A Glimpse of Royalty through Ambotti Thamburan of Pulikkal Shankarodath Kovilakam - His Highness His Holiness Manavendravarma Yogathirippad

An interview with His Highness His Holiness Manavendravarma Yogathirippad, the Naishtika Brahmachari young Thamburan of Pulikkal Shankarodath Kovilakam, Thekkumpuram, Kavilpad, Olavakode, Palakkad district.

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Can you describe the history of Shankarodath Kovilakam?

The history of Shankarodath Kovilakam can be considered as a symbol of survival and restoration. We came to know about the ancestors of the kovilakam lately. All the hardships and sufferings endured by our ancestors up until very recently depict the history of Shankarodath kovilakam, however the love, respect and honour currently being showered on the kovilakam and the temple by people from all over the world is overwhelming. The progenitor of Shankarodath kovilakam is Triprangode kovilakam, a branch of the Vettath dynasty of the Tanur kingdom. It has come to our knowledge that during the rule of Vettath dynasty, the royal administration was done from Vettath kovilakam and one of its branches was in Triprangode kovilakam. The lineage of Shankarodath kovilakam can be traced to the Thamburatti of Triprangode kovilakam. With the demise of the Maharaja of the Vettath dynasty after a war, the thamburatti of Triprangode kovilakam with her daughter fled from the kovilakam. The current members of Shankaro- dath Kovilakam are descendants of Narayani Ambika thamburatti, daughter of Devaprabha Thamburatti of Triprangode kovilakam. The Thamburattis of our clan generally have the names of Ambika and Ambalika and are referred to as Nambrashtathiri. Based on history, it has come to our knowledge that after fleeing from Triprangode kovilakam, the thamburatti and her daughter arrived in Kavilpad, Olavakode in 1793. A Nair family named Veluthedath Thodi in Kavilpad gave shelter to the thamburatti and her daughter. The elders of this family built a small hut and took good care of the thamburatti and daughter by considering them as their own family members. The