Ramar Sethu

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I found this interesting piece of our history on Ramar Sethu -

thought u'll find it an interesting read.

 

Happy Reading

 

Ramji

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In the corridor of royalty by Dhananjaya Bhat

 

Deccan Herald, Sept. 30, 2007

 

Dhananjaya Bhat goes back into history to take a look

at 'Sethupatis' ,

the royal family who guarded the Rama Sethu. Today when the

description of Rama and creation of the Rama Sethu as a myth is

creating a furore, it is interesting to note that for

thousands of years, there was a royal family in South India with its

headquarters at Ramanathapuram near Rameshwaram, known as the

Sethupati Rajas or

the guardians of the Sethu. Like the Maharajas of Kashi in North

India,

the specific task of these kings was to guard the sanctity of

Rameshwaram

temple and protect the Sethu - now so much under the limelight.

 

In fact even today, though the famous Rameshwaram temple (which

technically belonged to the Sethupatis) is administered by the

Government of Tamil Nadu, the head of the Sethupati dynasty, at

present Rajeshwari Nachiar, is the hereditary head of the temple's

board of

trustees.

 

Detailed information about the Sethupathis is available in the 'Ramnad

Manual' maintained by Tamil Nadu archives. It states that, " The

Sethupatis built several chattrams (dharmsalas) along the main roads

of the pilgrimage to Rameshwaram. Roads were opened through the

forests.

Immense sums were spent on the restoration of the Rameshwaram temples,

which were falling into ruins, and the splendid Chockattan Mantapam

or the cloistered precincts of the temple at Rameshwaram being finally

completed by the Sethupati representatives. . " Although the dynasty

claims that they are mentioned in the 2000-year-old sagas of Tamil

literature, as the brave Marava community guarding the Sethu since

the times of Rama, the first historical reference comes only in the

11th

century AD, when Chola king Rajaraja made the head of Marava community

as Sethupati to protect the pilgrims to Rameshwaram temple and the

Rama Sethu.

 

The temple complex itself was built by Sethupati rulers in the 12th

century, with Sethupathy Maravar beginning the construction of the

grand Ramanathaswamy temple. Then again reference is made in A D1434

to the

repair of the temple walls by the head of the Sethupati clan, known

as Udayan Sethupati. Geologists state that till AD1480, when a tsunami

damaged the present Rama Sethu, one could walk from India to Sri Lanka

on the Sethu!

 

But only from AD 1605, we find detailed history of these chiefs, who

are described as masters of Sethu and their kingdom described as

Sethu

Nadu (Land of Sethu). After the destruction of the Vijayanagar empire

in

1565, their viceroy in South India, the the Nayak ruler of Madurai,

re-appointed head of the same Marava community as the Sethupatis.

 

The most important of these monarchs was the Raghunatha Sethupati II

alias Kilavan Sethupati (1671 AD to 1710 AD), who ensured that

Sethupatis with their fiefdom over the area known as Ramnad, remained

all powerful. It was during his time, that the magnificent still

existing palace of Ramlingavilasam was created as the residence of

the Sethupatis. No other palace in Tamil Nadu has such extensive

mural

paintings. As soon as you enter the Mahamandapam, you are surrounded

by murals that glint like gem-encrusted jewels on the walls. Some are

dull and faded, while others flash forth their brilliance, even 300

years

after they were executed. In 1978, the Sethupati family, unable to

maintain the palace handed it over to the Government of Tamil Nadu.

But in the18th century, the British entered the politics of South

India and as a measure to reduce the importance of the Sethupatis,

they

were demoted as mere zamindars under the British in1803. Of all the

services this royal family has done to India, the most important was

that of

financing the visit of Swami Vivekananda in 1893 to Chicago, to

address the World Religions Conference. Swami Vivekananda reached

Ramnathapuram in 1892 and met the then scion, Bhaskara Sethupati at

his palace, and

stayed there as the official guest for eight days.

 

Initially, it was Bhaskara Setupati as the Raja of Ramnad, who had

earlier decided to go to US to attend the Parliament of Religions as

the representative of Hinduism. But after conversing with Swami

Vivekananda, he decided that Swamiji was the right person to attend

the

conference.

 

Vivekananda decided to accept the Raja's offer. When Vivekananda

returned from USA after his grand success, as he was about to land at

Rameshwaram, the overjoyed Raja was waiting with his entourage to

give him a royal welcome. Because of the achievement of Swamiji and

as well

as the regard, the Raja had for him, he bowed his head and offered it

as step for Vivekananda to get down from the boat. But, Swamiji

tactfully avoided this offer, by jumping from the boat to the land.

Then the

Raja unyoked the bullocks from Vivekananda' s ceremonial chariot and

pulled

the conveyance manually with his entourage, till it reached his

palace.

 

Later he erected a victory pillar of 25 feet height with the Upanishad

expression Satyameva Jayate to commemorate the success of Swami

Vivekananda at Chicago.

 

After Indian Independence, the Sethupatis still retained their

importance in the politics of Tamil Nadu. In fact Shanmuga Raja

Sethupati won the elections to the Tamil Nadu Assembly and held the

seat thrice from 1951 to 1967, besides being a minister in the

Rajagopalachari Ministry of 1952. He was well-known in horse racing

circles and had a stable of over 50 horses in Calcutta and a huge

garage of cars in Madras, including Rolls Royces and a Bentley. But

the

abolition of zamindaries by the Government of India, removed all

sources of their wealth and today, the former Sethupatis are just

well-known prominent magnates of Tamil Nadu.