(Left) Zamorin of Calicut, KCU Raja, with chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan at the latter's office in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday. Photo shared by Pinarayi on Facebook. Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Assembly Tuesday witnessed a rare meeting of democracy and erstwhile royalty as the present zamorin of Calicut visited chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan at his office here.
Nonagenarian KCU Raja, the present zamorin, called on Pinarayi at his office along with his family members.
Known as 'Samoothirippadu' in local parlance, the 'zamorin' is the hereditary title of rulers of the erstwhile princely state of Calicut in Malabar region (north Kerala).
A 92-year-old engineering graduate, Raja later said it was a courtesy visit and their intention was just to convey their wishes to the "people's ruler".
He gifted the chief minster an ink pen and books on the history of Calicut.
When the erstwhile royal requested to retain the hereditary trusteeship of temples, enjoyed by zamorins for years, Pinarayi said the state government had no plans to make any changes in this.
The zamorin of Calicut is still the trustee of over 45 Hindu shrines in Malabar region, even decades after the end of royalty.
KCU Raja was anointed as the zamorin four years ago.
It is for the second time that the head of zamorin family arrived here to call on a chief minister.
In 1999, P K Eattanunni Raja, the then zamorin and his family members visited chief minister E.K. Nayanar at the secretariat here.
