Nestled in the scenic beauty of Tamil Nadu’s Kanyakumari district, near the town of Thuckalay, lies the historic town of Padmanabhapuram. Once the glorious capital of the Kingdom of Travancore, this town stands as a testimony to a bygone era of regal splendor and cultural richness.
The history of Padmanabhapuram dates back centuries. In 1795, King Rama Varma, known as Dharma Raja, made a pivotal decision that changed the course of the region’s history—shifting the capital from Padmanabhapuram to Thiruvananthapuram. At that time, Travancore extended across what is now a large portion of modern-day Kerala. After India’s independence in 1947, Padmanabhapuram became a part of the Travancore-Cochin state. But history once again reshaped its identity when, in 1957, the linguistic reorganization of Indian states placed this region within the Tamil-speaking domain of Madras State, which was later renamed Tamil Nadu.