39. Saroja Sundararajan, op. cit., p. 674.
40. Khushwant Singh in Why I Supported the Emergency and Other Essays (Google Books).
41. Ibid.
42. Jarmani Das and Rakesh Bhan Dass, Maharani: Love Adventures of Indian Maharanis and Princesses, p. 46 (1972) (New Delhi: S. Chand).
43. Louise Ouwerkerk and Dick Kooiman, No Elephants for the Maharaja, p. 76.
44. Mentioned in S. Muthiah’s Madras Miscellany (Google Books).
45. Piers Brendon, op. cit., p. 387.
46. See Arun Gandhi’s Kasturba: A Life (Google Books).
47. V. Sriram, op. cit.
48. K. Natwar Singh, op. cit., p. 224.
49. Kirpal Singh and Annie Matthew, Middle School Social Sciences, H89 (2009) (New Delhi: Frank Brothers and Co.). Thus Amrita Shergill Marg in Delhi was named Ratendon Road after her son while Brassey Avenue was named after her grandfather. Then there was the Willingdon Hospital, Willingdon Airport, Willingdon Crescent, and Willingdon Island, to name a few.
50. Resident’s note dated 05/07/1931 (IOR/R/2/887/186) and telegram dated 06/07/1931 to GOI (IOR/R/1/1/2071).
51. Resident’s note dated 05/07/1931 (IOR/R/2/887/186).
52. Ibid.
53. Ibid.
54. Telegram dated 02/07/1931 from GOI to the Resident (IOR/R/1/1/2071 and IOR/R/1/1/2164).
55. Pol. Sec. GOI’s note dated 09/07/1931 (IOR/R/1/1/2071).
56. Ibid.
57. Ibid.
58. Telegram dated 06/07/1931 from the Resident to GOI (IOR/R/1/1/2071). The Resident raised concerns for the Maharani in this telegram, stating that he would inform her only after hearing back from Simla. Their go-ahead was received the following day. See Letter dated 08/07/1931 from the Resident to the Pol. Sec. GOI (IOR/R/1/1/2071).
59. Pol. Sec. GOI’s Note dated 09/07/1931 (IOR/R/1/1/2071).
60. Telegram dated 02/07/1931 from the GOI to the Resident (IOR/R/1/1/2071 and IOR/R/1/1/2164).
61. Ibid.
62. Dep. Pol. Sec., GOI’s Note dated 09/07/1931 (IOR/R/1/1/2071).
63. Letter dated 10/07/1931 from the Pol. Sec., GOI to the Resident (IOR/R/1/1/2071).
64. Ibid. The Junior Maharani’s family seem to still suspect the Resident, and her granddaughter, in her statement to the author, said: ‘The Resident tried to get the regency extended by implying that my uncle was not up to the mark. Grandmother went directly to the Viceroy and asked him to be the judge of her son’s capacity. The Viceroy did this much to the annoyance of the Resident. My uncle took over as the Head of State immediately afterwards. Maybe the Resident construed this as interference.’ This view, however, is not accurate since the Resident did not try to extend the Reency because the Maharajah was not up to the mark, but tried to have the Viceroy stick to the pre-decided date of the termination of the Regency so as to protect the position of Sethu Lakshmi Bayi.
