Meet Raman Rajamannan, Kerala’s only tribal king, invited to attend Republic Day 2025 ceremony in Delhi

Kerala’s only tribal king, Raman Rajamannan, is set to attend the Republic Day 2025 ceremony in Delhi. The Scheduled Tribes Development Department has invited the king and his wife to attend as guests.

In Kerala's Idukki district, Kovilmala, locally known as Kozhimala, is a small village and tribal settlement close to Kattappana. With more than 48 towns ruled by the king, it is the only tribal kingdom still in South India.

The invitation letter was presented to the king by O.R. Kelu, Minister for Welfare of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Backward Classes. Officials say this will be the first time a tribal ruler has participated in Delhi's Republic Day procession. Mr. Rajamannan and his wife, Binumol, will have their travel expenses covered by the SC Development department.

In 2012, Rajamannan took over as the tribe's ruler from Ariyan Raja Mannan. Having graduated with a degree in Economics from Maharaja's College in Ernakulam, he is the only literate king from the Mannan community.

The invitation was personally delivered to the king by O. R. Kelu, the Kerala Minister for the Welfare of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Backward Classes. His participation in the parade represents the government's initiatives to acknowledge the nation's various tribal communities and further the ideals of inclusivity and national unity.

Pandian, a Mannan community member, had previously received an invitation to Delhi's Republic Day festivities. The first tribal ruler from the community to attend the function, though, will be Raman Rajamannan.

Rajamannan, a 39-year-old farmer, lives a basic existence in a small home. At social events, he wears a traditional headdress called a Thalappavu. Most of his tribe's members are also farmers, daily wage workers, or participate in the custom of obtaining forest products.

Rajamannan has already arrived in Delhi with his spouse, Binumol. The Department of Scheduled Tribes Development has paid for their travel expenses. They will tour Agra and other significant historical sites in the nation's capital while they are there. Before their return to Kerala on February 2, they will also have meetings with President Droupadi Murmu and other notable figures.