Valiya Dewan Ji Raja Kesava Das
(Discovering Alleppey on a bicycle )
As I cycle through the familiar streets, Canal bank roads and crisscross the twin canals of my beloved Alleppey (Alappuzha), I am continually drawn to reflect on the extraordinary vision of the man who transformed this once-sleepy coastal hamlet into one of Travancore’s most vibrant and well-planned port towns - our Valiya Dewanji, Raja Kesavadas.
Born as Kesava Pillai on 17 March 1745, he had little formal education, yet possessed exceptional intellect, administrative acumen, and a natural understanding of people, terrain, and opportunity. Recognising these rare qualities, Maharaja Karthika Thirunal Rama Varma - Dharma Raja - brought him into the service of the Travancore Palace. Over time, Kesava Pillai rose to become one of the most distinguished soldiers, administrators, and visionaries in Travancore’s history.
December 29th stands etched in history as
Nedumkotta Victory Day, a proud testament to Travancore’s unyielding spirit and
righteous defiance. When Tipu Sultan of Mysore unleashed his expansionary
punitive expeditions (locally known as 'Tipuvinte Pada ottam') across Kodugu
and Malabar - marked by temple desecration, plunder, and forced conversions and
later turned his covetous gaze toward the sacred wealth of Sree Padmanabha
Swamy of Travancore, by demanding the surrender of refugees, especially Nairs,
who had fled to Travancore from Malabar seeking safety.
Dharma Raja Karthika Thirunal Rama Varma Maharaja
answered with moral clarity and royal courage , 'protecting those who seek
refuge is 'dharma'.
On December 24, 1789, Tipu encamped near Nedumkotta
with an army of 30,000. On the 28th and 29th, fierce assaults were launched -
but they shattered against the indomitable resistance of the Paravur Battalion.
In a masterstroke of battlefield strategy, Tipu’s
troops were allowed to breach the outer defenses, only to be drawn deep inside.
Then, from hidden tunnels, Padmanabha Pillai’s 'Chaver Pada' (suicide squads)
surged forth in a sudden, ferocious counterattack.
Trapped between fire and steel, front and rear,
Mysore’s soldiers plunged into the moats in chaos. Tipu himself was wounded in
a duel with Padmanabha Pillai and forced to retreat. The fierce monsoons and
the news of British forces advancing to Mysore also gave impetus to Tipu's
hasty withdrawal. He had not recovered from his incapacitation suffered then
till his last days.
Victory crowned Travancore (Thiruvithankoor). Tipu’s sword, royal
signet ring, and the battle Standards were solemnly presented to Dharma Raja.
That very flag continues to be displayed even today
during the annual 'Aaraattu' ritual of Sree Padmanabha Swamy when the head of the Travancore Royal Family leads the procession on foot with a sword in hand, escorted by caprisoned elephants, armed police and guards - a living symbol
of triumph and 'dharma'.
Recognizing his victory over the Mysore, the Karthika Thirunal Maharaja appointed Kesava Pillai as Dewan of Travancore. He was further glorified by the British Governor Mornington, by the title ‘Raja’ in appreciation of his administrative talents.
But, how many of us fancy how Alleppey would’ve looked sans the Twin Canals, the sea port, the migrant entrepreneurs and above all benign personal indulgence of our Valiya Diwan Ji ?.
So let’s visit Alleppey of the late 17th century. To get a feel, you have to read a wonderful book about the locale - words of which would be valid even today. The Book is ‘Wanderer’s Log (An Indian Venice )’ by Carl Eric Bechhoffer*. (*C E Bechhoffer Roberts was a British author, barrister, and journalist.)
He writes :-
“Imagine a narrow spit of sand, covered with
coconut palms; on one side of it the waves of the Indian Ocean are beating in a
continual foam. Few boats would dare to put out from this shore, lest they
should be caught in the surf and swamped. But barely fifty yards away, on the
other side of the palm-covered spit, lies a vast and placid lagoon. The wind
that is tearing the sea into fury is averted from the surface of the lagoon by
the impenetrable barrier of palms; but it sweeps over a few feet above the waters
and fills the sails of numberless boats. The sea is desolate, except for one or
two daring fishing craft and a tramp steamer quite half a mile from the shore.
But the lagoon teems with life, covered with the tracks of sailing-boats and
canoes. This propinquity of sea and lagoon is the characteristic of the coast
of South-West India from a distance north of Cochin almost all the way to
Trivandrum, the capital city of the State of Travancore.”
Those of us who are born in 1940s can envisage this picture more clearly and relate the flights of fancy to ground.
Valiya Diwan's all time contribution is finding an ideal location and constructing a well planned port city for the State of Travancore. He found Alappuzha (Alleppey) which literally means 'land between the sea and the river' (Ala and Puzha) the most suitable. He recognised the extraordinary geographical advantage of the area - the proximity to the sea, the vast inland waterways, and the natural channels for transporting goods deep into the hinterland of Western Ghats.. ie. six primary rivers - Periyar, Muvattupuzha, Pamba, Meenachil, Manimala, and Achankovil, carrying freshwater into the Vembanad lake , which is in proximity to sea yet not connected.
Alleppey was famed as the most well planned town.
The port town was planned around these two canals ( Vadai Canal and Commercial
Canal) and became the financial nerve centre of Travancore during his time; the
port was opened in 1762 for the export of coir-matting and coir-yarn. His
tenure of Dewan ended with demise of Dharma Raja Karthika Thirunal Rama Varma-
I, in 1798.
The Palace intrigues found Raja Kesavadas
proclaimed as a traitor and kept under house arrest, where he died under
mysterious circumstances on 21/4/1799. 🙏
The Battle of Nedumkotta remains a blazing chapter
in Travancore’s resistance history - a shining example of Travancore’s valor,
strategic brilliance, and moral strength. It is not merely a story of the past,
but a heritage of pride and courage that must be carried forward to future
generations.
Unfortunately this epoch of valor is somehow absent from the curriculum for reasons inexplicable.
Nearly three centuries later, as I cycle along
these very canals, cross its bridges, and watch boats glide through its
waterways, it is difficult not to admire the foresight of the man who conceived
this urban landscape.
It is satisfying that a stately statue of valiya Diwan Ji Raja Kesava Das is consecrated at Changanassery Junction at Kalarkode. Where the NH 66 meets the elevated Alleppey Bypass. Shelving political exigencies it would be in all propriety to name the Bypass as Raja Kesavadas Bypass - fore, after all, he was the founder of Alleppey.
#discovering alleppey on a bicycle
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