His humble beginnings started as an apprentice at a small provisional store at Mannar run by his uncle. Seeing the potential of the metal craftsmen who had migrated to Mannar in the 16th Century for the construction of Thrikoratty Mahadeva temple, PRM Swami stepped into the metal crafts business. Initially, he started off as a supplier of metals and raw materials for the casting of metal crafts. Unlike these days with modern means of transportation and better roads, the supply of raw materials in bulk posed its on unique challenges along the way. Back in the days, transportation was primarily through river ways and the goods had to be manually transported in small boats or “ vanchis “ which demanded immense man power. In those days the artisans worked at their homes with the assistance of their family members. There were no established factories or industries to bring this extensive craftsmanship under one umbrella. PRM Lakshmana Iyer is the pioneer in inviting the craftsmen spread across Kerala to join hands and form a workshop to promote the hand-crafted metal works of Mannar to next level in an organized establishment. Slowly orders flowed in and the standing of workers also prospered. Initially, thrust was to manufacture Uruli, Varpu, Kindi and the like which were then commonly used in Kerala household. When the mantle of carrying on the tradition was given to the later generations, P.R.M. ventured into large scale manufacturing of all bronze items, temple works, church bells, decorative items, statues, idols etc. P.R.M. Lakshmana Iyer’s son L.Ramaswamy Iyer, now 90 years old, developed the business over the past few decades and presently the company is run by his sons R.L.Sharma and R.Venkatachalam. Thanks to the 120-year-old tradition and expertise in the field, P.R.M. Lakshmana Iyer Associates has an enviable track record in creating some of the historical landmarks of creations in bronze. Numerous art and history lovers, tourists and pilgrims from different parts of the world gaze at these amazing creations, and laud the expertise of P.R.M. in the field.