65. Dep. Pol. Sec., GOI’s Note dated 09/07/1931 (IOR/R/1/1/2071).
66. Letter dated 10/07/1931 from the Pol. Sec. GOI to the Resident (IOR/R/1/1/2071).
67. Pol. Sec., GOI’s note dated 14/07/1931 (IOR/R/1/1/2071).
68. Ibid.
69. Ibid.
70. Ibid.
71. Lord Willingdon quoted in A. Sreedhara Menon, Triumph and Tragedy in Travancore, p. 7.
72. Letter dated 13/08/1931 from the Maharani Regent to the Resident (IOR/R/2/887/186).
73. Letter dated 31/07/1931 from the Dep. Pol. Sec., GOI to the Resident (IOR/R/1/1/2071).
74. Ibid.
75. Resident’s Note dated 05/07/1931 (IOR/R/2/887/186).
76. Report for the First Half of August 1931 (IOR/R/1/1/2065).
77. Ibid.
78. Report for the First Half of August 1931 (IOR/R/1/1/2065).
79. Letter dated 11/07/1931 from the Maharani Regent to the Resident (IOR/R/2/887/186).
80. Letter dated 18/08/1931 from the Viceroy to the Maharani Regent (IOR/R/1/1/2071).
81. Pol. Sec., GOI’s note dated 28/07/1931 (IOR/R/1/1/2071).
82. Ibid.
83. Letter dated 19/08/1931 from the Maharani Regent to the Viceroy (IOR/R/1/1/2071). It should be mentioned here that by a typing error, the date on this letter is written as 9 August 1931. But the stamp of the post office on it shows that it was sent on 19 August 1931.
84. Letter dated 04/10/1931 from the Dewan to the Resident (IOR/R/2/887/186).
85. Ibid.
86. The Travancore Government Gazette Extraordinary dated 23rd Thulam 1107 corresponding to 9th November 1931 (IOR/R/2/887/186).
