KOTTAYAM: Keeping alive the tradition, NK Saumyavathi Thampuratti, a member of the erstwhile Cochin royal family of Vayaskara Illam, was presented with the customary Uthrada Kizhi here on Tuesday. The kizhi is a token amount being provided to the members of the erstwhile royal family by the government on the occasion of the Uthradam day.
The kizhi, consisting of an amount of Rs 1,001, was handed over to Thampuratti, wife of AR Raja Raja Varma of Vayaskara Illam, by Kottayam tehsildar PG Rajendra Babu in the presence of Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan MLA at a function held at the Illam. Tehsildar (LR) P S Geetha Kumari, deputy tehsildars Jemini Varghese, SK Kumar, village officer AD Lins and former municipal councillor Jayachandran Cheroth were present.
The tradition dates back to the pre-Independence period when the Maharaja of Kochi decided to present the women members of his family with a purse to purchase Onakkodi. The distribution of the royal gift was scheduled for Uthradam.