Chapter 3

Chapter 3 The result of Missionary Movement. A hundred-year-old Tract, The Value of News Letters. Background of the district of Ganjam, Rescue from danger, Reiteration of pledge. "For whom He foreknew, He also predestined whom He predestined, these he also called;Whom he called;these he also justified; and whom he justified, these he also glorified." Rom 8:29-30 In His self-affirming will, God carry out things in ways that are mindboggling; Multifarious are His manifestations! Missionary Movement Missionary movement was spreading across the nation at that time. In the 1800's, William Carey arrived in Serampore near Calcutta and started printing some translations of the Biblical portions. Rev Des Granges, sent by the London Missionary Society, reached Vizag in 1805, learned Telugu and translated the gospels of Mathew, Mark and Luke into Telugu, before he died on 12th August 1810. And these were printed in Serampore in 1819. Another Missionary by name Prechette translated sections of New Testament at Vizag which were printed in Madras in 1819. Perhaps they were reprinted by the Bible Society in 1829 in Madras. We shall look at the amazing impact of these printed publications. Those Missionaries who came to Vizag, died rather too early; consequently, the good news did not reach the vast regions from Calcutta to Madras as much as it could have been. However, Roman Catholics established themselves in some pockets of this region. The Godliness of the Battalion Chiefs In view of the national safety and to contain intermittent rebellious activities of the natives, the East India Company retained battalions at Vizianagaram, Srikakulam, and Berhampur towns. The 41st Battalion was stationed in Srikakulam, which had the God fearing British Officers like

Major Buxter, Captain Keeting, General Taylor, Lt. Fair, Captain Campbell, Captain Richardson, and Adjutant Evelyn. These officers were instrumental in the activities in the fields of Education, and the spread of the gospel. And Major Brett, a godly man was in Vizag. No. 9 ChristianTract- Lt. Hill With crude printing,done on very cheap paper, the no.9 Christian Tract carried the caption: "A leaflet from Christian Missionaries to all people in the region." A copy of this was given in 1825 to Purushotham Chowdary by his well educated elder brother Jagannadh Chowdary. Purushotham read it but could not grasp the message and he dropped it in his tin box. As though by divine prompting, in those days Lt. Hill, an Engineer went to Parlakimidi to survey the mountainous region of Madanapuram. When Purushotham saw the white man, he felt a surge of electricity and remembered the tract he dropped in his box 7 years earlier. That was nothing but God visiting Purushotham. He promptly searched and retrieved the tract and started to read it. Previously he could not grasp the message. That letter carried the supreme teachings that God is one and the other gods are virtually useless. Here below is the translation of two extracts from this tract with all its archaic literary style and printer's devils retained: "At the command of the Lord of the universe, we the teachers of this faith desire to proclaim to all in this nation, the saving message, which can rescue you from ignorance and put you on the path of eternal life." "There is only one God and only one mediator between God and men. And that is the man Lord Jesus. And the most distinct characteristic that makes him unique is the fact that he is sinless. He is the son of God. He lived as incarnate man with the name Jesus for thirty-three years on the earth teaching the Biblical truths. In the proof of what he taught, he performed miracles, and led a perfect life. Out of sheer grace he gave himself up to be tortured and crucified so that he could reconcile man with God, bestow forgiveness and heaven to

all that are saved. By dying, and by getting up out of the tomb with resurrected life, he showed himself to his followers for 40 days to prove that he is the savior of the world. He then entrusted to his disciples, the unique task of spreading the gospel to all nations. Then he took them on to a mountain, blessed them and ascended to heaven as they watched Him in wonder. If anyone wants to be saved, he has only one savior- Lord Jesus. If anyone is interested in knowing more about the gospel, he is advised to see us in person. We are always ready to answer any questions regarding the gospel." Purushotham weighed the implications of the invitation to Christian faith and its fundamental doctrines. He took note of the invitation of the writers of the tract to come and know more about this way. Despite his oath to stay put in the 'Avadhoot Ashram' decided to put aside his own conviction for the time being and look more carefully into Christianity. So, he started gathering opinions on Christianity. Some said it was good and others said that he would lose his religious identity. However, he continued his investigations into Christianity. Probably here he got hold of three more tracts circulated by the officers of the battalion, namely "The details of creation," "The way to heaven," "Message of truth by the Teacher that shows the right path" with the help of his friends in other villages. By reading these, he came to learn about Satan, and the advantages of following Christ, things he did not learn from the earlier tracts he read. He realized that Christianity is superior to the Path of Brahma Gnana. Purushotham found a prayer at the end of "Message of truth by the Teacher that shows the Right Path" invoking love for God. It was nothing like the 'Guru Guhya Mantra' because it expressed heartfelt love for the transcendental God. On the same day Purushotham whole heartedly owned this prayer and revoked his old faith that says "Teacher is Brahman; Teacher is Vishnu; Teacher is Maheswara; Guru is the transcendental Brahma personified; for that reason, I bow to the Teacher." He rescinded "Gayatri Mantra," and "Sandhya Vandanam1." He took an oath on the prayer mentioned in

