G. V. Raja

Lt. Colonel
P. R. Godavarma Raja
Native name Karthika Nal Godavarma Raja
Born Poonjar Royal House, Kottayam
Died Kulu Valley
Cause of death Air Crash
Body discovered Yes
Monuments G.V. Raja Sports School, G. V. Raja Sports Stadium (Thiruvananthapuram), G.V. Raja Award For Excellence in Sports,[1] G. V, Raja Award For Excellence in Tourism
Residence Thiruvananthapuram
Nationality India
Other names G. V. Raja, Thirumeni
Citizenship Indian
Education S. M. V High School (Poonjar), MD Seminary Higher Secondary School (Kottayam), Degree In Medicine from (Madras ) (unfinished)
Occupation Served as one of the Officers of Travancore Army from 1934 and retired with the rank of Lt. Colonel, Founder & Lifetime President of Kerala Sports Council (1954-1971), Officer Commandant of Travancore University Labour Core, Physical Education Director of Kerala University (first director), President of Lawn tennis Association, Vice-President of Board of Control for Cricket in India
Years active 1933-1971
Known for Sports & Tourism Promotion and Administration, Infrastructure Development
Home town Poonjar
Title Lt. Colonel
Religion Hinduism
Spouse(s) Maharani Karthika Thirunal Lakshmi Bayi of Travancore Royal Family (m. 1934)
Children Crown Prince Avittom Thirunal Rama Varma (died at the age of six), Princess Pooyam Thirunal Gowri Parvati Bayi, Princess Aswathi Thirunal Gowri Lakshmi Bayi and Sree Padmanabhadasa Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma
Parent(s) Narayanan Nampoothiri of Puthusseri Mana (father), Karthika Nal Ambalika Thamburatty of Poonjar Royal House (mother)
Relatives Maharajah Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma (brother-in-law), Uthradom Thirunal Marthanda Varma (brother-in-law)

Lt. Col. P. R. Godavarma Raja (13 October 1908 – 30 April 1971) often referred to as G. V. Raja, was a sports and tourism promoter and administrator, pilot, sportsman and Sanskrit scholar . He took special care in inspiring the youth into sports and was instrumental in founding the Kerala Sports Council in 1953. G.V Raja occupied the post of Council President till he was killed in a flight mishap in 1971.[2] G.V Raja also played a key role in establishing the Thiruvananthapuram Tennis Club, Flying Club, and the development of the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport.[3][4]

G V Raja was the founder President of the Kerala State Sports Council as well as Kerala Cricket Association, and patron of a large number of sports clubs and associations.[5] The CricInfo website reports that Raja was the first Keralite to become the Vice-President of Board of Control for Cricket in India, and had he lived, he would have become President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India.[6][7]

G.V Raja was also the President of Tourism Promotion Council of Kerala. He was the main architect in developing Kovalam as an international tourist spot. He died in an air crash near Kullu (Kulu) Valley on April 30, 1971.[8] Sports journalists, historians, experts and sportsmen consider him as the Father of Sports and Tourism in Kerala.[9] G.V Raja's birth anniversary, 13 October, is observed as "Kerala Sports Day".[10]

Personal life

P. R. Godavarma Raja was born to Ambalika Thamburatty of Poonjar Royal House and Puthusseri Narayanan Nampoothiri on 13 October 1908 at Poonjar as the couple's third son in Kottayam India. The Poonjar dynasty originated from the Pandyan Kings of the Sangam Age. The founder of the dynasty, Manavikrama Kulashekhara Perumal, was a Pandyan king whose mother was a Chera princess. In 1152 AD, he shifted from Madurai to Poonjar due to the incessant civil wars in Tamil Country. In his flight from Madurai over the Nilgiri hills, he and his family carried with them one of the three idols of Meenakshi, their "Kula Devatha", which was used in the annual car festival of Meenakshi Sundareswara. It was established as a "Pratishtha" in the Meenakshi temple on the banks of the Meenachil river. Manavikraman Raja purchased the land that covers present day Kottayam, Pathanamthitta and Idukki districts from the Tekkancoor Rajas. Erattupetta was the commercial center of the Poonjar kingdom.[11]

