God's Own Country" ?

 Why Kerala  is called "

God's Own Country" ? 

When India got independence on 15th August 1947, the Travancore Kingdom did not join the Indian Union Government. 

The Diwan of Travancore announced in June, 1947 itself that the Travancore Kingdom will be a separate country by itself. 

    

During that period, Travancore was well developed with Public Transport, Telephone Network, and Heavy Engineering Industries. 

The King undertook  all the expenses of the University. 

Also, all Hindus were allowed to enter into all the Temples without any caste bias  which was prevalent throughout India at that time. 

    

When talks were on between the Indian representatives and the King Chithirai Thirunal Balarama Varma, to make Travancore Kingdom as part of Indian Union, the King said, "this land does not belong to me. It belongs to Lord Anantha Padmanabha Swamy and I am only the custodian. If  Lord Ananthan asks me to do, I will oblige". 

The Indian authorities did not believe this and considered the King's statement was just to dodge the issue. 

    

But the Travancore authorities showed them a Palm Leaf dated 20th January, 1750 signed by the then Travancore King Anizhom Thirunal Marthanda Varma in favour of the Lord Padmanabha Swamy indicating that the entire Travancore Kingdom extending from today's Kanyakumari and Paravoor, belongs to the Lord. 

     

This is the reason, why the Kerala State is called "God's Own Country". 

This information was published in a recent issue of the Tamil Weekly Thuglak.