The Pazhavangadi Maha Ganapathy temple is situated at East Fort in the heart of Thiruvananthapuram
City. The main Deity of the temple is Sri Mahaganapathy (Ganesha). The main idol is installed in a
seated posture with the right leg in a folded stance. The temple is situated in close proximity to
the Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple. Other Deities worshiped at the temple include Dharmasasta, Goddess
Durga and Nagaraja. The temple sculptures include 32 different forms of Lord Ganesha.
Some of the major festivals celebrated at the temple are Vinayaka Chathurthi (Ganesh Jayanthi),
Virad Chathurthi and Sankashti Chathurthi. Special Poojas are also performed on the occasion of
Thiruvonam, Vijayadashami, Vishu, etc.
The main Vazhipadu (Offering) is the breaking of coconuts at the temple. Other offerings associated
with Lord Ganesha like Ganapathy Homam, Appam, Modakam etc. are also performed here.
Early History of Travancore State and Travancore Army
The history of temples at Thiruvananthapuram owned by the Madras Regiment and managed by the Madras
Regimental Centre is associated with the history of Venad (later Travancore) and its army. The
earliest recorded reference on Venad is found in the Madras Museum plates of Parantaka Neduncatain
whose period has been ascribed to 765 and 815 A.D. In this period, the royal family of Venad resided
at different places resulting in establishing five branches (taavazhis) viz., Venad, Tiruvitaamkod,
Trippaappoor, Chiravaayi and Desingnad. Of these, the first three branches assumed responsibilities
of ruling the principality. Venad ruler, who also used the title of Chiravaayi Mooppan, was the
sovereign authority. Trippappoor (or Keezhperur) Mooppan was considered as the heir-apparent with
distinct responsibility to administer the Sree Padmanaabhaswaamy temple in particular and other
temples in the principality in general. At that time the jurisdiction of Venad extended over a small
tract lying between Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam (Quilon). It, however, got independent status in
the beginning of the twelfth century, after the decline of power of the Kulasekhara Empire in
Kerala. By the end of thirteenth century, Venad flourished with Kollam (Quilon) as its capital.
Towards the beginning of the fifteenth century, the capital of Venad was shifted from Kollam to
Tiruvitaamkod (now in Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu). The rulers of Venad continued to have
their seat at Tiruvitaamkod till Darapakulangara palace was built at Kalkkulam. The political scene
of Venad underwent remarkable changes when Anizham Tirunal Veera Bala Marthaanda Varma assumed as
Trippaappoor Mooppan and later when he ascended the throne of Venad in 1729 A.D. (904 M.E.) at the
age of 24, following the demise of his uncle Veera Rama Varma. His first major step was suppression
of his hostile feudal elements and he carried out the annexation of several principalities on the
north of Venad viz. Attingal estate, Desingnad, Elayadatth swaroopam, Kayamkulam, Ambalapuzha,
Tekkumkoor, Vatakkumkoor besides small territories belonged to nobles. He thus became the first
local Raja whose jurisdiction extended from Kanyakumari in the south to Arookutti in the north.
Further he was responsible for the establishment of a centralized administration. Maarthaanda Varma
(1729-58 A.D.) rebuilt the Kalkkulam palace in 1744 A.D. and shifted his capital from Tiruvitaamkod
to the new place and renamed Kalkkulam as Padmanaabhapuram. From the time of Maarthaanda Varma the
unified state is known as Tiruvitaamkoor (or Travancore in later records). After the unification of
the state he took a momentous step of Trippati Daaanam (dedication of the kingdom) to his tutelary
deity Sree Padmanabhaswaamy of Thiruvananthapuram on 5th Makaram 925 M.E. corresponding to 03 Jan
1750 A.D. Thereafter he and his successors ruled Travancore as Padmanaabha-daasas or servants of
Sree Padmanabhaswaamy. By the Trippati Daanam concept the State belonged to the Lord and it helped
in the long run to pave political stability in the State.
Consequent to the establishment of a centralized military monarchy, Maarthaanda Varma took
initiative to strengthen his armed forces, as by this time Travancore became a great political power
to be reckoned with in southwest of India. In 1757, the Travancore Army consisted of 30,000 Nairs
(10,000 regular and 20,000 irregular infantry). Due to renewed insurrection within the army in 1809,
the whole military force of Travancore was disbanded with the exception of the First Nair Battalion
and few mounted troops who were retained for purposes of State and ceremony. A Second Battalion of
Nair troops raised the strength of the army during the reign of Raani Gouri Paarvathi Baayi
(1815-29) besides forming a new detachment of artillery. Though the Nair battalion continued from
1809 A.D. the designation of the army was changed as Nair Brigade only in 1830 A.D. In 1836 all
British troops in Travancore with an exception of one regiment, which was left at Kollam, were
withdrawn and the Nair Brigade took over the barracks at the Cantonment (Thiruvananthapuram)
occupied previously by the British. They continued there till 1935 when the Nair Brigade was renamed
as State Forces and their Station Headquarters shifted to the present site at Pangode. In 1951 the
State Forces were integrated with the Indian Army and these forces later formed part of the Madras
Regiment. All the officers and jawans who gloriously served the State Forces till 1956 were closely
associated with the temples managed by them at Pazhavangadi and at Pangode.