87. Letter dated 10/11/1931 from the Resident to the Pol. Sec., GOI (IOR/R/1/1/2071).
88. See Chapter 16 ahead.
89. Letter dated 02/07/1931 from the Pol. Sec. GOI to the Resident (IOR/R/1/1/2164).
90. Shungoonny Menon, A History of Travancore, p. 401
91. Ibid. p. 475.
92. Letter (undated) from the Maharani Regent to the Resident (Raghunandan, p. 182).
93. Letter dated 16/02/1926 from the Pol. Sec., GOI to the Resident (IOR/R/1/4/40 (2)).
94. Political Department’s M.I. Huk’s note dated 06/08/1925 (IOR/R/1/4/40 (1)).
95. Political Department’s K.S. Fitze’s note dated 07/08/1925 (IOR/R/1/4/40 (1)).
96. M.I. Huk’s note dated 06/08/1925 (IOR/R/1/4/40 (1)).
97. Letter dated 16/02/1926 from the Pol. Sec., GOI to the Resident (IOR/R/1/4/40 (2)).
98. Letter dated 23/10/1929 from the Dep. Pol. Sec., GOI to the Resident (IOR/R/1/1/1864).
99. Letter dated 04/08/1931 from the Resident to the Pol. Sec., GOI (IOR/R/1/1/2164).
100. Ibid.
101. Ibid.
102. Col. Morrison quoted in ibid.
103. Ibid.
104. Ibid.
105. Ibid.
106. Ibid.
107. Ibid.
108. Telegram dated 09/12/1931 from the Resident to the GOI (IOR/R/1/1/2164).
109. Ibid.
110. Letter dated 05/12/1931 from Sir CP to the Pvt. Sec. to Viceroy (IOR/R/1/1/2164).
111. Letter dated 22/02/1932 from the Resident to the Pol. Sec., GOI (IOR/R/1/1/2164).
112. Ibid.
113. Ibid.
114. Letter dated 03/03/1932 from the Viceroy to the Maharajah (IOR/R/1/1/2164).
115. Letter dated 04/04/1932 from the Maharajah to the Viceroy (IOR/R/1/1/2164).
116. Letter dated 01/04/1932 from the Maharajah to the Dewan (IOR/R/1/1/2164).
117. Letter dated 18/04/1932 from the Senior Maharani to the Resident (IOR/R/1/1/2164).
118. Ibid.
119. Ibid.
120. Ibid.
121. Ibid.
122. Ibid.
123. Letter (undated) from the Senior Maharani to the Dewan (IOR/R/1/1/2164).
124. Sir CP quoted in letter dated 28/04/1932 from the Resident to the Pol. Sec., GOI (IOR/R/1/1/2164).
125. Ibid.
126. Ibid.
127. Ibid.
128. Ibid.
129. Ibid.
130. Ibid.
131. Ibid.
132. Letter dated 18/04/1932 from the Senior Maharani to the Resident (IOR/R/1/1/2164).
133. Ibid.
134. Letter dated 02/05/1932 from the Senior Maharani to the Resident (IOR/R/1/1/2164).
135. Letter dated 28/05/1932 from the Resident to the Pol. Sec., GOI (IOR/R/1/1/2164).
136. Sir CP quoted in ibid.
137. Ibid.
138. Ibid.
139. Sir CP quoted in ibid.
140. Ibid.
141. Ibid.
142. Ibid.
143. Maharajah quoted in ibid.
144. Ibid.
145. Ibid.
146. Ibid.
147. Ibid.
148. Ibid.
149. Letter dated 31/07/1932 from the Resident to the Pol. Sec., GOI (IOR/R/1/1/2164).
150. Ibid.
151. Ibid.
152. Ibid.
153. Letter dated 20/06/1932 from the
Senior Maharani to the Resident (IOR/R/1/1/2164).
154. Letter dated 15/08/1932 from the Viceroy to the Maharajah (IOR/R/1/1/2164).
155. Ibid.
156. Letter dated 15/08/1932 from the Maharajah to the Viceroy (IOR/R/1/1/2164).
157. Ibid.
158. Ibid.
159. Ibid.
160. Letter dated 09/10/1932 from the Senior Maharani to the Resident (IOR/R/1/1/2164).
161. Ibid.
162. Letter dated 04/08/1931 from the Resident to the Pol. Sec., GOI (IOR/R/1/1/2164).
163. Gouri Lakshmi Bayi, Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple, p. 140.
164. Letter dated 28/04/1932 from the Resident to the Pol. Sec., GOI (IOR/R/1/1/2164).
165. Report for the First Half of November 1924 (IOR/R/1/1/1530 (2)).
166. Letter dated 01/11/1931 from the Maharani Regent to the Valiya Tampuran of Cochin (Raghunandan pp. 404–05).
CHAPTER 14: A REAL LITTLE GRANDE DAME
1. Quoted in Lakshmi Raghunandan, At the Turn of the Tide, p. 407.
2. Letter dated 01/11/1931 from the Maharani Regent to the Valiya Tampuran of Cochin (Raghunandan, pp. 404–05).
3. Indira Varma, ‘Halcyon Days at Kovalam’, The Hindu dated 25/12/2005 at http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/mag/2005/12/25/stories/2005122500410600.htm (accessed 08/10/2014).
4. Letter dated 25/11/1930 from the Maharani Regent to the Valiya Tampuran of Cochin (Raghunandan, p. 407).
5. Emily Gilchriest Hatch, Travancore: A Guide Book for the Visitor, p. 173.
6. Author’s interview with Rukmini Varma.
7. Author’s interview with Divakara Varma.
8. Author’s interview with Uma Varma.
9. Author’s interview with Rukmini Varma.
10. Letter dated 08/08/1941 from Princess Lalitha to the Valiya Koil Tampuran (TRF).
11. Author’s interview with Rukmini Varma.
12. Ibid.
13. Ibid.
14. Ibid.
15. Divakara Varma’s note to the author on life in Satelmond Palace.
16. Author’s interview with Lakshmi Raghunandan.
17. Author’s interview with Rukmini Varma.
18. Ibid.
19. Divakara Varma’s note on life in Satelmond Palace. The cook’s name was Kerala Varma Pandarathil and his assistants were called Thengamulaku while other aides who cut vegetables were called Murakkari.
20. Author’s interview with Rukmini Varma.
21. Charles Allen & Sharada Dwivedi, Lives of the Indian Princes, pp. 203–04.
22. Author’s interview with Uma Varma.
23. Charles Allen & Sharada Dwivedi, op. cit., pp. 203–04.
24. Author’s interview with Uma Varma.
25. Author’s interview with Prabha Menon.
26. They are Dr R.M. Varma, the famous neurosurgeon, and Dr Suseela Varma who was a spinal cord injury specialist.
27. Author’s interview with Divakara Varma.
28. Ibid.
29. Ibid.
30. Author’s interview with Prabha Menon.
31. Ibid.
32. Ibid.
33. Indira Varma quoted in Shreekumar Varma, ‘Benign Presence’, The Hindu dated 05/02/2006 at http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-sundaymagazine/benign-presence/article3219363.ece (accessed 03/04/2015).
