| Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maharajah of Travancore Head of theTravancore royal family | |||||||||
 Sree Padmanabhadasa Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma | |||||||||
| Reign | 16 December 2013 – present | ||||||||
| Coronation | 3 January 2014 | ||||||||
| Predecessor | Uthradom Thirunal Marthanda Varma | ||||||||
| Born | (1949-06-12)12 June 1949 (age 76) Thiruvananthapuram,Travancore-Cochin,Dominion of India (present-dayKerala,India) | ||||||||
| Spouse | |||||||||
| Issue | None | ||||||||
| |||||||||
| Dynasty | Kulasekhara | ||||||||
| Father | Lt. Col. Godavarma Raja of Kanjiramattom Palace, Poonjar | ||||||||
| Mother | MaharaniKarthika Thirunal Lakshmi Bayi of Travancore Royal Family | ||||||||
| Religion | Hinduism | ||||||||
| Occupation | Managing Director of Aspinwall Ltd. and Hereditary Head Trustee of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple | ||||||||
Sree Padmanabhadasa Sree Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma (born 12 June 1949) is the currentincumbent to the throne ofTravancore.[1] He is the youngest of the four children of the former titularMaharani ofTravancore, Sree PadmanabhaseviniMaharaniKarthika Thirunal Lakshmi Bayi and her husband,Prince Consort Lt. Col.G. V. Raja of Poonjar Royal House.
Rama Varma is the only nephew of the last reigningKing ofTravancore, SreeChithira Thirunal Balarama Varma and succeeded the late titularMaharaja of Travancore, Sree Padmanabhadasa SreeUthradom Thirunal Marthanda Varma, his maternal uncle. He is the managing director of the family-owned spice trading company,Aspinwall Ltd. As the head of the royal family, he along with his consort, moved toThiruvananthapuram in 2013 and settled down at Kowdiar Palace, in order to keep up with the ritual duties of being the custodian of the SreePadmanabhaswamy Temple.[2][3][4]
Rama Varma is the youngest son of MaharaniKarthika Thirunal Lakshmi Bayi of Travancore and her husband, Prince Consort Lt. Col.G. V. Raja, and was born on 12 June 1949 inThiru-Kochi. His siblings are the late Crown Prince (Elayarajah) Sree Padmanabhadasa Sree Avittom Thirunal Rama Varma (died at the age of 6 due to rheumatic heart disease, long before he was born), Princess Pooyam Thirunal Gowri Parvathi Bayi and the writer, PrincessAswathi Thirunal Gowri Lakshmi Bayi. Like his father, Rama Varma is also an avid sports and book lover. He was educated privately by select tutors in various subjects. He later graduated fromMar Ivanios College, Thiruvananthapuram, withPhysics as his selective subject. Then he moved to Kolkata and worked there for some years. He then went to England to learn business management and worked there for a year.[5]
After finishing his higher education and working in England, Rama Varma returned to India in 1972 and, at his uncles' advise, joined the spice trading company Aspinwall Ltd in Mangalore. Rama Varma served as a consultant and in various executive positions like, Additional Director (2004–2005), Director of Planning (2005–2007), Executive Director Aspinwall & Co Travancore Ltd (since 2005), Member of Aspinwall Promoter Group (since 2005), managing director of Aspinwall and Co Ltd in Mangalore (since 2008).[citation needed] In 2002 he marriedAmmachi Panapillai Amma Srimathi Girija Thankachi of Vazhuthacadu, alias Dr. Girija Rama Varma, formerradiologist based in London. After their 2002 wedding the couple lived inMangalore until 2013. After Rama Varma assumed the Titular Maharajah's position (due to his maternal uncle's death), they moved toKowdiar, Thiruvananthapuram. He ischildless. According to the matrilineal rules of descent in the family, the next in line of succession would be his nephew:Revathi Thirunal Balagopal Varma, the son of Uthram Thirunal Lalithamba Bayi (daughter of HH Maharani Pooradam ThirunalSethu Lakshmi Bayi of Travancore) and her husband Sri Kerala Varma of Kilimanoor. Currently, the title of Attingal Rani / Attingal Mootha Thampuran / Maharani of Travancore is held by Bharani Thirunal Rukmini BayiRukmini Varma, the sister ofRevathi Thirunal Balagopal Varma.[6]
Rama Varma became theElayarajah of Travancore when Maharajah SreeChithira Thirunal Balarama Varma died on 20 July 1991. When Balarama Varma's titular successor, SreeUthradom Thirunal Marthanda Varma died on 16 December 2013, Rama Varma became theTitular Maharajah of Travancore. He was appointed. after a function calledThirumudikalasam, as the head of theTravancore Royal Family on 3 January 2014 at Kalasamandapam near the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple. After rituals and traditional formalities, Tharananalloor Parameswaran Namboodiripad, the temple Tantri (high priest), poured 'punyajalam' (holy water) over Rama Varma, making him the new head of the royal family. The anointment function was a very private affair and only the closest family members and priests took part in it. Rama Varma, as of now, is also the supreme guardian or custodian of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Thiruvananthapuram. After his installation, he arrived at the Kulasekhara Mandapam of the temple where theEttara Yogam presided over by the Pushpanjali Swamiyar held a meeting. The Yogam recognised Rama Varma asChirava Mooppan andThrippappoor Mooppan, and the Swamiyar signed on theneettu. His full title is: His Highness Sree Padmanabha Dasa Vanchipala Sree Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma, Kulasekhara Kiritapati Manney, Maharajah of Travancore.[7][1]
Though by the 26th amendment to the Constitution, Article 363 was repealed whereby the rights and privileges of the rulers of Indian states were taken away, still the name and title of the rulers remained as such and unaffected in so far as names and titles were not contemplated as rights or privileges under the repealed Articles 291 and 362 of the Constitution.
Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma Born: 12 June 1949 | ||
| Titles in pretence | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | — TITULAR — Maharaja of Travancore 16 December 2013 – present Reason for succession failure: Indian independence and accession to theDominion of India | Incumbent |
