THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The architectural beauty of Thiruvananthapuram surely lies in its centuries-old government buildings and the prolific Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple at East Fort. However, anyone who passes through East Fort cannot miss visiting Pazhavangadi, where the famous Lord Ganesha is situated.
Veteran historian M G Sasibhooshan says the name ‘Pazhavangadi is a derivation of ‘Pazhaya Angadi’, which means ‘old market.’ “It lies in the north-eastern side of Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple, a direction believed to be prosperous, according to Vastu shastra. The place used to be ‘Appanashreni’, which is Sanskrit for ‘trade street’. It is believed to have been there since the 9th century. Later, a majority of trade shifted to Chalai, on the temple’s southwest, becoming the Chalai bazaar of now. However, a small portion of the trade street existed on the northeast and was known as Pazhaya Angadi,” he says.
He says some believe Pazhavangadi means fruit bazaar. “However, I don’t feel that is right. Pazhavangadi hosted Appanashreni, one of the first-ever flourished markets of the kingdom back then. There are mentions of the market in manuscripts like Ananthapura Varnanan written in the 14th century by an unidentified temple priest. The old market sold goods like silk, cotton, and ingredients for native medicines, besides utensils, household commodities and even weapons. The place is still home to several shops selling various commodities,” Sasibhooshan says.
He says royal food tasters, known as the Adikkalam family belonging to the Nair caste, lived in Pazhavangadi as per old history records. “Among the well-known personalities who lived in the area include Pazhavangadi Nanupillai, a Kathakali artist of the 19th century,” he says.
Pazhavangadi’s popularity boomed after the Lord Ganesha idol was installed there by the Nair Brigade, the army of the erstwhile Kingdom of Travancore. “Nair Brigade soldiers worshipped the deity Mahaganapathy at their headquarters at Udayagiri Fort until the 18th century. Their headquarters later shifted to Thiruvananthapuram and they installed their deity permanently at Pazhavangadi. The temple is managed by the Indian Army now. Initially, Nair Brigade passed the management duties to the Travancore Native Infantry Force. It was then passed to Madras Regiment and later to its present authority, the Army,” says Sasibhooshan.
Pazhavangadi is now famous for the Lord Ganesha temple, which is visited by devotees from across the state. The temple is crowded during the Sabarimala pilgrimage season, with the pilgrims coming here to offer coconuts before embarking on their journey.
What’s in a name
Weekly column on the history of place names. Got any suggestions?
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