Mudavanmugal is a small, elevated region in Thiruvananthapuram. The name has multiple interpretations, with one popular belief suggesting that it originates from Mudavan, the name of a tribal leader who once lived there.
Another theory links it to the slang word muda or moda, widely used in Thiruvananthapuram’s local dialect. In this slang, moda can mean arrogance or a display of power, or attitude as in the phrase moda kaanikuka, which means to show arrogance.
However, historian Vellanad Ramachandran explains that most place names in Kerala are primarily derived from geographical features, and in this case, mudavam refers to an elevated area. “The word Mudavam means something high, and Mudavanmugal refers to the upper part of such an elevated land. When a language is in its early stages of development, a single word often carries multiple meanings,” he says, adding, “This is how the word muda came to have not only the meaning of ‘elevated’ but also to show arrogance or ‘to act as a superior person’.”
According to Ramachandran, Kerala’s geography can be broadly categorised into four types: highlands, lowlands, flatlands, and water-associated regions.
Highland areas are often named using words like kunnu or mudavam, while lowland areas are identified with terms like koppam or kuzhi. Flatlands are referred to with words like nirappu or mannam, and water-associated regions use terms like kadal, kayal, or poovam. In this context, Mudavanmugal fits into the highland category.
Historically, this area was not of much significance and remained an overgrown, less-developed region for a long time. Thiruvananthapuram itself gained prominence when Dharma Raja (Karthika Thirunal Rama Varma) shifted the capital from Padmanabhapuram in the late 1780s, primarily to focus on defence against Tipu Sultan’s invasions. Later, during the reign of Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma (1813–1846), the Navaratri festival was relocated from Padmanabhapuram to Poojappura, which led to the development of that area as a spiritual and cultural centre.
“This, in turn, brought indirect importance to the neighbouring Mudavanmugal,” Ramachandran adds.
He also says that there was a palace in Mudavanmugal that once served as a summer retreat or resting place for the Travancore royal family.
“The last person to stay there was Sethu Lakshmi Bayi. That palace has now been converted into Sree Chitra’s staff quarters,” notes Ramachandran.