FROM ROYAL HALL TO SPORTING ARENA

Thoonilla Kottaram

The Story of Thoonilla Kottaram at Shanghumugham

At Shanghumugham, where the sea has silently witnessed the changing fortunes of Thiruvananthapuram, stands an old building with a history as unusual as its name. Thoonilla Kottaram, literally the “Palace Without Pillars”, was never built as a sports facility. Yet, more than a century after its early royal associations, it has become part of Kerala’s sporting infrastructure as an indoor arena.

Its journey from a royal-era building to a sporting venue reflects, in a small but fascinating way, the changing character of Kerala itself. The heritage inventory of the Government of Kerala describes Thoonilla Kottaram as a structure more than a century old, built in the colonial architectural style with laterite and mortar. Its original purpose was ceremonial. It was used for "Neettukodukkal", the conferring of honours on Europeans and others. At a later period, the building served as a museum of the Travancore Royal Family. Much later, it entered an entirely different chapter of its history when it was adapted for sport and eventually came under the Kerala State Sports Council as an indoor stadium.

The building’s early connection with the Travancore royal family provides the story’s first sporting link, although that connection is preserved largely through oral history. Sree Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma, who ruled Travancore from 1885 to 1924, was closely associated with Shanghumugham during the final years of his life. According to the late Balagopalan Thampi, a veteran badminton coach who later became closely associated with the indoor hall and whom the author interviewed, the Maharaja regularly took his morning walk in the area during the 1920s.

There is also a recollection that Sree Moolam Thirunal played tennis in the evenings. The location of the court, however, has not yet been established, and it would be premature to connect it directly with Thoonilla Kottaram. His personal interest in tennis should also be distinguished from any broader assessment of his contribution to organised sport during his reign. These aspects require further research.

The subsequent history of the building is less clearly documented. According to information available to the author, it was occupied for a period by a Travancore State Government office. During the middle decades of the twentieth century, the building acquired a new and very different identity.

The person who played the crucial role in this transformation was Lieutenant Colonel G. V. Raja, one of the most influential figures in the development of organised sport in Kerala. G. V. Raja travelled abroad frequently. During one of these visits, he is said to have seen an indoor sporting facility in Europe. The experience appears to have impressed upon him the possibilities of creating a similar sporting space in Travancore. According to His Highness Chembrol Raja Raja Varma, G. V. Raja’s son-in-law, whom the author interviewed, this experience prompted Raja to renovate the old hall at Shanghumugham and adapt it for sporting use. Raja Varma could not recall the particular tour, country or year, and these details therefore remain unidentified.

This is an important detail in the history of the building. The intention was not initially to construct a modern indoor stadium in the sense in which the term is understood today. Rather, an existing structure was given a new purpose and transformed into an indoor sporting arena.

By the 1950s, the hall had become associated with shuttlecock badminton, providing something Kerala’s open sporting grounds could not: an enclosed space where players could practise and receive coaching without being at the mercy of the weather. Its emergence coincided with a period when the sport was developing a stronger competitive base in the state, turning the hall into a place where young players could learn the game and experienced ones could continue their practice. The royal connection had not entirely disappeared either.

When Balagopalan Thampi began his coaching career in 1957, his first assignment was at the indoor hall at Shanghumugham. He had undergone specialised training in shuttlecock coaching at Thiruvananthapuram and subsequently worked at the hall as a volunteer coach and coordinator.

His recollections provide a glimpse of the venue’s sporting life during those early years. Practice sessions were arranged not only for young players but also for senior men and women of the Royal Family and senior Government officials who played there. The hall thus stood at an interesting point of transition: it retained a connection with the old royal sporting world while becoming part of the emerging culture of organised coaching and competitive sport.

But the significance of Thoonilla Kottaram lies beyond the career of any one coach or player. The building represented a new idea in Kerala’s sporting landscape, the possibility of adapting an existing space to create an indoor facility at a time when such venues were scarce.

Over the years, the hall’s sporting role expanded and became more firmly institutionalised. It eventually came under the Kerala State Sports Council and developed into the Indoor Recreation Centre at Shanghumugham. By the early twenty-first century, the facility was being upgraded to meet the requirements of tournaments and sports camps. A 2011 report on the proposed renovation referred to improvements to the roof and flooring and plans to make the centre more suitable for major sporting events and training camps.

