Maharani Karthika Tirunal Lakshmibai, the senior-most member and queen mother of the Travancore Royal family, died in a hospital in Thiruvananthapuram due to ill health. The 92-year-old Lakshmibai, who was unwell for quite some time, is survived by three children. People from all walks of life gathered at the Kottakkakam palace in the city, where the body was kept for the public to pay their last respects.
She was sister of the last ruler of Travancore princely state, the late Sree Chithira Tirunal Balarama Varma, and the present head of the family Uthradam Thirunal Marthanda Varma. Her husband, Col Godavarma Raja, a reputed patron of sports, predeceased her 27 years ago. She was laid to rest with full state honours in the Kawadiar Palace compound. People cutting across class and caste barriers paid homage to their queen mother, who had been witness to an eventful period including the end of the princely rule in Travancore.
Born in 1916 to Ravivarma Koithamburan and Rani Sethu Parvathibai, Lakshmibai was deeply interested in music, literature and sports. She was well-versed in Sanskrit, English and French. She was the first member of the royal family to visit a foreign country breaking the age-old taboo on crossing the seas. Travancore was merged with other Malayalam-speaking state of Cochin on July one, 1949 to form Travancore-Cochin and later with the Malabar district of Madras state on November 1, 1956 to form Kerala state.
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