G. V. Raja did his school education at S.M.V. High School, Poonjar and MD Seminary Higher Secondary School,[12][13] Kottayam. He then went to Madras to pursue a Degree in Medicine.[14]

When the marriage proposal from the Travancore Royal Family reached him, as a prospective bridegroom for Karthika Thirunal Lakshmi Bayi, G.V Raja was studying in Madras for attaining a Degree in Medicine. He accepted the marriage proposal, discontinued his education. And the preparations for their wedding began in 1933 itself. Huge wedding venue was created at Sundara Vilasom Palace. On 24 January 1934, at the age of 26, he married the then 17-year-old Maharani Karthika Thirunal Lakshmi Bayi. Many prominent Indian Royals were invited for the wedding and the event was a lavish affair and the celebrations lasted for a whole week, according to Mathrubhumi Daily. The royal couple stayed at Kovalam for their honeymoon. And it was during this time, G.V Raja became smitten by the beauty of the place and referred to the place as his "first love". After he settled down with his wife in Trivandrum G.V Raja started his military career in the Travancore State Force as a Captain of the Nair Brigade. The Maharajah entrusted him with the additional responsibility of dealing with foreign dignitaries and state guests. He was also appointed as the head of the sports and tourism departments of the then royal government. He served in the military till 1949 and retired as a Lt. Colonel. Later on he entered into public administration and decided to develop and promote Kovalam as a tourist destination. He started Kerala Travels Limited to popularize key tourist locations in Travancore Kingdom. When Travancore merged with India, Kerala Travels Limited became a private entity under him. In the 1960s, KTL collaborated with Thomas Cook and started popularizing Kovalam in western countries which started the advent of hippie culture in Kovalam Beach. He invited many foreign dignitaries and promoted the place by organising parties at the Kovalam Palace, according to Kerala Tourism Development Corporation website.[15][16][17]

Sree Padmanabhasevini Maharani Karthika Thirunal Lakshmi Bayi

The couple had four children, Elayarajah (Crown Prince) Sree Padmanabhadasa Avittom Thirunal Rama Varma (1938-1944, died at the age of six of a rheumatic heart condition), Pooyam Thirunal Gowri Parvati Bayi (1941), Indo Anglian writer Aswathi Thirunal Gowri Lakshmi Bayi (1945) and Sree Padmanabhadasa Sree Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma (1949).[18][19][20]

Contributions

G. V. Raja practiced and promoted sports in Kerala. He was involved in sports promotion, tourism, the aviation industry, and establishing the necessary infrastructure for the promotion of all these varied fields.[21][22]

The "Kerala for you" Web site reports that G. V. Raja established the All India Sports Council in 1954, the first of its kind in the country. He formed the Golf Club Association in Kerala. He introduced Keralites to mountaineering and surfing. He excelled in football, tennis, golf, cricket etc.[23]

