THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Half an hour’s drive from the bustling city of Thiruvananthapuram lies the small village of Thirumala. The name translates to ‘sacred hill’ as per the locals in the region. However, till the 18th century, the village bore another name.
Long ago Thirumala was a sleepy village along the Malayinkeezhu route to Kanyakumari. But all that changed in the 18th century when a clash between the king and the temple trustees resulted in a fire that put the famous Padmanabha Swamy temple into hibernation for 40 years.
The temple’s fate seemed uncertain until the Marthandavarma took the throne and initiated renovation. “While restoring the temple to its past glory, the Ottakal Mandapam had to be rebuilt, and the necessary rocks were brought from a nearby village”, says historian Dr M G Sasibhooshan. “The place from where the rock was collected came to be known as the sacred hill or Thirumala,” he adds. However, Sasibhooshan says he hasn’t found any record of what the village used to be called before being named Thirumala.
Some say it took 41 days to carry the rock from Thirumala to the Padmanabha Swamy temple. The Parakovil Temple is the major attraction in the area and is officially known as the Thrichakrapuram Sreekrishna Swamy Temple. Legends have it that the temple dates back to the times of the Mahabharatha when the Pancha Pandavas stayed there during vanvas.
The temple, built over a single rock, takes 95 steps to reach but rewards visitors with a spectacular view of the capital city during sunrise. Some say, there is a tunnel from Thirumala to Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, which begins from this temple. However, it’s not yet proven.
The village is also home to Abraham Memorial Higher Secondary School, a prominent school over a hundred years old. Despite its remote location, Thirumala is now a bustling junction that connects several significant locations.
What’s in a name
Weekly column on the history of place names. Got any suggestions? Write to cityexpresskoc@newindianexpress.com