Great Christian Poets of Mylaudy:  Mr. John Palmer [1812-1883] :

The great Christian lyric poet  Mr. John Palmer was born at Mylaudy , near Nagercoil , Kanyakumari district on the 15th, November, 1812 , in the family  Maharasan  Vethamonickam of Mylaudy village .

He is considered as one the greatest Christian lyric poets next only to Vetha Nayagam Sasthiriyar  of
Thanjavur.

His birth  and family geneoly ;   John Palmer was  privileged to born in the family of Maharasan Vethemanickam, of Mylaudy ,the man who was responsible for bringing  the London Missionary Society's legendary  missionary  Mr. Ringetaube   to Kanyakumari District [South Travancore] in1806.  Johan Palmer was generally  and shortly called as  "JaPa " in Tamil .  JaPa was born on the 15th  of November , 1812, at Mylaudy , as the eldest son of Mr. and Mrs.Gnanapragasam Thesikar  of Mylaudy, a cousin of Maharasan Vethamonickam.  Mylaudy is a lovely idyllic village surrounded  by lotus ponds , coconut and mango tree gardens and verdant  fertile paddy  fields , located at a distance of  7  miles from Nagercoil ,near the famous Marunthuvalmalai, [Medicine Hill].

Geneology:  Mr.Gnanapragasam begot John Palmer, John Palmer begot  Abel Palmer  [Abel Palmer's brother Solomon Palmer's daughter,  Mrs, Manonmani was the wife of Mr  Gnanamuthu Jesudasan , the first ordained Indian Pastor of M.E.L.I.M--I.E.L.C.],  Abel Palmer begot Retnam Palmer,  Retnam Palmer begot  Muthuraj Palmer , Muthuraj Palmer begot Herbert Palmer , Herbert Palmer begot  Moses Palmer and Mr Moses Palmer is living with us today [ Mr. Moses Palmer is working with World Vision].

Education:   The legendary  L.M.S. missionary  Mr. Charles Mead  , shifted the Head Quarters of Mylaudy LMS  Mission field , from Mylaudy to  Nagercoil  in  1818 and  established a  Seminary at  Nagercoil  with the help of the fellow  missionary  Mr. Charles Mault in 1819.  Along with the other Mylaudy  lads like Devaram Biddulph, Christian, Moses and  three  others , John Palmer also had the privilege to continue his education at the Seminary at Nagercoil with help of Mr. Mead and Mr, Mault.   Tamil , English, Malayalam, Sanskrit, Greek, etc were taught as subjects at the Seminary.  JaPa  successfully completed  his  education at the Seminary.  In recognition of his educational accomplishment,  John  Palmer  was sent to  a famous Seminary , in Ceylon  for higher education by Mr. Charles Mead , Mr.  Charles Mault  and Mr. Knill .

John  Palmer  and Mr.Charles Mault :  On his return from Ceylon , Mr John Palmer was appointed as the Native Assistant to Mr Charles Mault, at Nagercoil  and also as an Assistant at the London Missionary Printing Press , Nagercoil . John Palmer was a born writer and poet  and  his job at the Printing Press helped him  immensely to improve his writing skill.

Family Life :  John Palmer married  Perinbamammal on the 5th of July, 1830.  He led a happy conjugal life with his loving wife  and they were blessed with many children . Mr. Charles Mault , Mrs. Mault  and Mrs. Eliza Caldwell [ The legendary wife of Dr. Robert Caldwell , the Author of the monumental book , The Comparative Grammar of the Dravidian  or South-Indian  Family of Languages, London, 1875 ]   were highly helpful to Mr. John Palmer's family in  many ways..

