HEARITAGE

  There are places along the Kerala coast where the sea seems to whisper history.  One such place is the historic Thangasseri Fort , once the mighty Fortaleza de São Tomé but  today reduced to a solitary gateway that stands like a silent witness to five centuries of colonial ambition.  A visit to Thangasseri is not merely a stop at a ruined fort, it is a journey into the era when Kerala’s coastline was the most coveted stretch of land in the Indian Ocean. Kerala’s long coastline was more than a geographical feature, it was a gateway. Through these waters came traders, missionaries, adventurers and conquerors. Long before the Europeans, Arabs, Jews and Chinese ships had anchored at its ports. But the arrival of the Portuguese in the late 15th and early 16th centuries changed the balance of power forever.  After Vasco da Gama ’s historic voyage, Portuguese influence in Malabar grew rapidly. Their conflict with the Zamorin of Calicut forced them to seek allies furt...

  In the bustling heart of Thiruvananthapuram  where history breathes through crowded streets and temple bells mingle, stands the revered Pazhavangadi Ganapathy Temple. Its a shrine that completes every pilgrim’s visit to the sacred city. Devotees say that no journey to the great Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple is truly fulfilled until a coconut is broken here before Lord Ganesha, the remover of obstacles. Yet this small temple nestled within the historic East Fort precinct carries a story far larger than its size, a tale woven from royal legacy, soldierly faith, folklore and unshakable devotion. The origins of Pazhavangadi temple take us back to the 18th century when the capital of Travancore lay not in Thiruvananthapuram but at Padmanabhapuram. The fort there was guarded by the famed Nair Brigade, elite soldiers entrusted with protecting the royal stronghold and near the fort walls stood a sacred grove dedicated to a fierce spirit known as Melankottu Yakshi. Night pat...