Raja Chandra Chaitanya, the 42nd titular king of Ettayapuram, led a public demonstration on September 23 demanding the removal of what he called long-standing historical inaccuracies surrounding the Ettayapuram Samasthanam. The protest drew over 600 participants, including local traders and residents, who marched with slogans and placards. AIADMK leader P Chinnappan joined the gathering, assuring that if the party returns to power, a memorial hall (Manimandapam) would be built to honour Ettappa Maharaja.
Controversy Over ‘Ettapan’
At the centre of the campaign is Chaitanya’s appeal to correct what he terms a “deeply painful historical inaccuracy.” For decades, the name “Ettapan” has been stigmatised, largely due to its depiction in the iconic Tamil film Veerapandiya Kattabomman, where Ettapan is shown as a traitor who betrayed Kattabomman to the British.
Chaitanya argued that this portrayal is misleading and has unfairly tarnished the Ettayapuram royal family’s legacy. He pointed out that such misrepresentation has also found its way into school textbooks. After raising the issue with Tamil Nadu Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, he was assured that corrections would be made in future editions. Still, Chaitanya maintained that wider public awareness is essential.
#WATCH | Tamil Nadu: The erstwhile 42nd titular king of Ettayapuram, Raja Chandra Chaitanya led a protest in Ettayapuram of Thoothukudi district on 23rd September, urging the government to remove historical inaccuracies about Ettayapuram Samasthanam King. Over 600 participants,… pic.twitter.com/WTN2EF2nhE
— ANI (@ANI) September 24, 2025
Cultural Legacy Of Ettayapuram
Beyond this contested narrative, Ettayapuram has a strong cultural heritage. The royal court was a patron of poet Subramania Bharathi—bestowed the title “Bharathi” by Chaitanya’s great-great-grandfather—as well as Carnatic composer Muthuswami Dikshitar, who spent his final years in Ettayapuram.
The Samasthanam also supported the publication of Sangita Sampradaya Pradarshini and provided patronage to Tamil literary figures such as Umaru Pulavar. Chaitanya underscored that these contributions demonstrate Ettayapuram’s enduring role in India’s literary and artistic traditions.
