Kerala: Move to rename Ernakulam Railway station after Rama Varma
According to Kochi City Corporation, Varma sold 14 gold caparsions of the palace jumbos at the famed Sree Poornathrayeesa temple at Tripunithura to raise money
The Left-ruled Kochi city corporation in Kerala wants the Ernakulam railway station renamed after Rama Varma, the erstwhile king of Cochin. The city corporation council on Monday passed a resolution urging the railway ministry to give the station a new name.
Mayor M Anil Kumar told the media that it was Rama Varma XV, the then Maharaja of Cochin, who in 1902 took the initiative to bring a railway line to Kochi.
"The erstwhile king of Cochin sold 14 golden caparisons of his family deity to raise the funds for the first railway line to Kochi from Shornur," Kumar said. BJP councillor Sudha Dileep told PTI that once the modernisation of the railway station was completed, the station should be renamed in honour of the erstwhile ruler.
She said the ministry was likely to accept their request.
Train to Cochin
The first ever passenger train reached Kochi on July 6, 1902 on the newly built Shoranur-Cochin rail line.
According to a souvenir published by the Kochi City Corporation earlier, Varma sold 14 of the 15 gold caparsions of the palace jumbos kept at the famed Sree Poornathrayeesa Temple at Tripunithura at Kochi.
Eminent historian M G Sasibhooshan said that King Rama Varma XV paved the way for the Chalakudy forest tramway, built to transport lumber and passengers.
(With Agency inputs)