The venue later became associated with the name of G. V. Raja, commemorating the man whose vision had helped give the old building its sporting life.

Its importance was demonstrated on an even larger stage when Kerala hosted the 35th National Games in 2015. Shanghumugham became one of the venues of the national sporting festival, with the men’s and women’s beach handball competitions held at Shanghumugham Beach. The beach, which had once formed part of the landscape of the Travancore royal household, had now become a stage for athletes from across India. The contrast could hardly have been greater.

In the early decades of the twentieth century, Shanghumugham was associated with the Maharaja and the world of Travancore royalty. In the decades that followed, the old hall acquired a new life through sport. Shuttlecock badminton gave it an early sporting identity; coaching and practice brought a new generation into its space; and institutional development eventually transformed it into a professional indoor sporting facility.

The story of Thoonilla Kottaram is therefore not simply the story of an old building that became a sports hall. It is a story of adaptation and continuity. A structure created for a royal world survived the disappearance of that world by finding another purpose. The ceremonial hall became an indoor court; the court became a training and competition centre; and the sporting venue eventually became part of Kerala’s modern sports infrastructure.

Its history also reminds us that sporting heritage is not always found in purpose-built stadiums. Sometimes it survives in buildings created for entirely different reasons and later given a new meaning. At Shanghumugham, a royal-era building found such a second life. Thoonilla Kottaram stands today as a physical link between the sporting world of Travancore and the organised, competitive sports culture of modern Kerala.

References

1. Government of Kerala, heritage inventory entry on Thoonilla Kottaram.
2. Interview with His Highness Chembrol Raja Raja Varma, son-in-law of Lieutenant Colonel G. V. Raja.
3. Oral recollections of the late Balagopalan Thampi, veteran shuttlecock badminton coach.
4. Official records and reports relating to the 35th National Games, Kerala, 2015.

Coming up next: SUNDAY FIELD & FLAME – 20th September 2026 : FROM BARRACKS TO PLAYING FIELDS:  The Travancore Forces and the Military Roots of Organised Sport in Thiruvananthapuram

Kerala Piravi: A Land Born, A Spirit in Motion

 Yesterday, on November 1, Malayalis across the world celebrated Kerala Piravi, the birth of Kerala. Today, as we pause a day later, we remember that Kerala Piravi is not merely a date on the calendar, but the living spirit of a people united by culture, art, and sport.

 
The Birth of Kerala – Why November 1 Matters
Kerala Piravi - the birth of Kerala - is not merely a date in a calendar; it is the day when a scattered people discovered themselves as one. Before 1956, Malayalis lived under different crowns and administrations, spread across Travancore, Cochin, and Malabar, their lives shaped by varied rulers but bound together by one language, one rhythm of festivals, and one cultural breath.
 
When India reorganized her states on the basis of language, Kerala was born, uniting the princely states of Travancore and Cochin with Malabar and Kasaragod. This was more than a political map being redrawn; it was the recognition of an identity that had existed for centuries. November 1 is thus a day of remembrance and renewal, a reminder that Kerala was not created by decree alone, but by the spirit of her people.
 
Before Kerala Was Born - A Shared Heritage
The story of Kerala is not one of sudden creation but of gradual convergence. Travancore, with its royal patronage of education and arts, nurtured a refined cultural climate. Cochin, small yet vibrant, became a crossword of trade and intellectual ferment. Malabar, under British rule, saw the rise of missionary schools and modern institutions that quietly sowed the seeds of organized sports. Though politically distinct, the heartbeat of these regions was strangely synchronized, the same songs were sung at harvest, the same pride in local strength, the same joy in communal gatherings of play.
 
Kerala’s culture has long been alive with motion. From the rhythmic steps of dance to the disciplined gestures of ritual performance, folk theatre and traditional artforms trained the body as much as they expressed the spirit. In temples, village squares, and festival grounds, the movements of artists - bending, leaping, balancing, stamping - became a living vocabulary of strength, agility, and coordination, preparing generations for both play and performance. Physical culture was never alien here. Village courtyards, temple grounds, church compounds, and mosque festivals often doubled as arenas where youth tested their agility, endurance, and courage. The games played were not merely for recreation; they carried within them the wisdom of the land - exercises that tuned the body to the demands of rivers, forests, and fields. Thus, when Kerala was finally born as a state, it inherited not only the Malayalam tongue, but also an unbroken rhythm of cultural and physical vitality.
 
