Introduction ; Ms Sarah Gnanasundaram Pillai daughter of Ms Mariamuthu and Mr Arulanandam of Osaravilai village in Kanyakumari district was a cultured. educated, God fearing and blessed lady and a scion of an illustrious Christian family of South Travancore [ Kanyakumari District] . Her forefathers brought, introduced and established LMS to South Travancore and a recollection and perusal of her life and her family's history will inspire and help the readers to understand some forgotten historical chapters of the Church history of South Travancore and Tamil Nadu.
Ms Sarah Gnanasundaram Pillai's Parents and Birth : Many decades ago there lived a blessed Christian couple at Osaravillai in Kanyakumari district namely Ms Mariamuthu and Mr Arulanandam and this couple gave birth to three smart sweet daughters including Ms Sarah Gnanasundaram Pillai
Ms. Sarah's Marriage with Mr Gnanasundaram Pillai :- Ms Sarah was married to Mr Gnanasundaram Pillai of Murungankurichi, Palyam Kottai and Mr Gnanasundaram Pillai hailed from an illustrious and well known Christian Family of Tamil Nadu .and South India. . It will be immensely useful to give some basic idea about the family background of Mr Gnanasundaram Pillai. Mr. Gnanasundaram Pillai was the son of Mr Gnana Sigamoni Pillai who was generally and popularly called as Gothavari Pillai [ Mr Gothavari Pillai's father was a step brother of the great Tamil Christian Poet and Lyricist Sri Vethanayagam Sastriar.] . Mr Gnanasundaram Pillai's house was located at Rhenius Street at Murungankurichi in Palayam Kottai. It is very important to remember a historical fact that the famous CMS missionary Rev C.T.E. Rhenius lived at the house of Mr Gnanasundaram Pillai at Murumgankuruchi, Palayam Kottai . Not only Rev Rheneius but also the famous Christian Missionary Rev Ragland also lived at the house of Mr Gnanasunaram Pillai and continued their evangelical work at Palayam Kottai and surrounding places and villages . It is also important to mention the names of the siblings of Mr Gnanasundaram Pillai and his siblings were the following namely "- [1] Mr Gnana Dhas Pillai, [2] Ms Gnana Theebam Ammal ,[3] Ms Gnanambal [4] Mr Gnanenthran Pillai and [5] Ms.Gnana Retnam
Ms Sarah and Mr Gnanasundaram Pillai Couple's Children and their families : Ms Sarah and Mr Gnana Sundaram Pillai couple gave birth to one son and a daughter namely :-[1] Mr. Arul Sigamoni and [2 Ms . Sornavadivu [ But Ms G. Sornavadivu died at the tender age of four ]. , Mr Arul Sigamoni married Ms.Yesunesam, daughter of LMS Catechist Mr.Caleb of Navalcadu and Ms Jeevaretnam Caleb and this couple gave birth to the following children namely :- [1] Ms. Gnana Sundra Sarah Bai, [2] Ms. Mabel Mary Retnam, [3] Mr Ebenezer Chelliah , [4] Michael Sundaradhas [5] Mr Alexander Sornadhas, [6] Mr Francis Gnanadhas, and [7] Mr John Easter Devadhas.
Conclusion : Mr Gnanna Sundaram Pillai joined CMS and so he and his wife Ms Sarah Gnanasundaram Pillai went to Visakapattinam to do the ministry.as CMS workers. After having served in Visakapatinam area for nearly for six years, they were returning to Nagercoil but on the way Mr Gnanasundaram Pillai died at a place called Anthiyur. So Mrs Sarah Gnanasundaram Pillai returned to Nagercoil with her young son Arulsigamoni . Then Mrs Sarah studied Nursing and joined as a Nursing Staff at the famous Catherine Booth Hospital, Nagercoil , where her sister Ms Marial 's husband Dr Sundaram Pillai was serving as a Doctor, Ms Sarah was living inside the CBH campus with her only son Arul Sigamoni untill Arul Sigamoni attained the age of seventeen . Ms Sarah Gnana Sundaram Pillai lived as a loving wife to her husband till his death, wise and affectionate mother to her children and a memorable grand mother to her grand children till she passed away from this world . Both Ms Sarah and her husband Mr Gnansundaram Pillai were privileged to hail from outstanding and good Christian families of Tamil Nadu . She was a pious lady and she loved and obeyed God's words and as a result of her good Christian life her children and specially her grand children and great grand children have been richly blessed and her descendants are doing extremely well as Doctors, Engineers, Pilot and so on Ms.Sarah Gnanasundaram Pillai was blessed by God as He blessed the biblical Sarah.
. Part E will follow soon
By P. Babu Manoharan , M.A [ All rights are reserved . This Article will be enlarged , modified or corrected later if needed ].
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