Monarch of Telugu Christian Literature Purushottam Chowdhary Author Babu John Chowdhary (Telugu) Translated into English by Dr. K. Job Sudarshan, Ph.D 1 Biography of the Monarch of Telugu Christian Literature Purushottam Chowdhary by Babu John Chowdhury (in Telugu) Translated into English by Dr. K. Job Sudarshan First Edition - 2017 copies - 1000 Price: Rs. 100/- Copies can be had from 1. Dr. Sudhansu Kumar Chowdhury Mobile: 91-9437771110 email: [email protected] 2. James Jayaseel Chowdhury Mobile: 91-9440647374 email: [email protected] Published by Dr. Sudhansu Kumar Chowdhury, M.B.B.S., President Prasanna Memorial Baptist Church Trust Jeypore (Koraput), Odisha Printed at Vijayawada Process, Vijayawada-2, 9848819776, 8688431777 2 CONTENTS Foreword ................................................................................................................... 5 Introduction by Raja M. Bhujanga Rao ..................................................... 7 Sketches of Rev. Purushotham Chowdhary ........................................... 9 Preface by Babu John Chowdhary ........................................................... 12 Chowdhary Genealogy .................................................................................. 17 Chapter 1 ............................................................................................................... 19 Chapter 2 ............................................................................................................... 26 Chapter 3 ............................................................................................................... 35 Chapter 4 ............................................................................................................... 44 Chapter 5 ................................................................................................................ 59 Chapter 6 ............................................................................................................... 69 Chapter 7 ............................................................................................................... 75 Chapter 8 .............................................................................................................. 80 Chapter 9 ............................................................................................................... 85 Chapter 10 ............................................................................................................ 95 Chapter 11 .......................................................................................................... 111 3 Chapter 12 .......................................................................................................... 119 Chapter 13 .......................................................................................................... 129 Chapter 14 .......................................................................................................... 142 Chapter 15 .......................................................................................................... 155 Appendix ............................................................................................................ 158 “Yehova ma thandri gada” (A.C.H. 435) .............................................. 161 Photos ................................................................................................................... 162 Map Showing the Poet-evangelist’s Gospel Journeys ................. 171 4 Foreword Praise be to our Almighty Lord God. Purushottam Chowdhary, the Bard, Poet, Lyricist, Writer, Catechist, Pastor and Evangelist, is a familiar name for most of the Telugu speaking Christians all over the world since his Keertanalu are sung in all established Churches. He is known as “Andhra Kraistava Kavi Sarvabhoumudu” (Emperor of Telugu Christian Literature) and “Andhra Kraistava Kavita Pitamahudu” (Father of Telugu Christian Poetry). Several writers and historians, both Indian and English, have written the life histories of some Indian Christian servants of God. But almost all of them were ignorant of this famed Telugu Christian servants of God. So, many of the historians/readers are not aware of the works of the poet. This may be because this poet’s life history was written in Telugu by his grandson, Babu John Chowdhary and was published in the year 1902. This book is available in the archives of the British Library in London. This 1902 edition was revised by the author and was published in 1933, the Centenary Year of the Poet’s baptism. This revised version was reprinted several times, and the latest was published in 2015 by my cousin James Jayasheel Chowdhary. Earlier he has published all the works of the poet- writer in two volumes on the event of Bi-centenary celebrations of the poet in 2003-04. In the light of the foregoing brief content about the poet, I have ventured to get the life history of the poet-writer translated and published in English which could enable the historians and readers to know about the poet and his service to God facing many odds and hostile events in his life. 5 I express my sincere gratitude to Bro Job Sudarshan and his associates Mr Elia Tadikonda, Mr Praveen Dasari and Mr Prabhat Kumar Kaki, for their excellent translation and my heart-felt thanks to all those who have cooperated in publishing this work. With my loving greetings and to all readers. Dr. Sudhansu Kumar Chowdhary, M.B.B.S President Prasanna Memorial Baptist Church trust Jeypore, Orissa 6 Introduction By Sri Sri Rajah M. Bhujanga Rao Bahadur, F. A. U Zamindar of Lakkavaram, Vella, etc., Estates. (Ashtavadhani1, author of a 100 Telugu works, Obtainer of Royal appreciation and a certificate of merit from the Government and a Gold medal for translating the New Testament into Telugu verse). I read almost all the works of Rev Purushotham Chowdhary. He is a true Christian of the highest order. The very fact that almost all the different Denominational Churches of Andhra Desa adopted many of his devotional songs in their worship, is a clear proof of his great merit and non- sectarian Christian spirit. In Telugu, he proved himself a poet of the classical order. His verses are lucid and run like a natural flow on an ebbing river. He is able to express his thoughts very clearly and no where can we find him blinking to find a suitable word, or phrase to express his inner thoughts. He has done a great service to the Christian community and to the Telugu public at large, and I am sure his name will last in this country as long as the Telugu people exist. It’s the duty of every Andhrite to join hands in commemorating his name to perpetuity. The work Mr. John Chowdhary, his grandson, enlightening the aristocracy of India with Christian principles, is well known to all the general public, as the Founder and Honorary Secretary of the Mission to the Aristocracy of India. It is quite fitting that this God loving grandson should take up to write and produce the life of so great a grandfather whose name is well known to all the Telugu Christian public. I sincerely wish that the publication of the work proves a great success. I also pray that the Lord would spare Mr. John Chowdhary, for many years to come to serve the Lord Jesus Christ and his Countrymen. Ellore 2.2.1935 S/d Rajah M. Bhujanga Rao 7 1. A scholar who faces 8 learned men and women, answering their questions about descriptions, teasers, speaking out poems line after line, answering unconnected witty speech, a total of 8 highly complicated procedures, over a period of a few hours extempore. 8 A sketch of the late Rev Purushotham Chowdhary The late Rev Purushotham Chowdhary who was a minister of the gospel for 55 years both in Andhra Desa and Orissa, was born in 1803. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, in Madanapur of Parlakimidi taluk, Ganjam. His ancestors migrated there from Midnapore district of West Bengal and some worked as Court Poets, Revenue Officers or Mirasidars of Tembur muta under the then Rajah’s of Parlakimidi. They belonged to the gotra Bhardwaja, Angeerasa, and Barhaspatya of Hindu Rishis of Gowda1 Brahman sect, known as Sistas or orthodox people. Purushotham Chowdhary was a poet in Andhra language and was conversant with Oriya, Bengali, Hindustani. Very early in life he studied Vedanta literature2 , denounced caste system and decided to become a naked sadhu (Avadhoota). But God wanted him for the furtherance of His kingdom. In 1825 he found a Christian tract probably one from Carey’s press at Serampore (Sri Rama Puram) and made a persistent search after that religion. Mrs Helen Knott of Srikakulam Regiment, gave him a copy of the gospel of St Luke when he visited her in 1833. He found Christ more fully thereby and was introduced to Major Brett, the Commanding Officer at Vishakhapatnam, the same month. He gave Purushotham a copy of the New Testament, which he read with great pleasure, and against the wishes of his relatives he decided to become a Christian. His wife Radha Mani Devi Chaudharani gave her consent to follow him after some time. In those early days, there were no Missionaries between Madras and Cuttack. On the invitation of Rev Charles Lacey of Cuttack Orissa Baptist Mission Purushotham Chowdhary decided to travel the 300-miles and removed his sacred thread on the 10th June 1833 and gave it to Major Brett. He travelled about 20 days and reached Cuttack and was 9 baptized by Rev Charles Lacey on the 6th October 1833, in the big tank called Gonga Mondir in Cuttack.