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| The Poonjar palace built by Poojar Dynasty youtube.com |
The Poonjar dynasty traces its roots to the Pandya kings of Madurai. Its founder was Manavikrama Kulasekara Perumal, a Pandya ruler whose mother was from the Chera royal family. In 1157 CE, Manavikrama suffered defeat at the hands of Chola King Kulothunga Chola. After this loss, he appointed his brother Maravarman Sreebhallava as ruler of the Pandya territory and departed from Madurai with his family and loyal attendants. Initially, Manavikrama settled in the Gudalloor (also spelled Koodallur or Kudallor) region, and from there gradually made his way into Kerala. His journey took him through places like Kumily, the Periyar area, Kolahalamedu, and Vagamon before he came to establish a base in the Thekkumkoor region.
During this flight from Madurai, he carried with him the idols of Goddess Meenakshi (their kuladevata or tutelary deity) and Sundareswarar (Shiva)—these had been used in the annual chariot (car) festival in the Madurai Meenakshi temple. These idols were later consecrated in the Meenakshi Temple on the banks of the Meenachil River at Poonjar.
An important episode in the legend of the Poonjar dynasty is the attack by robbers near Vandiperiyar while Manavikrama and his entourage were travelling. According to tradition, they were saved by a mahout on an elephant—believed to be Lord Ayyappa in disguise. In gratitude, Manavikrama had idols of Ayyappa installed: one in the Dharma Shasta temple at Poonjar and another temple at Vandiperiyar.
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| Poonjar Kottayam Dist., Kerala en.wikipedia.com |
After acquiring lands from the Thekkumkoor rulers, Manavikrama settled finally at Poonjar, establishing the palace and his center of rule. The territories under his domain grew over time to include regions such as Cumbum, Uthamapalayam, Dindigul, Bodinayakkanur in Tamilakam. Through marital alliances — notably with the Edappally Raja — he also strengthened his political reach. By about 1425 CE, the kingdom had expanded to an approximate area of 4,000 km² (around 1,500 square miles).
Thus, the Poonjar dynasty represents a royal lineage that, while displaced from its original Pandya homeland, re-established itself in Kerala, blending Pandya sacred traditions (like carrying the Meenakshi deity), local territorial acquisitions, temple building and political alliances to build a kingdom with both cultural and administrative stability.
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