Land of Rivers, Hills, and Hidden Strength
Kerala has a geography that trains its children even before they step onto a playground. The backwaters that ripple silently demand skill to row and balance; the hills that rise on the horizon challenges the body to climb and conquer; the endless stretches of paddy fields teach patience, endurance, and teamwork. The coastline, with its ceaseless tides, sharpens resilience in those who depend on the sea for life.
 
It was only natural that games and physical activities evolved to mirror these surroundings. They were not imported pastimes but organic expressions of survival and celebration. Every child who ran through paddy ridges, swam across streams, or wrestled in the sand was unknowingly preparing for a life of stamina. This natural training ground has, for centuries, been Kerala’s silent coach, shaping a people whose bodies and spirits carry hidden reserves of strength.
 
From Tradition to Organized Sport
As the mid-twentieth century unfolded, the winds of change carried Kerala from tradition to modernity. Military contonment, Missionary schools, princely rulers, and early colleges introduced organized sports such as cricket, football, hockey, volleyball, basketball and athletics. The culture of play that had always existed found new forms and structures. By the time Kerala Piravi was celebrated in 1956, the foundations of a sporting state had already been laid.
 
In the decades that followed, the people of Kerala walked confidently from local playgrounds to national arenas. Athletics, football, volleyball, shuttle badminton, swimming, and hockey became the state’s proud signatures. The discipline inherited from cultural traditions found fresh expression in structured training, while the spirit of unity born on Kerala Piravi pushed young men and women to compete not just for personal glory, but for the pride of their land.
 
Kerala’s Athletes - Cultural Ambassadors
Sports in Kerala have never been only about medals; they have been about representing a culture. Every athlete who carried the flag onto national or international arena also carried the ethos of Kerala, humility in victory, grace in defeat, and discipline in effort. They became cultural ambassadors, telling the world of a small state that stood tall through its people.
 
From the sandy football grounds of Malabar to the athletic tracks of Thiruvananthapuram, from village volleyball nets to cricket pitches, Kerala’s children have kept alive the rhythm of motion that began centuries ago. Each achievement is not isolated but rooted in a collective heritage. To speak of Kerala’s sporting excellence is to speak also of her rivers and hills, her festivals and rituals, her communal spirit of play.
 
And among these torchbearers shine the proud women of Kerala. Their presence is seen not only on athletic tracks and courts, but also in the realms of art, dance, and literature, where discipline of body and depth of spirit unite. They have carried forward traditions while breaking barriers, proving that Kerala’s strength is not confined to one gender but shared by all. In their grace and grit, they embody the true spirit of Kerala Piravi, a land where culture and courage walk hand in hand.
 
Kerala Piravi - A Living Call
Kerala Piravi is not a backward glance into history but a living call into the future. It reminds us that identity is not static; it grows when nurtured. Just as Kerala united politically in 1956, so too must we unite today in building healthier generations. Our children stand at the crossroads of opportunity  with talent flowing through their veins, but needing structured support, scientific guidance, and disciplined monitoring to reach the highest podiums.
 
As we celebrate Kerala Piravi, let it be more than songs and speeches. Let it be a pledge: to strengthen the body as we nurture the mind, to honor tradition while embracing modern science, to ensure that every child has the chance to discover their strength in play. The world is waiting for more champions from this small strip of land. With unity of purpose and dedication, Kerala can continue to surprise the world, a land small in size, but vast in spirit.
 
A Pledge for the Future
As we look back on Kerala Piravi, celebrated yesterday, let us also rise to responsibility. Let us dream of a state where playgrounds are as sacred as classrooms, where sports is as valued as academics, where health and discipline walk hand in hand with culture and tradition.
 
Let us envision a tomorrow where the children of Kerala, born of rivers and hills, step confidently onto world arenas, their footprints carrying the mark of a land that has always been in motion.
 
Kerala Piravi is not just about the birth of a state; it is about the rebirth of hope each year. And hope, when nurtured with discipline, can indeed climb the world’s highest podiums.
 
References
Enlite IAS. Kerala Piravi. https://www.enliteias.com/kerala-piravi/

Coming up next: SUNDAY FIELD & FLAME – 09 November 2025: How Sports Got Their Names: A Study in Etymology