The State Archives Department’s presence at the ongoing Krithi Book Festival is striking with its collection of works, which were banned during the Independence movement.

The collection of works at the Archives Department stall include a historic exposition of the evolution of the Malayalam alphabet as well as records that throw light on the history of Kerala, says a press release here. It also includes official records of the Travancore and Kochi states prior to Independence.

One of the key works at the stall is the biography, in English, of Rama Varma the 15th, who was also known as Rajarshi, and ruled Kochi between 1895 and 191. It was in 1914, in Pune, that Balagangadhar Tilak addressed the King as Kochi’s Rajarshi.

Selected government orders and royal proclamations are the other attractions.

Orders on palm leaves addressed to heads of different departments by the kings of Travancore, official decisions declared during the rule of Shaktan Thampuran, selected works of the king, a history of disaster relief works in the state Cultural Heritage and Disaster Management and important records in the history of Kerala under the title Charithra Rashmikal are the other works.

Collections from the Thiruvananthapuram Central Archives as well as from the regional archives in Kozhikode and Kochi are at the stall. There are also records of the history of Lakshadweep and the British Malabar.