Rev.N. Devadasan[Home Church], a Brahmin convert  married  Vethamanickam's Granddaughter :   Part I:

The historical back ground and introduction : In anticipation of Mr.  Ringeltaube's departure from Travancore , the LMS, London, had already appointed another Missionary , the Rev. Charles Mead and he embarked with several other  Missionaries in 1816 including Rev. Richard Knill, and reached Madras on 28th of August ,1816.   Rev Mead  reached Meiladi[Mylaudy]  via Colachel harbor ,in the beginning of 1818 and found that Mylaudy Maharasan Vethamanickam , had carried the London Mission work with great diligence and success.  Charles Mead was joined in September , 1818 by Rev. Richard  Knill. .  At that time Colonel Munro , the British Resident offered Mr. Charles Mead, his own Circuit Bungalow at Nagercoil , for  Mead's occupation . Mr Mead gladly accepted the offer and   shifted his Head Quarters to his new bungalow at Nagercoil  from Mylaudy.   Both Mr.Mead and  Mr. Knill moved to Nagercoil to reside ., Moreover Mr  Mead with the help of Colonel Munro, received from the Ranee[Queen] of Travancore, a piece of land around the Mission Bungalow at Nagercoil , on which the present  Home Church, The LMS Press [CSI Diocesan press] and the Women's Christian College now stand. Moreover the Travancore Ranee gave Rs. 5000/ to the London Mission of South Travancore as donation .

The Foundation stone  of the Home Church , Nagerecoil was laid on New Year day, 1819:

During the two years immediately following the arrival  Mr. Mead ;about 3000 persons chiefly of Nadar caste converted as LMS Christians. , in South Travancore . The congregation at Nagercoil alone numbered then, 300 and a large Chapel for occasional united meetings at the Head Station was being urgently required .

The Foundation stone of the Home Church Nagercoil was laid by Mr. Knill on New Year's day , 1819. Rev S. Mateer writes," . " Striking evidence of the strong faith and hope of these early labourers is seen in the noble dimension of the chapel, the erection of which they then commenced "[The Land of Charity , page. 269].  During that period of time , it was perhaps the largest Church in South India , measuring 127 feet in length by 60 feet wide and affording to Hindu custom , on the floor.  With the permission of the  Queen of Travancore ,  Rev . Charles Mead used the elephants  of Nagaraja Temple, Nagercoil  and the Prisoners , for the construction of the Home Church., Nagercoil.   By using the donations received from the Maharajas of Tanjore , Travancore and Cochin , this  stately and magnificent Home Church was constructed and completed . Th European Missionaries were serving as the Pastors of the LMS  Churches in South Travancore  till 1866.

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The First Four Native Pastors were Ordained in 1866 :     In 1866 the first four native  pastors :  Rev. N. Devadasan , Rev.S. Zechariah, Rev ,C. Masillamani and  Rev.C. Yesudian   were ordained by the Revd Dr. Mullens  of LMS , at the Home Church  Nagercoil ,  on the 13th  February 1866 and Rev N. Devadasan was ordained as the Pastor of the historical Home Church ,Nagercoil  by Revd Mullens on that occasion.  "Of these Mr.  N. Devadasan was  in some sense the most remarkable , though not the best educated" [A Hundred Years in Travancore -1806-1906-compiled by  Rev. I.H. Hacker , page 54]. Now we  will deal with the life sketch of the remarkable  Rev N, Subbaiyar[ Devadasan ]in the  following paragraphs.

The birth and early life of  Rev N. Devadasan[ N. Subbaiyar] the first Indian  Pastor of the Home Church Nagercoil : Rev N. Devadasan[N. Subbaiya]  was born at a small hamlet called Thirukazhur, Srivaikundam Taluk ,in Tirunelvelli District  in December 1814., to a Brahmin  parents.  His original name was Neelakandan Subbaiyar.  In tune with the Brahmnical tradition the Holy Thread marriage was conducted  to him ,when he was 7  years old.

N. Subbaiyar's  education [N. Devadsasan's Education]:  When   Neelakandan Subbaiyar was very young he was taught Tamil  in his Village School. and on his own effort he learned to read and write Malayalam also..As his father was working at Padmanabhapuram in Travancore ,he was a bit care-free and so he did not attend his  village Primary School  regularly.  So  one of his  Aunts  took him to Parasala near Trivandrum ,where his father was working as an Accountant  in  Devasam .   As   it  was  very difficult  for him to stay with his father , he was  taken  to a house of his relative by name Mr. Subbaiyar , who was in charge  of CMS School at Palayamcottai.. By the initiative taken by this Subbaiyar , the young Neelakandan Subbaiyar, acquired some reasonable skill in Tamil and Mathematics.    Then that Senior Subbaiyar took the young Subbaiyar to the   CMS  School at Palayamcottai and recommended him  for a Teacher Post but as he was not having sufficient knowledge and skill  to work as a Teacher , young N. Subbaiyar  [Devadasan] was admitted in the Auxillary  Class in a Mission School at Palayamcottai.  Here Rev. Miller taught him in the morning and in the evening he was taught  by Rev Rhenius.  Luckly Neelakandan Subbaiyar  continued his education for four years and passed his course, then  he was 19 years old.

