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.