G. V. Raja invited Wimbledon champion Bill Tilden to play an exhibition match on 30 January 1938 to popularise Tennis in the state.[24] Following this, he founded the Trivandrum Tennis Club on 1 February 1938 at Shasthamangalam.[25][26][27] G. V. Raja was the president of Kerala Cricket Association from 1950 to 1963.[28] He became the first person from Kerala to become an office-holder of BCCI Board of Control for Cricket in India when he became its Vice President. He was the founder President of the Travancore Sports Council (renamed Kerala Sports Council) that was formed in 1954. The Council was formed as the result of a meeting of 11 sports organizations of Kerala. After the formation of Kerala state, it became the Kerala State Sports Council. G. V. Raja remained the President of the Council till his death. The list of other organizations that he started includes Trivandrum Golf Club Committee,[29] Veli Boat Club, Roller Skating Ring, SreePaadam Stadium and Trivandrum/Kerala Flying Club[30] (re-named as Rajiv Gandhi Academy for Aviation Technology). He served as the Officer Commandant of the Travancore University Labour Core and was also the first Physical Education Director of the university. In 1953 he conducted Thiru-Kochi Swimming Competition. He formed the Aquatic Association and was the President of Lawn tennis Association.[31] He was instrumental in organizing the Asian Cup qualifying round tournament, involving Israel, Iran, Pakistan and India, at the Maharaja’s College Grounds, Ernakulam in 1959 and had spearheaded a team of organizers in hosting the Santosh Trophy for the first time in Kerala in 1956.[32]

G. V. Raja played the pivotal role in developing Kovalam as a major tourism destination. He established the first travel agency of the state named Kerala Travels in 1959.[33][34] He also took the initiative to develop the Trivandrum Airport.[35]

Death

In 1971 he went to Patiala, to participate in All India sports Council Conference. He made an unscheduled trip to the Kulu Valley on 30 April 1971. With two others, G V Raja flew in a three-seater aircraft which nose-dived and crashed, killing all its passengers. He was aged 62 at the time of his death. His body was flown to Thiruvananthapuram and cremated at Poonjar.[36] He was the man behind the development of Thiruvananthapuram airport, but he died before fulfilling his dream.

Honours

The sports school in Thiruvananthapuram was named G.V. Raja Sports School in his honour. A sports stadium in Thiruvananthapuram is named after him. Kerala State Sports Council instituted the G.V. Raja award, awarded yearly for excellence in sport.[37] The Kerala Tourism Department's award for lifetime achievement in tourism is also named after him.[38] Lt. Col. Raja's birth anniversary, 13 October, is observed as "Kerala Sports Day".[39]

