Kottarakkara, also known in the ancient days of the kings as the
Elayadathu Swarupam, was a principality ruled by a branch of the
Travancore Royal Family, later the kingdom collapsed and some elite Nair royals settled in the Thrikkannamangal region of Kottarakkara. It is the home of
Kathakali, a well known dance drama which originated initially as
Ramanattam created in the 17th century by Prince Kottarakkara Thampuran and later patronized by the Raja of Kottarakkara in the early 19th century absorbing other dance forms of
Krishnanattam with further innovations. ==Etymology==