Dr Achuthsankar S Nair on Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma

“Swathi Thirunal was a Honorary Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society. This society was founded in 1823 by the eminent Sanskrit scholar Henry Colebrooke and a group of like minded individuals. It is also seen from The Asiatic Journal and Monthly Register for British and Foreign India, China, and Australia, Published by Parbury, Allen, and Co., 1835, that Swathi Thirunal was a patron of the Madras Literary Society.”

“There are many other evidences of Swathi’s efforts to promote education and modern science....Many of his reforms were progressive and many put an end to superstitions. One instance would be enough to mention in this regard – abolishing the practice of Sucheendram Kaimukku where accused persons were to dip their fingers in boiling oil to prove their innocence.”