Neelakandan  Subbaiyar's [Devadasan's]  orthodox  marriage:    :  After having  successfully completed the four year study at the Mission School at Palayamcottai , Neelakandan Subbaiyar [N. Devadasan]  was appointed as a teacher at the Mission School at his native  village, on a temporary basis.   In  tune with the tradition of the time and his Brahmin caste, he married his maternal Uncle's daughter Lakshmi and at time of  the marriage, N. Subbaiyar [N. Devadasan] was 19 and his wife Lakshmi was only four Years and six months old.  As he lost his job in that school after two months ;  in search of a job , he came to Nagercoil and met Rev. Charles Mault  and   requested for a job in a LMS  Missionary School . Rev. Mault  appointed N. Subbaiyar as a teacher in the LMS Mission school at  Thovalai , near Nagercoil.. He worked  for about 5 years in that school in a very efficient and enviable manner .

Neelkandan Subbaiyar's Hindu affiliation and attachment:  As Subbaiyar was working with Christian Teachers in a Christian Mission School,  he was expected to participate in Christian gatherings  and meetings once in a week , so as soon as the Meetings were over, he used to take bath to cleanse and absolve  himself from the  so called pollution and would enter into his home with his wet dress  as a  cleansed man . Like his father, he was also a staunch worshiper of Siva; so he used to chant the word Rama thousand  and two hundred times and Siva 600 times as incantation  , such was his strong attachment with Hindu religion. By nature Subbaiyar was a short tempered man. In an issue connected with the then Thahasildar of Thovalai Taluk , Neelakandan Subbaiyar was put inside the jail for 50 days at Trivandrum and on his release from the jail,  he changed his attitude towards Christians and Christianity completely . He came out from the petty narrow domestic walls of customs , creed and caste rules and moved with every body with love and respect without any discrimination.

Neelakandan  Subbaiyar's Convertion to Christianity   : In 1839 during his inspection visit to the LMS Missionary School at Thovalai,  Rev. James Russell , in his capacity as the Inspector of LMS Schools,  he  interacted  with N. Subbaiyar [N. Devadasan] . Rev J.  Russell was highly impressed by N. Subbaiyar's Teaching capacity and his reasonable sound Bible Knowledge and faith in Christ. Rev. James Russell noticed Subbaiyar's spontaneous and brimming  longing to embrace Christianity. Rev James Russell  asked Subbaiyar ,some pertinent questions  about his new faith in Christ  and left for Nagercoil. Neelakandan Subbaiyar ,actually longed to witness his internal mental conversion with the public  , so secretly he came and met Rev Charles Mault at Nagercoil .   Mr. N. Subbaiyar with  a consuming thirst , requested Rev Mault  to remove his Brahminical thread from his body and to baptize him . Anyhow Rev. Mault  thought ,it was his emotional decision and so he wanted to wait and see to confirm the truth of  Subbaiyar's wordsand conversion . Mrs. Mault gave Subbaiyar  food in a plate to eat , Subbaiyar without  any hesitation ate the food and convinced  Rev . Mault about his real conversion and  born again experience.

Rev. Charles Miller and Rev J. Russel were staying in a Building at Nagercil [LMS Press] and in the same Building in a separate room ,Subbaiyar was   accomodated to stay . Subbaiyar availed that opportunity and learned many lessions and explanations  from those two Missionaries. In the meantime many of Subbaiyar's family members tried their best to take back Subbaiyar with them ,but Subbaiyar was very firm in his religious cenversion  . Fully convinced about Subbaiyar's  Faith in Christ and real conversion  Rev , Charles Mault  baptized   Neelakandan Subbaiyar in 1839 and he was christened ,' Devadasan" {Servant of God].,  at the Home church , Nagercoil;  when Subbaiyar was 24 years old. The religious conversion of Neelakandan Subbaiyar  to Christianity  caused controversy and commotions in his community. But  N. Devadasan [Subbaiyar ]stood the tests with great  strength and conviction.   Neelakandan Devadasan,  decided to do the evangelical work for the rest of his life.

N. Devadasan wanted a Life Partner to help him in his work and life:  With the full support of Rev. Charles Mault and others N.Devadasan, started his evangelical work in and around Nagercoil. . Moreover Devadasan  was in need of a life partner to support him, comfort him and feed him . As his first wife's parents  refused to send their daughter Lakshmi. , the Missionaries advised him to marry a pious , modest and suitable Christian girl .

N. Devadasan married the granddaughter of Mylaudy Maharasan Vethamanickam  in 1842.: In tune with the advice of the LMS Missionaries:  Rev Charles Mault , Rev James Russel and others , Devadasan  wisely selected a pious , modest and cute Christian girl by name  Sathiyayi,  who was a product of Mrs Mault's Girls School , Nagercoil . Sathiyayi hailed from the legendary Christian family of Mylaudy Maharasan Vethamanickam .  Sathiyayi was Maharasan Vethamanickam's son's daughter.  This historical marriage of dimensional significance was   conducted at the Home Church Nagercoil in 1842 and the marriage was  solemnized by Rev. Charles Mault.  No doubt this marriage was one of the historical ,radical and progressive  marriages,ever held in India ,like the marriage of Rev Charles  Mead [UK]  with the daughter of Devaram Munshi of Mylaudy . [  part  II will  follow soon}.

P. BABU MANOHARAN.[Rights reserved].