Head of Zamorin’s family of Kozhikode passes away

P.K. Kerala Varma Raja, head of the Zamorin’s family of the erstwhile Calicut Kingdom, passed away on Tuesday (September 8, 2026) morning. He was 90. 

Mr. Raja was a resident of Chinthavalappu in Kozhikode City. He took charge as the head of the family in June 2025 after the demise of K.C. Ramachandran Raja, a management expert, whose tenure at the helm spanned only a couple of months. He belonged to the Puthiya Kovilakam branch of the family from Thiruvannur. 

Mr. Raja had been trained in pharmacology and was a recipient of a number of awards for his business expertise. He is survived by his wife, Jayasree Varma, daughter Sunitha Raja and son Sujith Varma.