This Kerala tribal king had a gala time in Delhi, attending parties of PM Modi, President

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New Delhi: Raman Rajamannan, the king of the Mannan tribe in Kanchiyar hamlet in Kerala’s Idukki, took off his pearl-clad turban, shawl and ornate wristband with conch shells and paddy grains to don a winter jacket before he and his wife headed to the Rashtrapathi Bhavan. The Mannan tribe in Kanchiyar is one of the only two tribal royal families in the country. Rajamannan and his wife Binumol were special invitees at the Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi.
Interestingly, this is the first time that Raman Rajamannan and his wife have travelled outside Kerala. Besides, this was also the couple’s first aeroplane journey. OR Kelu, Kerala’s Minister for the Welfare of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes, handed over the invitation to the Republic Day celebrations to the tribal king. Every year, the state government sends a tribal couple to New Delhi for the Republic Day.
“We saw the Prime Minister, President and other leaders closely and attended the parties hosted by them. We travelled by underground metro rail in Delhi. The cold weather wasn’t challenging as are from Idukki, a relatively colder region in Kerala,” says Raman Rajammanan. The couple has visited all the major tourist spots in the city. They are accompanied by the ITDP officer of Nilambur, C Ismail. The royal couple will return to Idukki on February 2.
“Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister when someone from the Mannan tribe last travelled out of the hamlet to participate in the Republic Day events. It was my grandfather’s younger brother Pandian who travelled to Delhi then. He was called Delhi Pandian after he returned from the capital. Now, people have been moving to other places to study and work. It is indeed a privilege for a tribal king to get the chance to attend such a grand national function,” said Raman Rajamannan. Raman Rajamannan, who graduated in Economics from the Maharaja’s College in Ernakulam, is a farmer who works for the welfare of his people. The king plays a pivotal role in the unique rituals of the Mannan tribe. Besides the regal garments, the king is often accompanied by two ministers and soldiers.