On Sunday morning, the College of Agriculture, Vellayani, was buzzing with activity. Nearly 100 heritage and history enthusiasts were visiting the college, which is celebrating its diamond jubilee, with the aim of exploring the heritage structures on the campus and understanding their historic relevance.
The visit was organised by Heritage Walk, an informal collective, which has been organising similar ‘walks’ since its launch in October 2013. Led by its coordinator and archaeologist Bina Thomas, the Heritage Walk is intended to familiarise its participants with the history and heritage of the city of Thiruvananthapuram.
Housed in the Lalindloch Palace, the College of Agriculture has been designed as a blend of Western classical and traditional architectural styles.
Conservation architect Sharat Sunder Rajeev, who was present on the occasion, explained that Lalindloch was a royal ‘dream house’ set amidst the meandering emerald lake and lush groves. He also elaborated on the architectural style and the various features of the structure.
Welcoming the participants, Stephen Devanesan, Dean (Agriculture), Kerala Agriculture University, spoke of the various milestones of the college during the past 60 years.
The name
Elaborating on its historical context, historian and journalist Malayinkeezhu Gopalakrishnan pointed out that the palace had been built in the late 1920s and occupied by the Senior Maharani Sethu Lakshmi Bayi and her family in 1930. The palace was affectionately called ‘Lalindloch,’ a name derived by combining the first three letters of the names of her daughters Lalitha and Indira with the Scottish word ‘loch’ that stood for lake.
Following a breakfast, arranged by the college and which comprised mainly of tapioca, the explorers proceeded for a short trip to the picturesque Vellayani freshwater lake. The participants lamented the fact that the lake’s expanse has considerably reduced over the years.