the tract, considered it the highest mantra, chanting it 40 to 50 times a day in all contingencies and conditions. Inquisitiveness for the Way of Truth Even if an enlightened man owns monotheism, shuns caste, and hates idolatry, where can he find forgiveness of sins in the man-made philosophies? How can men who desire sinful pleasures know secure and auspicious ways? As Purushotham moved into the Christian ethos accepting the Godmade, and appropriate ways, he gave up the idea of turning into an ascetic which made his friends and relatives glad. But they were not aware of his deep religious involvement with Christianity. In 1832 he went to a Roman Catholic temple in Vizag to find out more about Christianity, where he spoke with someone there. The idols he saw inside the temple, were not in agreement with what he heard. There were no missionaries there at that time as the only one- Rev James Dawson of London Missionary Society had just passed away. Rebellion Offers Invitation According to Russell's report, there was a spell of rebellion which Raja Jagannath Gajapathy Narayana Dev was heir apparent to Parlakimidi royal state. There was a misunderstanding between the queen consort Patta Maha Devi and Queen Mother Swagee Devi on the issue of Court of Wards. In July 1822, the then Governor of Madras Sir Thomas Munroe visited Parlakimidi. At that time, rebellious factions were engaged in open street fights. And the provincial ruler Raja Jagannath Gajapathi Narayan Dev and his consort desired to be under the Court of Wards and appointed a warrior named Rekhani Chandrudu in charge of the Court affairs. The king's household went underground. The rest of the household colluded with the Bisoi and started looting. Rekha Chandrudu, on his part, given the authority by the queen, started exalting himself having 1175 soldiers at his beck and call. The mansion he constructed in Rekhani street in Parlakimidi hundred years earlier, stood strong to this day. One day

there was a "Purana" recital in his house in which the balladeer went wrong in his recitation. Purushotham passing by, heard it, went in, corrected him and told him the right order. From that time onwards this household developed great respect for Purushotham. They urged him to read the Puranas and interpret them, since his voice was sonorous. Until recent times, old man Rekhani Mukuda Das was in the practice of extolling the physical stature and good looks of Purushotham Chowdary and the good old days. A Teaching Position in Parlakimidi and Christian Religious Discussion In 1832, Purushotham opened a school in Parlakimidi with his brother's permission. He used to take his meals in the Kings Devi Mutt and sleep on the paved verandah of the house. While he was there, he wrote a letter containing issues regarding Christian faith and sent it to a white missionary, a Priest in Barampuram through a servant. The servant happened to give it to a Roman Catholic and was told that the Priest was away at Vishakhapatnam, and his name was Deun Jeujevier De Attai De, and if he liked, he could go and see him, and if his return was delayed, there were two missionaries in Cuttack one of whom had come to Berhampur and distributed some tracts. The man also told the servant that there was no relation between their faith and the faith of the Roman Catholics. When Purushotham received the answer, he found the very name of the priest which was too long, repellent and did not respond to it. And in the very same year, i.e. 1832, on 20th June, Queen Victoria took the royal throne of England. Honorable G. E. Russell Arrives In view of the increasing unrest around Parlakimidi region during 183233, East India Company sent the Hon'ble George E. Russell, a senior member in the Revenue Board and member of The Madras Governor's Council. Russell was appointed Commissioner and was sent to Parlakimidi. He reached Parlakimidi on 18th Feb 18333. Purushotham sent an enquiry letter on Christian faith to him and waited for a reply.

Because Parlakimidi was at the foot of Matsyagruha mountain (popularly known as Boyeedi Konda), even as early as in March the climate tended to be very hot and people in general slept indoors despite the heat for the fear of rebels. That night our 30-year old well-mannered householder, fair in complexion, completed his daily ablutions, dismissed his disciples, had his dinner, prayed with all intensity seeking salvation and went to the portico of the Rekhani household to sleep. He said his evening prayers he read some time ago, written in the tract "Message of truth by the Teacher that shows the right path." He wondered why the battalion arrived in Parlakimidi, and what surprises would ensue. Then he entrusted himself to the Savior he found and slept. Danger Averted On 9th March 1833, the 41st (N. I.) regiment under the command of Captain Logan moved from Srikakulam to Paralikimidi in aid of Commissioner Russel. That very night the soldiers planned their strategies to capture the rebels, and at the dead of the night carried out a surprise attack on the house of Rekhani Chandrudu. Purushotham, who was halfasleep in the portico got up and tried to escape (like king Jehoshapat, 1 kings 22:32-33). When the soldier hit Purushotham with a cane, he tried to ward off the blow with his right hand, and it broke his little finger on the right hand. Then they took Purushotham to stand before Russell, despite his protestations. But Russell understood that Purushotham was the person who sent him a letter regarding Christian faith, and released him. It was not acceptable to release any one that was caught in the house of a rebel, but just because of divine intervention, Purushotham was set free on the grounds that a devout Christian cannot be a rebel. While God had a different purpose with Purushotham, how could soldiers bind him? The same God who rescued Peter from Herod, now miraculously rescued Purushotham for a greater purpose. Whatever the pain Purushotham might have suffered that night with the broken finger, the finger remained bent for

