Kilimanoor Palace Kerala, India.
Meet Prince Rama Varma and Princess Sujata Sankrant from Travencore
In 2016, I experienced the great privilege of visiting Kilimanoor Palace in Kerala and was given a personal tour by Prince Rama Varma and Princess Sujata Sankranti from the royal family of Travencore.
I met other members of the family and was treated to afternoon tea. My thanks to the family for their kindness and generosity and especially to Sujata and Rama. It was such a treat and an unforgettable experience.
The Travancore royal family was the ruling house of the Kingdom of Travancore. They had to give up their ruling rights in 1949 when Travancore merged with India and their political pension privileges were abolished in 1971. The family is descended from the Ay/Venad family and the Chera dynasty.
If you are in Kerala and near Kilimanoor, do visit this ancestral palace, it is well worth your while.
Come, take this video tour of the palace with the Prince.
YouTube
Kilimanoor Palace is home to the Raja Ravi Varma Museum which displays his art and is a tribute to his life and work. Please enjoy the Art Talk in the following video and learn about his famous works.
The path-breaking art – and riveting story – of legendary painter, Raja Ravi Varma (1848-1906). Ravi Varma expert, Rupika Chawla, gives fascinating insights into some of the artist’s most important works. Ravi Varma was the first Indian artist to paint Hindu deities in a ‘realistic’ manner using oil paints. His paintings of Goddess Lakshmi, Goddess Saraswati and scenes from the scriptures have captured the visual imagination of India for decades. He is also famous for his paintings of royalty and the rich with fine detailing of clothing, jewellery and expressions. Rupika Chawla is on Art Talk with Jujhar Singh (NewsX channel). Art Talk is the leading arts show on Indian news television. The show carries interview – demonstrations with the top musicians, dancers, artists and photographers of the country – and the best emerging talent as well. The aim of the show is to demystify the arts, particularly the classical and fine arts, and show how beautiful, exciting and spiritual they are.
YouTube video
Vidwan Prince Rama Varma | Full Interview | Jhansi Raparthi | Subhodayam Media Aswathi Thirunal Rama Varma (born 13 August 1968), better known as Prince Rama Varma, is an Indian classical musician and a member of the erstwhile Royal Family of Travancore. He is a Carnatic vocalist as well as an exponent of the Veena. He is also recognized as a music teacher, musicologist, writer and orator. He has performed at concerts and conducted music workshops all over India and in several other countries including USA, UK, Netherlands, France, UAE, Malaysia and Singapore. YouTube videos of his concerts, classes and lectures are popular among music lovers, music students and professional musicians alike, and have exceeded 50 lakh (5 million) views.
