Zamorin Raja P.K. Kerala Varma Passes Away at 89

On September 8, 2026, Zamorin Raja P.K. Kerala Varma breathed his last at a private hospital in Kozhikode. He was 89, a respectable age, and he slipped away while receiving routine treatment – a quiet end for a man whose life was anything but ordinary.

Kerala Varma hailed from the Thekkekettu branch of the historic Puthiya Kovilakam in Thiruvannur, but in his later years he lived at his home in Chinthavalappu, Kozhikode. Those who knew him remember a gentle presence, a scholar‑type who could discuss the chemistry of antibiotics as easily as the history of his lineage.

A trained pharmacist, he earned his degree from L.M. Pharmacy College in Ahmedabad back in the 1950s. After stints at German Remedies in Mumbai and at Kozhikode Medical College, he set up Narniat Pharmaceuticals. The company quickly earned a reputation for producing and exporting medicines – especially antibiotics – to far‑off markets.

His work didn’t stay confined to the lab. Kerala Varma was honoured by both the central and Kerala state governments for excellence in exports, a testament to his knack for turning scientific know‑how into economic value. He also chaired the Industrial Estate Manufacturers Association in Kozhikode and sat on the Small Industries Association, where he championed the cause of budding entrepreneurs.

Beyond business, he lent his expertise to public health. As part of a team with the state’s Filariasis Research Centre, he helped design a programme aimed at curbing filariasis in the Lakshadweep islands. He also served as a pharmacology adviser to venerable institutions like Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Sala, Oushadhi and Vaidyamadham.

Kerala Varma’s contributions were recognised abroad as well; he was a member of a Central Export Promotion Council committee that examined industrial opportunities in nine countries, including Australia. Those trips, he later joked, were the only times he got to “see the world” beyond the confines of his laboratory.

He is survived by his wife, Jayasree Varma, his daughter Sunidhi Raja, his son Dr K. Sujith Varma and their families. On Tuesday morning, his body was brought back to his Chinthavalappu residence. The funeral rites were scheduled for 6.30 pm at Smrithipatham Crematorium on Mavoor Road.

While the news of his passing spreads through Kozhikode and beyond, those who worked with him recall a man who blended humility with ambition, who believed that science could serve both commerce and community. His legacy, etched in the tablets of Narniat Pharmaceuticals and in the health programmes he supported, will linger long after the final incense has faded.