G. V. Raja
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Lt. Colonel P. R. Godavarma Raja |
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| Native name | Karthika Nal Godavarma Raja |
| Born | Poonjar Royal House, Kottayam |
| Died | Kulu Valley |
| Cause of death | Air Crash |
| Body discovered | Yes |
| Monuments | G.V. Raja Sports School, G. V. Raja Sports Stadium (Thiruvananthapuram), G.V. Raja Award For Excellence in Sports,G. V, Raja Award For Excellence in Tourism |
| Residence | Thiruvananthapuram |
| Nationality | India |
| Other names | G. V. Raja, Thirumeni |
| Citizenship | Indian |
| Education | S. M. V High School (Poonjar), MD Seminary Higher Secondary School (Kottayam), Degree In Medicine from (Madras ) (unfinished) |
| Occupation | Served as one of the Officers of Travancore Army from 1934 and retired with the rank of Lt. Colonel, Founder & Lifetime President of Kerala Sports Council (1954-1971), Officer Commandant of Travancore University Labour Core, Physical Education Director of Kerala University (first director), President of Lawn tennis Association, Vice-President of Board of Control for Cricket in India |
| Years active | 1933-1971 |
| Known for | Sports & Tourism Promotion and Administration, Infrastructure Development |
| Home town | Poonjar |
| Title | Lt. Colonel |
| Spouse(s) | Maharani Karthika Thirunal Lakshmi Bayi of Travancore Royal Family (m. 1934) |
| Children | Crown Prince Avittom Thirunal Rama Varma (died at the age of six), Princess Pooyam Thirunal Gowri Parvati Bayi, Princess Aswathi Thirunal Gowri Lakshmi Bayi and Sree Padmanabhadasa Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma |
| Parent(s) | Narayanan Nampoothiri of Puthusseri Mana (father), Karthika Nal Ambalika Thamburatty of Poonjar Royal House (mother) |
| Relatives | Maharajah Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma (brother-in-law), Uthradom Thirunal Marthanda Varma (brother-in-law) |
Lt. Col. P. R. Godavarma Raja (13 October 1908 – 30 April 1971) often referred to as G. V. Raja, was a sports and tourism promoter and administrator, pilot, sportsman and Sanskrit scholar . He took special care in inspiring the youth into sports and was instrumental in founding the Kerala Sports Council in 1953. G.V Raja occupied the post of Council President till he was killed in a flight mishap in 1971. G.V Raja also played a key role in establishing the Thiruvananthapuram Tennis Club, Flying Club, and the development of the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport.
G V Raja was the founder President of the Kerala State Sports Council as well as Kerala Cricket Association, and patron of a large number of sports clubs and associations. The CricInfo website reports that Raja was the first Keralite to become the Vice-President of Board of Control for Cricket in India, and had he lived, he would have become President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India.
G.V Raja was also the President of Tourism Promotion Council of Kerala. He was the main architect in developing Kovalam as an international tourist spot. He died in an air crash near Kullu (Kulu) Valley on April 30, 1971. Sports journalists, historians, experts and sportsmen consider him as the Father of Sports and Tourism in Kerala. G.V Raja's birth anniversary, 13 October, is observed as "Kerala Sports Day".
P. R. Godavarma Raja was born to Ambalika Thamburatty of Poonjar Royal House and Puthusseri Narayanan Nampoothiri on 13 October 1908 at Poonjar as the couple's third son in Kottayam India. The Poonjar dynasty originated from the Pandyan Kings of the Sangam Age. The founder of the dynasty, Manavikrama Kulashekhara Perumal, was a Pandyan king whose mother was a Chera princess. In 1152 AD, he shifted from Madurai to Poonjar due to the incessant civil wars in Tamil Country. In his flight from Madurai over the Nilgiri hills, he and his family carried with them one of the three idols of Meenakshi, their "Kula Devatha", which was used in the annual car festival of Meenakshi Sundareswara. It was established as a "Pratishtha" in the Meenakshi temple on the banks of the Meenachil river. Manavikraman Raja purchased the land that covers present day Kottayam, Pathanamthitta and Idukki districts from the Tekkancoor Rajas. Erattupetta was the commercial center of the Poonjar kingdom.
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