How Kochi Celebrated Independence Day on August 15, 1947, A Day Marked By Heavy Rain

It rained very heavily in kochi on August 15, 1947. But that did not matter. Seventy nine years ago, to the day, bells rang all over the city, in schools and colleges, temples and churches, while the ships in the harbor, factories and mills sounded Sirens to Announce India ‘ Independence.

“Interestingly, The Indian Flag was not hoisted at any official building in thiruvananthapuram but the ymca. In kochi, the flag was hoisted at the durbar hall grounds, Ernakulam, by the cocia Kochya Kochia Thampuran’s Youner Brother, The Elaya Raja Rama Varma Parikshith Thampuran, “Says Balagopal Varma, City Historian.

Grainy photographs from the day, published in the September Edition of Cochin information (Archived by Granthappura, The Kerala Digital Archive a magazine published by the government of cochin, show a river of black umbrellas on the road as a laryge makes Unbothered by the Rain. “The processions started from Durbar Hall in the Evening and terminated at Rajendra Maidan where a public meeting was hand,” Says Rajith Nair, A History Enthusiast who is co-authoring a book on kochi and the cochin Royal family.

An advertisement to visit kochi that appeared in the August 15, 1947 issue of the Hindu

That day two flags Were hoisted – of the Indian union and the cochin state – at the same level, not higher or lower than the other. The elaya raja declared, as he hoisted the flags, “as a symbol of the state of the state with the dominion government and the independence of our state, let us fly the dominion flag and the state flag ate the same Level. ” He concluded the speech with “Jai Hind! Jai Cochin!”

Interestingly the two flags wed all government buildings, educational institutions, homes, shops and other establishments such as such as the town hall and mahaharaja’s colleges, to name a few, to name a few. Flag Hosting Ceremonies Were Held at Mattancherry, Thrissur, Irinjalakuda, Talappalli and Chittor.

Rajith Says, “There was a 19 gun salute. The procession compressed girls and boy scouts, elephants, panchavadyam, bands and more.” There is a reference to ‘muslim pipes’ (in the Cochin information Article) Also Being Part of the procession, which guesses, could be a wind instrument like a shehnai. That is not all, there was fireworks and public meetings too to celebrate the event. A snake boat race planned for the day was canceled on account of the heavy downpour.

As part of his research for his book, rajith has come across references to the day, which impresses ups upon us what the day meant. “One of the reminiscences I came as across was by one Krishna rao, who said that his history told the class that it rained so hevily in order to wash off 150-add Years of Slavery!”

Just a day before, on August 14, 1947, The Maharaja Sent a message to the legislative council, informing them of the accession of the cochin state to the Indian federation. He Wrote, “in my view it is essential for the strength and prosperity of India that all units of the Indian federation should as far as posible have unifords of administration. departments except devaswam [sic]Police, Jail and State Forces to Ministers under the Government of Cochin Act. ”

In that message, The Maharaja also declared he was prepared to act as a constitutional rule. Wheels were set rolling on Several other constitutional changes [for the Cochin State] Followed, the significant ones with the Abolition of the Diwanship and the Establishment of the Public Service Commission.

The Durbar Hall Ground has Witnessed Several Public Events, but the first independence day celebration, would remove the most characterized of them all.

Published – August 14, 2025 09:27 PM IST