Vanji bhoomi

Vanji bhoomi, or Vanchi bhoomi, was the national anthem of the Kingdom of Travancore. It was formally known as the Vancheesamangalam or "prayer for the Lord of Vanchi".

Vanji bhoomi, meaning the land of Vanji, is a reference to Thiruvanjikulam, the ancient capital of the Cheras, and the lord of the land, the Chera's tutelary deity, Vanjinathan, a name for Shiva.

Written in Malayalam, it was sung in honour of the land and its king, until 1947, and the merger of the Kingdom with India, when it was supplanted by the Indian national anthem Jana Gana Mana.

Lyrics

The first verse of the anthem ran thus:

Vanji bhoomi paadhey cheeram,

Sanjidhaapan jeyikenam,

Vanji bhoomi paadhey cheeram.