THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: On Monday, the Durbar Hall of Kowdiar Palace turned into a classroom for nearly an hour. A history class, to be precise. Students of Manacaud Karthika Thirunal Government Vocational and Higher Secondary School for Girls interacted with members of the Travancore royal family in this hall, on a quest to trace the history of their school.
Around 60 students belonging to the Social Science Club of the school shot questions at Uthradom Thirunal Marthanda Varma, Aswathy Thirunal Gowri Lekshmi Bai and Pooyam Thirunal Parvathy Bai of the royal family. The students wanted to know all about the royal lifestyle, social setup, festivities and education system of erstwhile Travancore.
``In 1958, when I was in Bangalore, a Japanese tourist came to visit me. For a change, I pretended to be a driver and went to pick him up from the hotel where he was put up. I then reached home and changed my attire. After a few days, I went to drop him back at the hotel. Mid-way, I asked him if my driving was similar to that of the person who had come to pick him up. He said there was a difference,’’ said Marthanda Varma, when a student asked him to share one of the unforgettable events in his life.
Soumya of class X wanted to know how Onam was celebrated in the palace, while Gopika wanted to know about the feast served in the palace during Onam and other festivities. ``During Onam, in our childhood, we used to go to the temple early morning. Then, we paid respects to elders and they gave us new dresses. In the evening, we used to play football,’’ Marthanda Varma said.
He also showed the ‘Ona Villu’ and explained the ritual during the Onam days.
``The feast would comprise of at least of four ‘payasams’. There were different varieties of ‘pappadam’ also, ranging from ‘shanghu pappadam’ to ‘aanakkalan’ pappadam, which is very big in size,’’ said Aswathi Thirunal Gowri Lekshmi Bai.
Students also asked about marriage ceremonies and crimes and punishments that existed then.
Do you eat chicken and muttton, what are your hobbies, how did you gain such fluency in English, do you go to cinema... the questions were endless.
``As part of the curriculum, students have a project to trace their local history. The school was built by Chithira Thirunal Bala Rama Varma in 1942. At first, it was located on the eastern side of the present University College and the name was Maharaja’s Girls School. Later, it was shifted to Manacaud and renamed after princess Karthika Thirunal. So, we decided to make the students more aware about the royal family and brought them here,’’ said R. Shyamala, teacher and Social Science Club convenor of the school who, along with nine other teachers, accompanied the students.
Students, some of whom were were visiting the palace for the first time, were visibly thrilled. They were given sweets and a bonus gift: a promise from Marthanda Varma that he will be present at the Onam celebrations of the school on August 28.
ViCTERS channel recorded the interaction, which will be aired shortly.
trivandrum@epmltd.com