ORIGIN AND HISTORY OF TEMPLES MANAGED BY TRAVANCORE ARMY
The origin of Sree Maha Ganapathy temple at Pazhavangadi is connected with Padmanabhapuram, the
erstwhile capital of Venad. The legend says that being the capital and seat of the Raja, the
soldiers had to guard the Padmanabhapuram Palace and the Fort on all sides by sentries. On one of
its side is the famous shrine of Yakshi (fierce Spirit Goddess) at Melaankot. Because of the greater
fierceness of Yakshi no soldiers dared to take up duty at this point. Whoever had taken night duty
was seen lying unconscious on the ground the next day morning. This continued for a long time. On
one occasion, the duty of guarding Melaankot fell on to a devotee of Lord Ganapathy. While he was
taking bath on the duty-day in the close-by Valliyoor River, his leg touched a stone lying in the
river-bed. When he took the same out of the river-bed, he found it to be a very small idol of
“Lord
Ganapathy”, of about six inches. Feeling the divine grace, he decided to take the idol in his
pouch
at the time of his duty. As usual Yakshi tried to harm him but Lord Ganapathy guarded him from her
blows. Seeing the soldier return harmless the next-day morning other soldiers were very curious and
enquired about the reason for his safety. Initially he was reluctant to reveal the reason but on
persuasion he divulged the possession of the idol and its immaculate powers. As the idol was shown
to the sentry by the Lord Himself, other soldiers in the barracks of Padmanabhapuram took initiative
(around 1750 A.D.) to worship the same within the barracks before commencing their official
daily-routines. From that day onwards “Lord Ganapathy” became a war-God of the Nair Brigade. As
the
idol was obtained by the will and blessings of the Lord from a river-bed, the idol is considered as
self-revealed, one of Lord (swayambhoo) and soldiers were bestowed with the responsibility of
preserving the idol at all cost without causing any damage to it for ever. They continued to worship
this idol at Padmanabhapuram till it was shifted to Thiruvanathapuram, during the reign (1758-1798
A.D.) of Sree Kaarttika Tirunal Maharaja, popularly known as Dharma Raja. In this context, it has to
be mentioned that Sree Padmanabhaswaamy temple possesses, perhaps, the largest and most fabulous
hoard of palmyrah-leaf records ever discovered in Kerala, dating back to 550 Malayalam (Kollam) era
(1375 A.D.). These records are popularly known as Mathilakam records and is written in ola (palmyrah
leafs) and kept in churunas (scrolls). In churuna 11 ola 150 it has been stated in one of such
records that silver throne of Maharajah was brought from Padmanabhapuram for his use in 935 ME/1760
A.D, which indicates the year of shifting of capital to Thiruvananthapuram in 1760 A.D. In another
such record (Volume 13, Churuna 1282 of 946 M. E / 1771 A.D.) it has been stated that “to be free
from the obstacle of rain during the ezhunellatt (procession of Maharaja) towards east 300 coconuts
have been broken at the Pazhavangadi Ganapati temple.” This record throws light that the temple
was
in existence at Pazhavangati earlier than 1771 A.D.
When the capital of Travancore was shifted in 1760 A.D. from Padmanabhapuram to Thiruvananthapuram,
major portion of the army was also moved to Thiruvananthapuram. The idol of Lord Ganapathy was also
taken to Thiruvananthapuram and for sometime kept under a peepul tree of Sree Pazhaya
Sreekanteswaram temple. Then with the generous help of Dharma Raja a small shrine was built in the
Magazine Area, located in the Fort Area (present Pazhavangadi) around 1765 A.D. Renovations were
carried out in later years particularly during the period of Aayilyam Thirunaal Raama Varma Maharaja
(1860-80). Subsequently two minor deities were installed viz, Goddess Durga Bhagavati (symbolizing
sarva-sakti-swaroopani or as an embodiment of all energies) and Lord Vettakkorumakan (younger son of
Lord Siva in Goddess Paarvathi and is considered as war-God with churika (dagger) in hand). Thus all
deities in this temple are ideal and best suited for welfare of soldiers and success in warfare. The
exact dates of installation of these idols are not known. A Bhajana-mandapam was opened on September
9, 1983. Laying the foundation stone of the imposing Mandapam with gopuram on the eastern side of
the temple was done on 31st December 1993 and it was declared open on March 25, 1996. Major
renovations were also carried out in 1996. A Reference Library with rare collections of religious
books in Sanskrit, English and other languages was formally opened at the top floor of the
Bhajana-mandapam on March 9, 2003 The work of providing Lift service to the Library for the use of
public, especially for the use of senior citizens started on June 23, 2006 but it became fully
operative only in April 2009. Three sides of sub-shrines of Lord Vettakkorumakan and Goddess Durga
Bhagavati were covered with decorated brass sheets for safety and for ambience in August 2009.