durga puja in Ramanathapuram,. Renowned for their charity, the royals had donated vast tracts of land to the government and a number of important buildings have been constructed on them.
One such is the Erwadi Dargah, which has come up on part of the 4,500 acres gifted by them. The royal family’s elephant is used for the Sandhana Koodu festival celebrated in the Dargah.
The third praharam in Ramanathaswamy temple in Rameswaram was built on their donation. The Ramanthapuram Collectorate, the Ramanathapuram Government Hospital, Madurai and Thiruvaduthurai Adeenam, Roman Catholic Church in Ramanthapuram have all been built on land gifted by the royal family.
The late President APJ Abdul Kalam’s alma mater, The Schwartz Higher Secondary School, as well as the Sethupathi Government Arts College were constructed by their family.
BASKARA SETHUPATHI
And, they believed in justice for all:
King Manuneethi Cholan is a legend when it comes to upholding justice. However, the Sethupathi kings too served as symbol of justice. Muthu Vijaya Ragunatha Sethupathi, who ruled from 1710 to 1725, started the construction of the third praharam in Ramanathaswamy Temple, in Rameswaram.
At that time, spiritual tourism to Rameswaram and Dhanushkodi was also well known. With the absence of any road and rail connectivity to Rameswarm in 18th century, devotees were ferried, free of cost, to Rameswaram from Mandapam.
Dhandayuthapani alias Dhanda Thevar, son-in-law of Muthu Vijaya Ragunatha Sethupathy, was entrusted with the task of ferrying the devotees. However, when it emerged that he was collecting a small fee, the king had him beheaded.
The queen who moulded first suicide bomber
Velu Nachiyar, the first queen to fight against the British rule, hailed from the Ramanthapuram royal family and was married to Sivaganga prince, where she served as a symbol of chivalry. In the fight against the British, she is credited with creating the first suicide bomber, Kuyili, in the nation’s history. Velu Nachiyar, born in 1730, was the only child of Raja Chellamuthu Vijayaragunatha Sethupathy. She was given training in all forms of martial arts such as Silambam, horse riding and archery. She was also well-versed in English. She was married to Muthuvadunathaperiya Udaithevar. After the death of Muthuvadugu the province passed on to VeluNachiyar. She is also credited with forming Udai yall an all women Defence force, as well as a suicide bomber.
Conversations