75th Anniversary of Travancore-Cochin Merger Celebrated Today

Today marks the 75th anniversary of the historic merger of Travancore and Cochin, which paved the way for the formation of the state of Travancore-Cochin, also known as Thiru-Kochi, on July 1, 1949. This momentous event united Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Travancore, as the capital of the new state, which also saw Thiruvananthapuram become the center for the Legislative Assembly and the Secretariat, while Ernakulam housed the High Court.

Travancore Maharaja Chithira Thirunal was appointed as ‘Rajapramukh,’ a position similar to that of a governor, with the Cabinet led by Paravoor TK Narayana Pillai. The newly formed Travancore-Kochi Legislative Assembly comprised 178 members from the legislatures of both states. Thiru-Kochi was classified as a Part B state in the Republic of India, with six representatives in the Rajya Sabha and twelve in the Lok Sabha. The state of Kerala was later formed by combining most of Thiru-Kochi with the Malabar district and Kasaragod taluk of the Madras state.