Vanross Junction: A junction that witnessed Dutch, Russian ‘love affairs’

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Vanross Junction, the name sounds different right? Pronounced as Van-Ross, this junction connecting the city’s main roads like Vazhuthacaudu and Palayam is famous for the statue of Yuri Gagarin. However, many still wonder how this unique name came to be. 

According to historian M G Sasibhooshan, the name has a Dutch connection. “The name came from the Vanross house which was owned by Arthur John Van Ross, former Excise commissioner of the Travancore state. He settled here during the golden age of Dutch trade and married a local girl named Stella Regina,” he says.  

The Vanross house was demolished later, but the name stuck. After Arthur passed away, Stella sold the house to the Travancore State Congress. “Leaders such as Pattom A Thanu Pillai, C Kesavan and P M Varghese used to make decisions from this house. This was during 1938-1949. Later on, this building became the headquarters of the KPCC,” Sasibhooshan says.

“During the reign of Sree Chithira Thirunal, the decision for Travancore to remain an independent country was taken from here. Years later, after Independence, the USSR approached Congress to build a cultural centre in Kerala. The then KPCC president K K Viswanathan gifted the building to the Soviet Union.”

Now, the main building of the Russian Cultural Centre stands here. The Vanross junction has been part of various moments of Travancore’s history. “In the late 19th century, SNDP Yogam established a women’s hostel in the Vanross junction. The hostel was open to all women regardless of caste and religion. Another tidbit is that the first gun-selling shop in Thiruvananthapuram was established here, by a seller called Jacob aka ‘Gun Jacob’.

What’s in a name
Weekly column on the history of place names. Got any suggestions?

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