34. Ibid.
35. Author’s interview with Rukmini Varma.
36. Ibid.
37. Charles Allen & Sharada Dwivedi, op. cit., p. 34.
38. Ibid. p. 213.
39. See T. John Samuel, Many Avatars; One Life (Google Books).
40. Ibid.
41. Indira Varma’s note to the author on her mother.
42. Author’s interview with Divakara Varma.
43. Author’s interview with Uma Varma.
44. Author’s interview with Rukmini Varma.
45. Author’s interview with Rukmini Varma.
46. Author’s interview with Uma Varma.
47. Pooyam Tirunal Gouri Parvathi Bayi’s remarks at the Maharani Sethu Lakshmi Bayi Memorial Lecture in Trivandrum on 23/11/2014. She remarked that as children to get them to bathe and use oils and other such things they didn’t particularly enjoy, the servants used to tell them that if they wanted to look as good as Sethu Lakshmi Bayi, they must do all this.
48. Author’s interview with Rukmini Varma.
49. Author’s interview with Uma Varma.
50. Author’s interview with Indira Varma.
51. A 1932 letter from Princess Lalitha to the Senior Maharani (TRF).
52. (Undated) Letter from Princess Lalitha to the Maharani Regent (TRF).
53. (Undated) Letter from Princess Lalitha to the Maharani Regent (TRF).
54. Author’s interview with Uma Varma.
55. Author’s interview with Rukmini Varma.
56. Ibid.
57. Letter dated 21/07/1937 from Princess Lalitha to the Valiya Koil Tampuran (TRF).
58. Ibid.
59. Ibid.
60. Letter dated 08/08/1941 from Princess Lalitha to the Valiya Koil Tampuran (TRF).
61. Author’s interview with Rukmini Varma.
62. Ibid.
63. Ibid.
64. Ibid.
65. A typical card found in the TRF collection.
66. Indira Varma’s note to the author on her mother.
67. Indira Varma, ‘Halcyon Days at Kovalam’ op. cit.
68. The Indian Express dated 23/03/1948.
69. Indira Varma, ‘Halcyon Days at Kovalam’ op. cit.
70. Princess Lalitha quoted in Lakshmi Raghunandan, op. cit., p. 413.
71. Lakshmi Raghunandan’s essay to the author on Rama Varma.
72. Indira Varma, ‘Halcyon Days at Kovalam’ op. cit.
73. Ibid.
74. Lakshmi Raghunandan’s essay to the author on Rama Varma.
75. Indira Varma, ‘Halcyon Days at Kovalam’ op. cit.
76. Ibid.
77. Ibid.
78. Author’s interview with Rukmini Varma.
79. Lakshmi Raghunandan’s essay to the author on Rama Varma.
80. Author’s interview with Rukmini Varma.
81. Author’s interview with Devika Radhakrishnan. Devika Radhakrishnan is a granddaughter of Maharani Sethu Lakshmi Bayi and Rama Varma, the Valiya Koil Tampuran.
82. Radhika Varma Hormusjee’s note to the author. Radhika Varma Hormusjee is a great-granddaughter of Maharani Sethu Lakshmi Bayi and Rama Varma, the Valiya Koil Tampuran.
83. Letter dated 08/08/1941 from Princess Lalitha to the Valiya Koil Tampuran (TRF).
84. Author’s interview with Dr R.M. Varma.
85. Author’s interview with Indira Varma.
86. Lakshmi Raghunandan, op. cit., p. 412.
87. Divakara Varma’s note to the author on life in the palace.
88. Nihal Singh, ‘Her Highness of Travancore’, The Baltimore Sun dated 24/03/1929.
89. Letter dated 06/12/1936 from CP Skrine to his mother (MSS EUR F154/22).
90. John Stewart, Envoy of the Raj, p. 176.
91. Ibid.
92. Letter dated 06/12/1936 from CP Skrine to his mother (MSS EUR F154/22).
93. Letter dated 19/05/1933 from the Chief Secretary to the Senior Maharani’s Private Secretary (Bundle No. 266, File No. 738 KSA).