The great Christian lyrical poet Mr  John Palmer.   Mr. Mault and Mr. Mead identified the literary talents of John Palmer and spontaneously encouraged him  in his literary endeavors and travel. John Palmer wrote many beautiful and  meaningful  Christian Lyrics in  beautiful Tamil in melodious ragas [tunes]. All his melodious lyrics became instant success and were  with great reception,  included in the Christian Hymn and Lyric Books of the day  , of the Established Christian denominations of Protestant Christianity and were sung in the worship services with great enthusiasm and inspiration  because of  the tunes and the meanings of his Tamil  lyrics . Even today his lyrics are being sung in all the Protestant  Tamil Churches  like C.S.I , Lutheran Churches and such others , throughout the globe including India ,  Sri Lanka , Malaysia, Singapore , U.k. U.S.A  etc . The following are some of Ja Pa's very popular lyrics:  "Suya  Athihara ", "Bethalaiyil  Piranthavarai ",  "Osanna Paduvom " ,  "Innalil Yesunathar  Vuyirthar ",  "Aridathil  Yehuvom " ,   "Yesuvava Kirubasanapathiyae"  , Thevathi theva Thirumarai aruzhiya,  karunakara Theva..,Charanam, Charanam, Charanam..,Aa Varum Nam Ellorum  Koodi ,  Athi Anthamillatha Thevathi Thevan , Ventha thuyar neekiya.., Masilla Yesu vallalai Valththuvoma , Chuthihariyayo Thurkunam Neenga,  Parana Vunai Nambinan Vuramudan Thangiyah, Theeyan Ayienan Iya Ezhiyan , Iaiya Nan Voru Jenmi Aananna , Gunam Ingitha Vadivai  Vuyar kova Yesu Theva and so many others.

John Palmer's other literary accomplishments :   John  Palmer was  a  prolific  writer,  and some of his well known Tamil  books are listed below :  1.Gnanapatha  Keerthanam[Christian Lyrics],  2. Christhayanam [Life of Christ],  3.Messiah Vilasam [The Life of Christ in lyrics]  4. Sathyavetha Charithra  Keerthanai [ bible History in lyrics]  and  5.Pramanthakummi [ The heavenly delight]. Among his Tamil  creative works , "Christhiyanam ", is his masterpiece. This book has been written in the form of the Hindu Tamil Epics  "Ramayana ",  'Naidatham"  and   Beschi's   "Thempavani ".   It   is  divided  into  four  parts:

Part  I [Balakandam--Birth] deals with the birth of Christ , Part  II [ Kirya Kandam- Ministry] deals with the ministry of Christ,  Part  III [Avastha Kandam-Passion] deals with the Passion of Christ and  Part  IV [Arohannakandam -Ascension] deals with the resurrection and ascension of Christ.  This monumental book consists of 842 stanzas.  It is the moral responsibility of all the Tamil Christians  and  scholars to introduce this great masterpiece of  the great Christian Lyrical Poet  Mr. John Palmer , to the Tamil speaking world, in a proper , suitable and befitting  manner.

Conclusion :  Mr. John Palmer [Ja Pa] is no more with us but he lives in his Christian lyrical poems and also in his other  Great Tamil books penned by him .  After the retirement of Mr. Mault from the Mission owing to  the unkind  treatment received from members of the Chuch and Mission , Mr. John Palmer left the L.M.S. Mission  and entered Revd. Mead's service at Trivandrum.  Mr.Mead employed him in the Chaplaincy School,Government Press, and in some other offices. Mr.  Palmer's beloved wife Perinbam Ammal died on the  9th , February, 1859.  Mr. John Palmer died on the 2nd April 1883 at the old age of 71, and his mortal body was interred at the Christ Church Cemetery, Trivandrum.    The unoffical  ' Poet Laureate ' of  Tamil  Christan  Lyrics is silently sleeping in the Cemetery of Christ Church , Trivandrum

C.M. Agur, B.A.,  the great Church Historian and Author of the Landmark book," The Church History of Travancore"[1903], writes about Mr. John Palmer , "Mr.Palmer's style is plain. He confines himself to Scriptural thoughts and uses appropriate epithets suited to the language and habit of thought of Tamil Christians who are delighted with his simple and elegant Lyrics. Mr. Balm has remarked that what Dr.Watts , who aimed to sing for children by the very simplicity and beauty of his style was in England so Mr. Palmer was in the South Indian Church " .

P.BABU MANOHARAN, M.A, [Rights reserved  This Article will be enlarged , modified and corrected later , if needed]


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