IDUKKI: It is not the state capital alone that boasts a ‘Raj Bhavan’ (the governor’s official residence). Idukki, too, has one, in Devikulam. However, this Raj Bhavan, nestled amidst hills, serves as a government guest house for visitors. Built-in 1920 as a summer retreat for Sree Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma, the building was called ‘Raj Bhavan’, meaning the king’s residence.
The king and his relatives, along with their retinue, regularly arrived at the Raj Bhavan in Munnar during March every year when the mercury soared in Thiruvananthapuram. Subsequently, the affairs of the palace were conducted from this building in Munnar during the following three months. The Maharaja and his family returned to Thiruvananthapuram only when the monsoon set in.
Later, after independence, the building served as a resting place for Kerala governors until the tourism department took over the building and turned it into a guest house a few years ago. Although the old building, made of tin roof, was renovated recently, the fireplaces were built to retain warmth in the rooms during winter, and the wooden floor and the granite walls also point to royal grandeur.
As per local residents, when Kerala governors used to stay at the building occasionally, authorities of schools based in Devikulam used to take students here to see the building and to meet the governor.
“For V V Giri, who served as Kerala governor between 1960-1965, Raj Bhavan was a favourite spot to stay in, and he used to walk till Lockhart by foot and visit the Sree Moolam library nearby,” a resident said. V V Giri was later elected as the President of India on August 24, 1969.
Apart from him, Kerala’s first woman governor Jothi Venkatachalam (served between 1977-1983), and Governor V Viswanathan (1967-1973), also frequented the building.
However, after the tourism department turned the building into a guest house, apart from politicians, tourists, too, booked rooms to enjoy staying in a royal summer retreat and enjoying the climate in the lap of nature. Visitors can book rooms through the government’s online booking site to enjoy staying in Idukki’s Raj Bhavan, located near the Akashavani radio station.