SETHUPATIS THE ROYAL FAMILY WHO GUARDED THE RAMA SETHU

SETHUPATIS THE ROYAL FAMILY WHO GUARDED THE RAMA SETHU

Sept. 30, 2007

Dhananjaya Bhat

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community guarding the Sethu since the times of Rama, the first historical reference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.