Thiruvananthapuram :

The legendary sword of Velu Thambi Dalawa, the ruler of erstwhile Travancore, which has drawn visitors in great numbers to Napier Museum will be returned to the National Museum, New Delhi. The museum officials have received a formal order to hand over the sword.

The archaeology department under ministry of culture had earlier received a communication from the Centre demanding that the sword be returned to National Museum.

G Premkumar, director of archaeology department, said that the order has already been issued. “The sword was brought to the state as loan from National Museum. We received a communication as per the direction from the President of India stating that the sword should be returned,” said Premkumar.

A team has been assigned by the National Museum to transport the sword from the state to New Delhi. B Joseph ,director of museum and zoos, said that the museum administration was entrusted with the task to conserve and display the sword and it will now be returned.

The sword had been in possession of Kilimanoor royal family till 1957 when it was handed over to the then President Rajendra Prasad and then taken to National Museum.

The state government had been renewing yearly insurance for the sword and the period expires on Thursday. As per the records, Dalawa who had been in hiding during the late 1800s, reached Kilimanoor Palace where he had supper at the oottupura. In return for the hospitality and refuge, Dalawa offered his sword with a condition that it shall never reach the hands of English East India Company. The palace members kept the word and hid the sword among the immense weaponry maintained at the palace. A few days after Dalawa took refuge in Kilimanoor palace he stabbed himself to death at the Bhagavathi temple at Mannadi near Adoor.

According to Shankunni Menon, the author of Aithihyamala, the Dalawa asked his brother to stab him, which his brother refused to, following which the Dalawa stabbed himself. Since the self-inflicted wound did not prove mortal, he cried out to his brother ‘cut my neck,’ and the brother in one stroke severed the neck from the body.

source:  http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Cities> Thiruvananthapuram / by Aswin J.Kumar, TNN / July 08th, 2015