A Visit to Ramanathapuram Palace – Walking Through the Pages of History

    

 During our recent trip to Ramnad, we visited the historic Ramanathapuram Palace (Ramalinga Vilasam). Since it is not a popular tourist destination like many other famous monuments, we requested the ticket collector to guide us through the palace. We felt that such a wonderful place deserves to be known by more people.

The main gate

Palace Entrance

The palace was built by Kilavan Sethupathi (Raghunatha Kilavan Sethupathi) around 1680. As we entered through the massive teakwood door, we were amazed that it was still standing strong after more than three centuries. The moment we stepped inside, we noticed something surprising—it was much cooler inside than outside, even though the weather was quite hot.

The guide and the door

    Curious, we asked the guide about it. He explained that the palace walls were coated with a traditional mixture of lime (சுண்ணாம்பு), kadukkai (கடுக்காய்), pathaneer, palm jaggery (பனங்கருப்பட்டி) and country egg white. This ancient technique acts like a natural air-conditioner, keeping the palace cool during summer and warm during winter. My children were amazed that people knew such clever building methods hundreds of years ago without modern technology!

    As we walked further, the beautiful mural paintings on the walls immediately caught our attention. The guide told us that these paintings were created using vegetable dyes, fruit juices, herbal extracts, and charcoal. It was fascinating to think that artists long ago created such colourful paintings without using any modern paints. The murals showed scenes from the Ramayana, royal celebrations, and the daily life of the Sethupathi kings. It felt as though the walls themselves were telling stories from the past.

 

Mural Paintings

    The museum inside the palace was like a treasure chest of history. It displayed:

• Sethupathi copper plate inscriptions (செப்பேடுகள்)

• Ancient weapons such as swords, shields, maan kombu (deer horn), and guns used by soldiers, even while riding horses

• Coins and palm-leaf manuscripts

Optical illusion painting - Palm Leaf

• The rare Swaragatha Veena (A hybrid instrument that combines the melodic features of a veena with rhythmic accompaniment similar to a tabla or mridangam)

• A sword bearing the seal of the British East India Company

• Nineteenth-century anklets

• Cannons and firearms

• Portraits of Sethupathi rulers
• The throne (Simhasanam) used by the Sivaganga rulers

• Ancient grain-storage jars and archaeological artefacts

• Betel-leaf boxes (வெற்றிலைப் பெட்டி)

• The famous Valari, a curved throwing weapon similar to a boomerang. The Valari particularly fascinated us. Unlike a sword or spear, it could be thrown from a distance with great accuracy. Warriors used it during battles and even while hunting. The guide proudly told us that Rani Velu Nachiyar was trained in using the Valari along with other martial arts. My children immediately compared it to a boomerang and were amazed that such a weapon existed in Tamil Nadu centuries ago.

•     An old picture taken during the opening ceremony of Pamban bridge

    We also saw the portrait of Rebel Muthuramalinga Sethupathi, who bravely opposed the growing influence of the British and the Nawab of Arcot. Because of his resistance, he spent many years in prison and eventually died in captivity. His story reminded us that freedom often comes at a great cost.

    Another interesting portrait was that of Bhaskara Sethupathi. Unlike many kings who are remembered for battles, he is remembered for supporting education, religion, and culture. We knew from the guide that the Raja was deeply impressed by Vivekananda's knowledge and spiritual vision. He encouraged him to represent Hinduism at the World's Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893 and provided crucial financial support for the journey. When Vivekananda returned to India in 1897, Bhaskara Sethupathi personally welcomed him at Kunthukal. Thus, the same royal family contributed both to resistance against colonial power and to India's spiritual influence abroad.

    We then saw the Abhisheka Peedam (அபிஷேக பீடம்), the ceremonial platform where Sethupathi kings were crowned. Standing there, we imagined the grand coronation ceremonies that must have taken place centuries ago.

    All these artefacts were located in the Durbar Hall area. The sacred section within the Durbar was reserved for the king, followed by the ministers' area, while the common people stood in the main hall during royal proceedings.

Hierarchical arrangement of the Durbar Hall

    The guide also narrated the touching story behind Akkal Madam and Thangachi Madam. The story is as follows: During the reign of Muthu Vijaya Raghunatha Sethupathi, there were two princesses: Akka (elder sister) – Seeni Nachiyar and Thangachi (younger sister) – Lakshmi Nachiyar. The king married both daughters to a nobleman named Dhandathevar (Thandathevar) and entrusted him with the administration of Rameswaram and the welfare of pilgrims. At that time, pilgrims traveling to Rameswaram were supposed to receive free services, including boat transport. However, Dhandathevar allowed fees to be collected from pilgrims crossing to Rameswaram. When the Sethupathi king learned this, he considered it a serious injustice against devotees. Thus, the king sentenced Dhandathevar to death. On hearing the news that their husband was arrested and taken to ramanathapuram palace both his daughters traveled in their palanquins from Rameshwaram towards Ramanathapuram palace. By the time they heared the news of king’s order and Death sentence punishment that was already executed , both the daughters Sivagami Nachiyar and RajaLatchumi Nachiyar said to have entered a funeral fire on the same place where they heared the news of their husband’s execution. To honor their memory, resting places/charitable institutions (madams) were established for pilgrims. These became known as Akkal Madam (Elder Sister's Madam) and Thangachi Madam (Younger Sister's Madam).

    On the first floor, we visited the Dance Gallery. The walls were covered with paintings of dancers, musicians, and royal celebrations. Looking at these murals felt like opening a photo album from 250 years ago. Through these paintings, we could see how people dressed, celebrated festivals, and enjoyed music and dance during the Sethupathi period.

On the upper floor, we saw the training area where soldiers practised with firearms, cannons, bows, and arrows. The guide told us that men taller than six feet were often selected to handle certain weapons because their height and strength gave them an advantage in battle. We also visited the armoury where weapons were stored.

    One of the most exciting stories we heard was about Veerapandiya Kattabomman. The guide showed us the place where the British Collector Jackson summoned Kattabomman. After a heated argument, the British tried to arrest him, but Kattabomman escaped from the palace. Standing there, we could almost imagine the tension and drama that unfolded more than 200 years ago.

    One of the most interesting places was the Uppu Arivi (named so as the air was salty). This was where the king and queen sat in the evenings to enjoy the cool sea breeze. From there, they could watch the town, processions, and the surrounding landscape. As we stood there, enjoying the breeze ourselves, it was easy to understand why the royal family loved spending time there.

Finally, we were shown a secret underground escape tunnel hidden behind the shrine area near the Durbar Hall. The tunnel was built so that the king could escape safely during invasions, palace attacks, or political unrest. It was dark, narrow, and had very little light or ventilation. As we peeped into it, my children immediately asked, “How did the kings walk through this tunnel?” To be honest, I wondered the same thing!

Our visit to Ramanathapuram Palace was much more than a sightseeing trip. It was like travelling back in time and walking through the stories of kings, warriors, artists, freedom fighters, and visionaries. We returned home not only with photographs but also with a deeper appreciation for the rich history and heritage of our land.