Keeping alive the tradition, N.K. Saumyavathi Thampuratti, a member of the erstwhile Cochin royal family of Vayaskara Illam, was presented with the customary Uthrada Kizhi here on Tuesday. The kizhi is a token amount being provided to the members of the erstwhile royal family by the government on the occasion of the Uthradam day.
The kizhi, consisting of an amount of ₹1,001, was handed over to Thampuratti, wife of A.R. Raja Raja Varma of Vayaskara Illam, by Kottayam tahsildar K. H. Muhammed Nawaz. Deputy tahsildar U. Rajeev, and Kottayam village officer Tomy Mathew were present on the occasion.
The tradition dates back to the pre-Independence period when the king of the erstwhile Cochin State decided to present the women members of his family with a purse for Onam shopping. With the merger of the Travancore and Cochin States, the tradition was formalised as an endowment called Travancore- Cochin State Charities-Sree Rama Varma Endowment-Uthradom Payment and the responsibility was undertaken by the government. As per the practice being followed every year, the amount for the endowment is sanctioned from the Thrissur district treasury and will be brought to the Kottayam taluk office by a representative of the Thrissur District Collector.
