THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The meeting point of NH 47 and MC Road, Kesavadasapuram junction is one of the most traversed parts of Thiruvananthapuram. The name itself is rather new, only having been in use since 1948. Kesavadasapuram used to be called Kattachakonam before 1948. Many believe the place got the name because it used to be a residential hub for stonemasons.
Stonemasons had been brought in to help renovate the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple by Travancore king Marthanda Varma in the 18th century, and they settled down in the place now known as Kesavadasapuram.
The Malayalam word for stonemasons is ‘kalthachenmar’ and the word “konam” means corner. So Kattachakonam is thought to be derived from “kalthachakonam”, roughly translated as “the corner where stonemasons reside”.
There is also an opinion that the name Kattachakonam was given based on the geography of the area rather than the occupation of its residents. Some say, long back a small stream used to flow through the area. “Katte” means short in Malayalam and “chal” means stream so the name could have been derived from “Kattachalkonam” which roughly translates to “corner of the small canal”.
Historian and author, Vellanad Ramachandran believes that the place may have been called Kattachakonam even before the stonemasons settled down there. “Stonemasons were very rare then. Most came to Kerala from Pandiya Nadu (part of the Pandya kingdom). The place cannot have been nameless before the stonemasons came.”
While the name Kattachakonam has an ambiguous origin, Kesavadasapuram has a more definite story. When C Rajagopalachari, India’s last Governor-General, laid the foundation stone for Mahatma Gandhi College, he also declared the new name of Kattachakonam to be Kesavadasapuram as per Nair Service Society founder Mannathu Padmanabhan’s request.
The name was in honour of Kesava Pilla, the famed diwan of Travancore who played a key role in Travancore’s development. He was responsible for shifting the capital of Travancore from Padmanabhapuram to Thiruvananthapuram. He is also credited with the development of Alappuzha fort, the construction of the MC road and the opening of Chalai market.
It was he who commanded the state army against Tipu Sultan during the attack against Travancore. With these achievements, it is not a surprise that a part of the city is named after Kesava Pilla.