P K Sreemanavedan Raja, Zamorin (a hereditary royal title) of Kozhikode, passed away in a private hospital here early on Wednesday due to age-related ailments. Fondly known as Kunhaniyan, Raja assumed the royal throne on August 7, 2003, after the demise of the then Zamorin of Kozhikode, P K Ettanunni Raja. The 100-year-old Raja had been under treatment for the last several days and the end came at 6.40 am.
The body was cremated on the Thiruvannur Kovilakam premises here in the evening with full state honours.
He was married to the late Bharathi Raja of Nilambur Kovilakom. He is survived by his daughters Sudha and Sarala and sons-in-law Krishnanunni Raja and R Vasu. Born on March 22, 1913, to A K T K M Ashtamoorthy Namboodiripad of Desamangalam Mana and Kunhithampatty Thampuratty, Raja belonged to Thekkekettu Thavazhi of Puthiyakovilakom (Thiruvannur Kovilakom), a branch of the Zamorin lineage.
Zamorins were the rulers of the erstwhile Malabar region of Kerala. After passing intermediate from the Zamorin’s College, he completed Honours in Mathematics at Loyola College in Madras. In 1937, he joined the Indian Telegraph Department as a junior engineer.
Unlike the earlier Zamorins, Raja evolved as a symbol of Kozhikode with his simplicity and knowledge of traditional as well as modern affairs. Defying the existing notions about the royal family, he joined govt service and succeeded in showcasing a meritorious service. He retired on March 22, 1971, as a Deputy General Manager at the age of 58.