References

  1. ↑ "G.V RAJA AWARD WINNERS" (PDF). KERALA STATE SPORTS COUNCIL. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  2. ↑ "KSSC President - President Details as on Lt.Col.Goda Varma Raja Founder President Kerala Sports Council 1954-1971". Kerala State Sports Council. Kerala State Sports Council. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  3. ↑ http://www.ttc.org.in/history.php
  4. ↑ "Trivandrum International Airport/History, Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia"Trivandrum International Airport
  5. ↑ "Kerala State Sports Council : KSSC Presidents". Retrieved 15 December 2009.
  6. ↑ cricinfoIndia website : "The greatest figure who dominated Travancore - Cochin and Kerala cricket like a Colossus was the legendary Col.Godavarma Raja of the Travancore Royal Family. A Prince among sportsmen and a sportsman among princes, Col.Raja was responsible for putting Kerala on the sports and tourist map of India. It was under his inspiring leadership that a few members from the Trippunithura royal family and cricket enthusiasts from Trivandrum and Kottayam met in 1950 and formed the Travancore-Cochin Cricket Association. From this, emerged the Kerala Cricket Association. Calm must have been the middle name of Col. Raja. He possessed the Midas touch. He was the undoubted CEO of all sports and games organisations in the State. A keen sportsman himself he played all the games, but tennis and polo were among his favourites. An endearing personality, with a gentle smile always on his lips and mischievous, twinkling eyes, Col Raja was one of God's good men. He was the first from this part of the state to become a Vice President of the BCCI. Prof. MV Chandgadkar, a former secretary of the BCCI one told me how Col.Raja walked into the conference hall at Jaipur where the Board was in session, clutching his tennis rackets! The Raja was ever ready for a game of tennis once the day's business was over. Col.Raja's hospitality was proverbial. He played host to Vijay Merchant, Col.CK Nayudu and Lala Amarnath when he came as manager of the Railways athletic squad and the Kumararaja of Venkitagiri who led the Andhra side and scores of other worthies. For 13 years from 1950 he was the President of the Kerala Cricket Association and had he lived - he died in a tragic an crash, in an aircraft piloted by himself - he would have become President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India. Col Raja still lives in the memory of all lovers of the game and the GV Raja pavilion at the University Stadium is a fitting tribute to this great son of Kerala."
  7. ↑ cricinfo, India. "History of Kerala cricket By Professor AS Balakrishnan". CricInfo 2000. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  8. ↑ keralawindow, .net. "IMPORTANT PERSONALITIES - GODAVARMA RAJA (COLONOL)". keralawindow.net. keralawindow. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
  9. ↑ "G.V. Raja birth centenary". Chennai, India: The Hindu. 12 October 2008. Retrieved 15 December 2009.
  10. ↑ "Impressive function to mark Kerala Sports Day". Chennai, India: The hindu. 14 October 2008. Retrieved 15 December 2009.
  11. ↑ "Poonjar Palace".
  12. ↑ "Sri. V J Itticheria (1919--1943) The buildings,ground were given to Baselius College were built during his tenure. During his time greats Olympian Abdul Salle, Col. Godavarma Raja studied here."
  13. ↑ mdseminary, highersecondaryschool. "Heads Of MDSHSS (1893-till Date)". Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  14. ↑ A. N., Ravindradas. "മറക്കരുത്, ഫുട്ബോളിന്റെ ഈ രക്ഷകനെ (Malayalam)". Deshabhimani (Malayalam Edition). Retrieved 14 April 2014.
  15. ↑ "Goda Varma Raja" (in Malayalam). Retrieved 15 December 2009.
  16. ↑ "Kayikakelikalude Thampuran" (in Malayalam). Webduniya. Retrieved 15 December 2009.
  17. ↑ Maheshawari, Uma. "Maharani Karthika Thirunal:Witnessing History". Kerala 4u.in. Retrieved 19 March 2014.
  18. ↑ "Though by the 26th amendment to the Constitution, Article 363 was repealed whereby the rights and privileges of the rulers of Indian states were taken away, still the name and title of the rulers remained as such and unaffected in so far as names and titles were not contemplated as rights or privileges under the repealed Articles 291 and 362 of the Constitution."
  19. ↑ HANEEF, MAHIR (2013-12-17). "'His Highness' isn't unconstitutional: Kerala high court". THE TIMES OF INDIA. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
  20. ↑ Express News Service (4 January 2014). "Moolam Thirunal Anointed Custodian of Temple". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
  21. ↑ n 1936, Queen, HH Karthika Thirunal choose Haylcon Palace for her honeymoon with newly wed husband, Prince Consort Lt.Col. Godavarma Raja/G. V. Raja. It was Prince Consort G.V Raja who found immense tourist potentiality of Kovalam and decided promote the region among state guests, by inviting Thomas Cook & Sons- UK to develop the region. The Maharajah of Travancore , H.H. Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma, soon started hosting regular state banquets in Kovalam Haylcon Palace. Thus, the move helped to lay foundations of modern tourism industry in South India.
