Articles and Photos by Regu George
A line up of the few of the vehicles of the Mundakayam Peermade Motor Transport Company at Kottayam from Circa 1914.
The successful company was registered under Travancore Regulation I of 1863 , on the 11the day of August 1914 with an authorized capital of Rs 600000 (divided into 12000 shares of Rs 50) , but the present issue is Rs 330000.The directors were Messrs J.A. Richardson , J.R.Vincent , and J. Dell and the registered office at Kottayam !
These are rare photos from year 1914 of the motor Lorries and the Motor Garage at Mundakayam..
The first two Halley lorries arrived in Mundakayam in year 1912 each capable of carrying three tons, thus beginning the era of motorways in this belt.. With the advent of plantations in the Mundakayam -Peermade in the beginning of 1900 century era , exceedingly rich agricultural area which owing to their most inaccessible positions in the mountainous region was not giving way to returns which are in any way commensurate with their possibilities. Bullock carts were proverbially slow and often unreliable , and very frequently the case, the produce from the rich fertile acres cannot be disposed to the best advantage. The problem of overcoming the obstacles of difficult and expensive transport led Mr. J.A. Richardson of Ashley Peermade to give a serious consideration to this problem , as he represented several estates in the region which were severely handicapped to this situation. He on behalf of three companies he managed brought the first two Halley Lorrie’s to the region in 1912.
As a result a syndicate was formed among a number of owners of Peermade and Mundakayam Estates on the 1st of Dec 1912 and a service was for with inaugurated for the carriage of estate produce , general goods and supplies as well as passengers between Kottayam and Mundakayam covering a distance of 35 miles. The venture was so successful that two other Lorrie’s of similar make but with a carrying capacity of four tons were ordered from England and on their arrival , one of the three ton lorry was converted to a ‘char a banc’ for passenger service only.
After a period of 13 months the venture was successful and after expenses a dividend of 8.69 percent could be declared. The syndicate decided to sell the goodwill of the business and the rolling stock to a number of gentlemen . The sale was completed on 1st Jan 1914 , and the newly formed company styled as The Mundakayam – Peermade Motor Transport & Aerial Ropeway Co Ltd forwith continued the motor service which had been commenced by the syndicate.
Yes Plantations led to a pioneering motor company with business opportunities paying rich dividends ….
Would be interesting if this site of the motor garage still exists in Mundakayam and also any of the vehicles of this pioneering motor company with any collectors!
Maharani Sethu Lakshmi Bayi, Queen of Travancore with her royal consort Sri Rama Varma and her two daughters . Picture is taken during her reign of Travancore kingdom
She, the Visionary & Progressive Last Forgotten Queen of Kingdom of Travancore ( 1924-1931) Maharani Sethu Lakshmi Bayi under whose realm a pioneering plantation industry was building up from the 1900s which included the beautiful hills of Peermade and its surrounding areas. The Queen during her reign , who gave leases of land & forests to the enterprising planters , build in Peermade amidst the tea estates , her summer retreat home in year 1926 and named it Indira , which was the name of her second daughter , The Princess of Travancore Kingdom.
He , the visionary Entrepreneur & Planter Mr. KV Thomas Pottamkulam, well known for his philanthropy, from this plantation area, owner of Sea View Estate – Mundakayam , small town boy whose footprints reached beyond the seven seas and bringing back the global exposure & expertise back to build his hometown. Widely traveled , he and his wife were the only South Indian passengers in the maiden transatlantic voyage after World War II on 16 October 1946 from Southampton , UK to New York of the world famous luxury cruise liner RMS Queen Elizabeth.
The change in Power Dynamics in the Kingdom of Travancore saw the stature of the Maharani Sethu Lakshmi Bayi diminishing. Her eldest daughter Princess Lalithamba Bayi moving to Bangalore with her family in 1949, and her second daughter Indira Bayi & family to Madras in early 1950s. The Maharani started disposing all her private estate in her beloved kingdom after Indian Independence which included her summer home in Peermade.
From year 1950 , Rome- Mr KV Thomas Pottamkulam & his wife Mrs Thresiamma. with the Swiss Guards
Mr. KV Thomas became the new owner of the Maharani’s home in Peermade amidst the tea estate in year 1950 , by buying this property from her. His frequent travels globally gave him the exposure and saw an opportunity to come up with a hotel of International standards in this picturesque town of Peermade , another Ooty or Simla type hill station in Kerala , where travelers and guests from the mainland’s have an comfortable luxurious place for stay. It was in this royal residence in Peermade, he established the International Hotel in year 1950, as seen in picture 3. The era of time in newly independent India , when the idea of royal residences getting converted to hotel had not started as we see now nor were hotel chains present , people were used to staying in travelers bungalows , speaks of the caliber of K V Thomas visionary traits to bring up the plantation town . In fact the well known actor Shashi Kapoor with his English in-laws , the Kendal’s traveling theatre Shakespearean is have said to have stayed here in those times of the 1950s.
The guests at International Hotel were welcomed into a charming colonial bungalow hotel with gardens carpeted with beautiful flowers of the season to a well appointed drawing room , that held plush sofas and hunting trophies on the walls , fireplace to sit around with hot cups of the steaming local tea .Retainers dressed in white , who served the old fashioned bakes and pies , continental fare , cooked by the cooks who learned the trade from the English plantation homes .
The Last Queen of Travancore , Maharani Sethu Lakshmi Bayi ( 1895- 1985) moved to Bangalore from Trivandrum in year 1958 to join her eldest daughter and in Bangalore she breathed her last in year 1985 , never returning even once back to her beloved kingdom .
Mr. KV Thomas came up with a second hotel in Trivandrum which became the capital of the newly formed state of Kerala , called Magnet Hotel in the 1960s and in Trivandrum , away from the hills , he breathed his last on August 1,1974.
International Hotel Peermade 1950s.
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The summer retreat home , Peermade