94. Letter dated 03/03/1933 from the Senior Maharani to the Resident (IOR/R/2/887/198).
95. Letter dated 18/02/1933 from the Sarvadhikaryakkar to the Dewan (IOR/R/2/887/198).
96. Letter dated 03/03/1933 from the Senior Maharani to the Resident (IOR/R/2/887/198).
97. Ibid.
98. Ibid.
99. Ibid.
100. See IOR/R/2/884/146 for an inventory and valuation of the Chellamvakai.
101. This person does not wish to be named.
102. Letter dated 03/03/1933 from the Senior Maharani to the Resident (IOR/R/2/887/198).
103. Ibid.
104. Letter dated 18/02/1933 from
the Sarvadhikaryakkar to the Sripadam Karyakkar (IOR/R/2/887/198).
105. Letter dated 31/05/1932 from the Sarvadhikaryakkar to the Sripadam Karyakkar (IOR/R/2/887/198).
106. Letter dated 03/03/1933 from the Senior Maharani to the Resident (IOR/R/2/887/198).
107. Letter dated 09/11/1107 M.E. from the Sripadam Karyakkar to the Sarvadhikaryakkar (IOR/R/2/887/198).
108. Letter dated 31/01/1108 M.E. from the Sripadam Karyakkar to the Sarvadhikaryakkar (IOR/R/2/887/198).
109. Letter dated 31/01/1108 M.E. from the Sarvadhikaryakkar to the Sripadam Karyakkar (IOR/R/2/887/198).
110. Letter dated 10/03/1108 M.E. from the Sripadam Karyakkar to the Sarvadhikaryakkar (IOR/R/2/887/198).
111. Letter dated 03/03/1933 from the Senior Maharani to the Resident (IOR/R/2/887/198).
112. Letter dated 18/04/1933 from the Resident to the Senior Maharani (IOR/R/2/887/198).
113. Resident’s note dated 15/06/1933 (IOR/R/2/887/198).
114. Ibid.
115. Ibid.
116. Ibid.
117. Ibid.
118. He is mentioned as ‘Rajabhakta’ in the Report on the Administration of Travancore for 1936–37, p. 10.
119. Author’s interview with Indira Varma.
120. Author’s interview with Divakara Varma.
121. See letter dated 21/02/1935 from the Resident to the Pol Sec., GOI, and letter dated 21/03/1935 from the Under Pol. Sec., GOI (IOR/L/PS/13/1283).
122. Letter dated 30/09/1938 from C.P. Skrine to his mother (MSS EUR F154/23).
123. Letter dated 16/07/1937 from C.P. Skrine to his mother (MSS EUR F154/22).
124. John Paton Davies, China Hand, p. 83.
125. Report for the First Half of September 1932 (IOR/R/1/1/2224).
126. Ibid.
127. Helen Cameron Gordon, Hindu Life and Customs, p. 177.
128. Report for the Second Half of March 1934 (IOR/R/1/1/2510).
129. Report for the Second Half of November 1932 (IOR/R/1/1/2224).
130. Helen Cameron Gordon, op. cit., p. 177.
131. Author’s interview with Dr R.P. Raja, and Gita Aravamudan, Disappearing Daughters, p. 160 (2007) (New Delhi: Penguin).
132. Report for the Second Half of August 1932 (IOR/R/1/1/2224).
133. The Princely India dated 07/08/1932.
134. Report for the Second Half of August 1932 (IOR/R/1/1/2224).
135. A. Sreedhara Menon, Triumh and Tragedy in Travancore, p. 276.
136. Louise Ouwerkerk and Dick Kooiman, op. cit., p. 213.
137. Ibid.
138. Extract from letter dated 21/02/1945 from the Viceroy to the Secretary of State (IOR/L/PS/13/1285).
139. Speeches of Sachivottama Sir CP Ramaswami Aiyar, p. 23
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