  22. ↑ Voyage, Wiki. "Kovalam". Retrieved 27 January 2014.
  23. ↑ Maheshwari, Uma. "G.V.Raja (The history of Sports and Games in Kerala)". Kerala 4u.in. Retrieved 22 January 2014. "He did mountaineering course in Switzerland, and enjoyed mountaineering at the Alps. He was a person with extraordinary ability to organize things. Amidst his busy schedule when Col. Thirumeni as he is called affectionately called reaches TTC other members would have finished their practice. He used to call the picker boys Maniyan or Thanakappan to play against him. And finally these two rose to the rank of State tennis players. He believed professional coaching is essential for sports too and brought A G Ram Singh to train cricket enthusiasts in Kerala."
  24. ↑ "Trivandrum Tennis Club : About us / History". Retrieved 15 December 2009.
  25. ↑ "Sports and Games in Kerala". Information & Public Relation Department, Kerala. Retrieved 15 December 2009.
  26. ↑ Where tradition meets talent, THE HINDU, By GEETHIKA CHANDRAHASAN : 'Coach N.B. Vijayakumar also has a long association with the Club. He started off as a ball picker, learnt the game and ended up winning the State Championship thrice. He has fond memories of Col. GV Raja : "He used to take a special interest in boys who played well. Once, he took all of us ball pickers to the waterworks to watch a swimming competition and then dropped us back in his own car."
  27. ↑ CHANDRAHASAN, GEETHIKA (22 January 2005). "Where tradition meets talent". The Hindu. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
  28. ↑ "Profile of Kerala Cricket Association". Archived from the original on 26 March 2010. Retrieved 15 December 2009.
  29. ↑ "Thiruvananthapuram Corporation : About City" (in Malayalam). Thiruvananthapuram Corporation. Retrieved 15 December 2009.
  30. ↑ “Rajiv Gandhi Academy for Aviation Technology”, Thiruvananthapuram , originally established as the “Kerala Flying Club” by founder Lt.Col.G.V.Raja, was registered under the Indian Companies Act 1956 on 14.07.1959. In 1980, the name“ Kerala Flying Club” was changed to Kerala Aviation Training Centre and later in 1981 the Government of Kerala brought the institution under its direct control. Subsequently with the approval of the Director General of Civil Aviation, KATC was renamed as Rajiv Gandhi Academy for Aviation Technology a Society under the title Travancore Cochin Literary Scientific and Charitable Societies Act 1955.
  31. ↑ Maheshwari, Uma. "G.V.Raja (The history of Sports and Games in Kerala)". Kerala 4u.in. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
  32. ↑ Kerala Football, Association. "About Kerala Football Association - KFA - A brief history of Kerala Football Association and the game in Kerala…". KFA. KFA. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  33. ↑ "Col. GODA VARMA RAJA The God Father of Kerala Tourism". Kerla Tourism Web Magazine. Retrieved 15 December 2009.
  34. ↑ Interserve, Kerala Travels. "KTIL". Retrieved 28 February 2014.
  35. ↑ "Trivandrum International Airport/History, Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia"Trivandrum International Airport 'The airport was established as part of the Royal Flying Club under the initiative of Colonel Goda Varma Raja, husband of H. H. Princess Karthika Thirunal of Travancore Kingdom.[8] Col G.V Raja, being a trained pilot, felt the need an airport to accommodate Travancore in the aviation map of India. In 1935, on royal patronage of H.H Maharaja Chitra Thirunal, Tata Airlines made its maiden flight to the airport using DH.83 Fox Moth aircraft under command of India's first pilot Nevill Vintcent, carried two passengers Jamshed Navoroji, a Tata company official, and Kanchi Dwarakadas, commercial agent of Travancore to Bombay Presidency along with a special mail from Viceroy of British India, Lord Willingdon wishing birthday greetings to the Maharaja.[9] The first flight from the airport took off on 1 November 1935, carrying mails of Royal Anchal (Travancore Post) to Bombay. Soon in 1938, the Royal Government of Travancore acquired a Dakota aircraft as Maharajah's private aircraft and placed 1st Squadron of Royal Indian Air Force (Travancore) for protection of State from aerial attacks.'
  36. ↑ Maheshawari, Uma. "G.V.Raja (The history of Sports and Games in Kerala)". Kerala 4u.in. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
  37. ↑ "G.V. Raja award for Renjith". The Hindu. Retrieved 15 December 2009.
  38. ↑ "Tourism award for Thankam Philip". Chennai, India: The Hindu. 20 January 2004. Retrieved 15 December 2009.
  39. ↑ "Impressive function to mark Kerala Sports Day". Chennai, India: The hindu. 14 October 2008. Retrieved 15 December 2009.

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