Nagercoil Ammachi (Kalyani) was the wife of Ayilyam Tirunal. She was very popular and widely respected. Danish painter Theodore Jensen, who came to Travancore, declined to coach Ravi Varma, painted a portrait of the Maharajah and the Ammachi, but the young Ravi Varma pulled off a surprise by gifting the ruler a similar portrait, but much superior in quality, instantly landing into Jensen's bad books.