In July 2020, two newspaper articles appeared in the Kochi edition of Malayala Manorama and New Indian Express, Kochi edition. The story concerned the Railway line brought from Shornur to Ernakulam by Raja Rama Varma, July 2nd being the 118th anniversary of the day when a train chugged into the first Ernakulam train station located behind the current High Court building. This old beautiful heritage building stands abandoned and both newspapers urged authorities to restore it and reuse as a tourist attraction.
In summary, both articles said that the Raja did not have financial resources at the time and still due to his vision and leadership qualities undertook the project. The cost was high due to delays and cost overruns caused mainly by the British authorities and Raja sold gold from the Tripunithura temple (14 gold nettipattams used during temple festivals to adorn elephants) and other assets.
Upon review of my write-up about Raja Rama Varma, I felt I had not addressed the funding of the railways issue adequately. Therefore adding this update:
As the articles correctly pointed out, the Maharaja previous to Rajarshi considered the idea of a railway line but did not go through it as he was averse to debt financing.
A proposal to do a cooperative venture with Travancore was not approved by the British.
Raja Rama Varma,( Rajarshi) who came to the Throne in 1895 submitted a bold proposal to the British Government to bring the Railway line from Shornur to Ernakulam for the economic development of the Cochin State, even if it involved using the reserve fund of about Rs 44 lakhs and resorting to debt financing to meet capital expense.
In 1070 ME ( 1895) the revenue of the Cochin State was Rs. 20,02,940 as per the Cochin State Manual by C. Atchuta Menon (published in 1911) and not Rs.2 lakhs as stated in the article. Even though the projects embarked on by Rajarshi required the issue of two debentures for Rs. 10 lakhs each, Cochin State was not in serious financial distress.
The Reserve fund came about in the prudent way previous Rajas and their Dewans managed the State Finances creating a surplus.
The breakdown is as follows:
The projected cost of the railways was 44 lakhs, revised to 50 lakhs. The length of the line was 65 miles of which 18 miles ran through Travencore territory.The British accepted the proposal. Work started on the line in 1896 and finished in 1902 by Madras Railway Company after much delays and cost over runs.
The final tally was Rs 70 lakhs. To make up the deficit, Cochin State issued two debentures of Rs 10.00 lakh each. They set up a sinking fund to collect funds to retire the debt.
They contracted with a British company to run the Railway line just as done in Madras.
The British were so satisfied with the Raja’s administration that permission was granted to start a tramway from Parambilulam to Chalakkudi in 1901 itself. That cost Rs 18.47 lakhs including cost overruns.
In 3 years' time, the Tramway transported 83,000 candies of Timber of an approximate value of Rs 17.5 lakhs. The railways were generating revenue from goods transport and travel. By 1910, for the year ending 1910-11, the excess revenue over expenditure was close to Rs 6 lakhs. By 1914, a surplus of 12,02,271 was accomplished.
All the state financial records are reported to the British Resident’s office and reported to the Madras Government. They are now archived in the British Library in London and were reviewed by me as part of my overall research. In contrast, stories about the Raja selling gold from temples and family jewellery to finance the railways are not substantiated by any records of the devaswams. The articles published in the papers obviously rely on some evidence perhaps anecdotal. Such data need to become a part of our Cochin Royal family history. I urge anyone with reliable information to please come forward and add to this chronicle.
(The source for the above information is from The Cochin State Manual written by C Achyuta Menon, in 1911. He was asked to do the book by Dewan Banerjee. The copy I have here with me in Seattle is a reprint of the book from the University of Michigan Libraries Collection, pages 184, 282 and 361.)
Rajarshi had a vision and had leadership qualities to implement it with the concurrence of the British Government who conferred on him many honors. He was made Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of India in 1897. Lord Curzon who held him in high esteem visited the state in 1902 and commented that Cochin was one of the best-administered states in India.. At the Coronation Durbar, he was invested with the insignia of the Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India. Seventeen Gun Salute was raised to 19 Gun Salute.