the rest of his life. People say to this day, that children of that time, good naturedly made fun of him with bent fingers saying "Grandpa, salaam!" I heard about this episode from my father and Mr Kirti Steven, who heard this from Purushotham. What made Purushotham unhappy was not the broken finger but the fact that he lost the opportunity to discuss Christian faith with Russell. As the saying goes, the barriers that Purushotham was encountering in the way of faith were just in order to make him more steady and robust in his quest. Preparation for a Trip to Madras By faith Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season… (Heb 11: 24-26). Purushotham, likewise considered it great to be with Christ than to be under the royal shelter of Parlakimidi. He was never discouraged but very determined in his purpose and thought for a long time and arrived at a plan of action. In those days, there was not a single protestant missionary between where he was staying and Madras. Therefore, he made up his mind to somehow reach Madras, in order to have the good fortune of visiting a good teacher of the gospel, and hear the excellent narratives of the Lord Jesus Christ in detail. He was wondering how he would make such a long and arduous journey and started to explore ways and means. Even though there weren't any who embraced Christianity in that area, some religious conservatives were spreading propaganda that the white people were all Christians, that they did not have any rites and rituals; that they did not care whether a person was Mala (one of the untouchable castes in Telugu area) or otherwise; that they were employing the untouchables unabashedly as cooks; that the caste system would be polluted by convertion into Christianity; gradually the Hindu temples would fall into ruin; and the priestly vocation would disappear, taking away the livelihood of the priestly class.

Thus, fearing, some people started spreading malicious rumors that the religion of Christ was 'Mala' religion. Those who converted, would be spat upon, and their mouths would be stuffed with beef. They taught that those who said that the idols that were consecrated by Brahmins were not Gods, would have their eye balls explode in their sockets. Thus, many untrue tales were spread. In those days, there were educated, intellectual and pious people, who just like uneducated ones, strongly believed that the Hindu Dharma should prevail, and not the strange traditions of the white people. This new religion would not be beneficial to the people. Some were even abusive of the new faith. They made it a point that the very name of the Christ religion should not be uttered in their households. Jagannath Choudhry, the elder brother of Purushotham was a learned man, and well-versed in Hindu traditional literature. He was the "Tembur group Official Steward and Contractor with twelve people groups and many villages under his jurisdiction. He was an accomplished overseer acting on behalf of the government. After the demise of his father, Purushotham Chowdhary, excepting in matters of religion, was in obedience to his brother. Jagannath Chowdhary used to look after all the family expenditure and affairs. Our Hero, used to keep securely what was left from the rupee that he earned from his students in the school, tied it at the end of his 'dhoti' (a rectangular piece of unstitched cloth, usually around 4.5 meters (15 ft) long, wrapped around the waist and the legs and knotted at the waist) and pushed under his belt. This was not known to anyone. His intention was to use the money for his needs as long as it lasts on his way to Madras, whenever opportunity presented itself. And for his upkeep in the strange place of Madras, he felt that he could beg for alms. Thus, he was determined to make the 400 to 500-mile journey to Madras, and have consultations with the Pastors and obtain enlightenment about the religion of Christ. A Rare Opportunity Presents Itself As the saying goes, "Good things come to those who wait." By the will of God, Jagannath Chowdhary had to go to Srikakulam on a legal

matter. Probably Purushotham in the month of April 1833 went to Madanapuram from Parlakimidi. He convinced his relatives saying that he would attend to the work to be done by his brother, and left for Srikakulam. Attending to the task at hand, he managed to send his relatives away beforehand. The rupee he kept secretly was with him intact. He took along with him the four tracts he found, the letter written by the Catholic man and his own letter to Mr. Russel. 1. Sandhyavandanam literally means "salutation to Sandhya" the twilight. Thus, Sandhyavandanam may be defined as the ritual "salutation to twilight or the solar noon." 2. Russell's Report No XXIV, Page 36 3. Russels report No. XXIV Vol 1 page 43