1. The history of temples at Thiruvananthapuram owned by the Madras Regiment and managed by the Madras Regimental Centre is associated with the history of Venad (later Travancore) and its army. The earliest recorded reference on Venad is found in the Madras Museum plates of Parantaka Neduncatain whose period has been ascribed to 765 and 815 A.D. In this period, the royal family of Venad resided at different places resulting in establishing five branches (taavazhis) viz., Venad, Tiruvitaamkod, Trippaappoor, Chiravaayi and Desingnad. Of these, the first three branches assumed responsibilities of ruling the principality. Venad ruler, who also used the title of Chiravaayi Mooppan, was the sovereign authority. Trippappoor (or Keezhperur) Mooppan was considered as the heir-apparent with distinct responsibility to administer the Sree Padmanaabhaswaamy temple in particular and other temples in the principality in general. At that time the jurisdiction of Venad extended over a small tract lying between Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam (Quilon). It, however, got independent status in the beginning of the twelfth century, after the decline of power of the Kulasekhara Empire in Kerala. By the end of thirteenth century, Venad flourished with Kollam (Quilon) as its capital. Towards the beginning of the fifteenth century, the capital of Venad was shifted from Kollam to Tiruvitaamkod (now in Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu). The rulers of Venad continued to have their seat at Tiruvitaamkod till Darapakulangara palace was built at Kalkkulam. The political scene of Venad underwent remarkable changes when Anizham Tirunal Veera Bala Marthaanda Varma assumed as Trippaappoor Mooppan and later when he ascended the throne of Venad in 1729 A.D. (904 M.E.) at the age of 24, following the demise of his uncle Veera Rama Varma. His first major step was suppression of his hostile feudal elements and he carried out the annexation of several principalities on the north of Venad viz. Attingal estate, Desingnad, Elayadatth swaroopam, Kayamkulam, Ambalapuzha, Tekkumkoor, Vatakkumkoor besides small territories belonged to nobles. He thus became the first local Raja whose jurisdiction extended from Kanyakumari in the south to Arookutti in the north. Further he was responsible for the establishment of a centralized administration. Maarthaanda Varma (1729-58 A.D.) rebuilt the Kalkkulam palace in 1744 A.D. and shifted his capital from Tiruvitaamkod to the new place and renamed Kalkkulam as Padmanaabhapuram. From the time of Maarthaanda Varma the unified state is known as Tiruvitaamkoor (or Travancore in later records). After the unification of the state he took a momentous step of Trippati Daaanam (dedication of the kingdom) to his tutelary deity Sree Padmanabhaswaamy of Thiruvananthapuram on 5th Makaram 925 M.E. corresponding to 03 Jan 1750 A.D. Thereafter he and his successors ruled Travancore as Padmanaabha-daasas or servants of Sree Padmanabhaswaamy. By the Trippati Daanam concept the State belonged to the Lord and it helped in the long run to pave political stability in the State.
2. Consequent to the establishment of a centralized military monarchy, Maarthaanda Varma took initiative to strengthen his armed forces, as by this time Travancore became a great political power to be reckoned with in southwest of India. In 1757, the Travancore Army consisted of 30,000 Nairs (10,000 regular and 20,000 irregular infantry). Due to renewed insurrection within the army in 1809, the whole military force of Travancore was disbanded with the exception of the First Nair Battalion and few mounted troops who were retained for purposes of State and ceremony. A Second Battalion of Nair troops raised the strength of the army during the reign of Raani Gouri Paarvathi Baayi (1815-29) besides forming a new detachment of artillery. Though the Nair battalion continued from 1809 A.D. the designation of the army was changed as Nair Brigade only in 1830 A.D. In 1836 all British troops in Travancore with an exception of one regiment, which was left at Kollam, were withdrawn and the Nair Brigade took over the barracks at the Cantonment (Thiruvananthapuram) occupied previously by the British. They continued there till 1935 when the Nair Brigade was renamed as State Forces and their Station Headquarters shifted to the present site at Pangode. In 1951 the State Forces were integrated with the Indian Army and these forces later formed part of the Madras Regiment. All the officers and jawans who gloriously served the State Forces till 1956 were closely associated with the temples managed by them at Pazhavangadi and at Pangode.