THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Just two kilometres away from Balaramapuram, a place known for its wonderful hand-woven textiles, lies Russelpuram. Located away from the bustle of the city’s main roads, Russelpuram has a calming ambience reminiscent of a village due to its greenery.
Many of its residents are engaged in farming and the main products are tapioca, banana and spinach. How this quaint part of Thiruvananthapuram came to be called Russelpuram is a mystery to even the residents.
“Balaramapuram is named after Maharaja Balarama Varma who brought weavers to the state. But Russelpuram’s name is one with ambiguous history,” says Dr M G Sasibhooshan, renowned writer and historian.
Russelpuram translates to ‘the place of Russell’ and it is said to be named after famed American Bible scholar and preacher Charles Taze Russell.
However, it was earlier called Njarakadu due to the presence of many Jamun trees called njara trees, he explains. Russell was the founder of the Bible Students Association, a group that attempted to draw comparisons between Biblical scriptures and the teachings of Christendom to spread the true teachings of Christ.
S P Davey from Eathamozhi (near Nagercoil) was studying in America when he met Russell and inspired by him, started around 40 Bible schools in his native place in Travancore. During Russell’s visit to India, Davey invited him to visit south Travancore.
He took Russell to Njarakadu and he was given a royal welcome by villagers. Davey then arranged for Russell to speak at an auditorium and the villagers thronged the place. As he continued to deliver talks around the village, Russell became a popular figure and garnered people’s affection to the extent that the name Njarakadu was changed to Russelpuram. His praise also reached the ears of Maharaja Sree Mulam Thirunal Rama Varma who expressed his wish to see Russell.
Russell earned the respect of the maharaja to whom he presented his 6-volume of studies titled “Studies in the Scripture”. The king had a picture of Russell taken and hung in his palace. Davey bought a school in Njarakadu and named it after Russell. The school was later surrendered to the government for I1.
This school is now known as Government U P S Russelpuram and still has portraits of Russell and Davey.
What’s in a name
Weekly column on the history of place names. Got any suggestions? Write to cityexpresskoc@newindianexpress.com