Maharaja of Travancore

A Citizen King and an angel of light, His Highness the Maharaja of Travancore is the banner-bearer in the cause of humanity.

He was born at Travancore in 1912. He was brought up under the watchful solicitude of his talented mother, who is the lady of remarkable gifts. There are a few personages in history upon and such varieties of influences were expanded. He received practical training in administration in Mysore and Madras.

His investiture made the land ring with unbounded joy. It ushered in the dawn of a new era- an era of political progress and social reform. The state pulsated with a new life. His untainted liberalism expressed itself in granting increased autonomy of legislative bodies. He gave a new orientation to the army, infused a fresh life into the administration and made the citizens conscious of their civic rights. Verily Travancore became the beacon of progress.

K.L. Kamat/Kamat's Potpourri

Maharaja of Travancore
Picture of circa 1938 of Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma (1912-1991)

His spirit has given a silver lining to his soul. It has raised his name to the rarified rights of immortality. He has the gift of sympathy and the plainness of mind which are the best attributes of a constitutional monarch. If ever there was a monarch who had a sweet corner in his heart for the victims of the organized force of a cruel society we can proudly say that it is His Highness Sri Chitra Tirunal.

On the occasion of his sisters marriage. His Highness established the principle of social equality by extending his hospitality to all classes of his subjects. In 1936, when he was invested with ruling powers he earned his niche in history by reading the Temple Entry Proclamation.

"Ordained and commanded that there should henceforth be no restriction placed on any Hindu by birth or religion on entering or worshipping at the temples controlled by us and our Government."

This charter of freedom sounded the death knell of age-long tyranny. The sense of social frustration which was hanging like a dark pall was dispelled. The society which treated the Harijan as a slave had to regard him as an equal citizen.

His highness has revolutionized the social fabric. His austereness is evidenced in all his beneficent deeds. He has in a rare degree that titanic will which is the soul of state-craft.

His name will shine on the tablet of  Indian history as one of the great benefactors of humanity.

Source: Haripura Congress Souvenir, 1938