Maramon Convention 1925: The price of meals
One British Rupee 1920
Fourteen meals for One rupee. During the early years of the Convention, restaurants and hotels were not in existence. Kappi Kadas (coffee/tea shops) and Chottu Kadas (rice shops) were the only available eateries at the Manalpuram (river bed) venue of the convention. One of the famous chottu kada’s was managed by Kunjan Varkey Chetten from Edathua. He would serve 14 full meals for just one rupee and 228 full glasses of black coffee (Chakkara Kappi) also for Rs.1 in the early 1920’s.
Chai shop
(www.chaiwallahsofindia.com)
February, 1917: Sadhu Sunder Singh preaches at Maramon Convention
Sadhu Sundar Singh
Sadhu Sunder Singh (3 September 1889-1929) the renowned Indian Christian missionary was one of the speakers of the Maramon Convention in 1918. He spoke in Hindi and the translation was done by Mr. M. O. Oommen, Chief Conservator of Travancore.
Sadhu Sunder Singh drew crowds greater than any previous conventions, so much so that before the end of the week the pandal (covered area) had to be enlarged. It is estimated at the final meeting about 32,000 people gathered to hear his message.
Pages from History: 2nd December, 1842 – Birth of Iype Thoma Kathanar (Kovoor Achen)
Very Rev. Iype Thoma Kathanar
2 December, 1842: Birth of Iype Thoma Kathanar (Kovoor Achen d.27 Jan,1917).
Ipe Thoma Kathanar was one of the prominent priests of the Mar Thoma Syrian Church. He bought the Panchayathu Purayidam (present SCS Compound in Tiruvalla, Kerala) for the Church in 1892 for Rs.600. It was he who started the Kettuthengu – practice of dedicating coconut trees from each house for the fund collections for the welfare of the Church.
Read more about his life in our free pdf Ebook: https://nalloorlibrary.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/very-rev-iype-thoma-kathanar.pdf
First Sunday of December – Bible Sunday
A Myanmar child holding the Bible.
The First Sunday of December is observed as Bible Society Day. It was the British and Foreign Bible Society, established in London in 1804, that first made a concerted effort of translating, printing and publishing Bibles in different languages.
In India, it’s auxiliaries were formed in Calcutta (1811), Bombay (1812), Madras (1820) and in Kerala (1956). Other auxiliaries were formed later. Even before the formation of the auxiliaries in India, the work of translation of the Bible to Indian languages had been taken up by William Carey and his associates in Calcutta. In obedience to the commandment of the Lord “Go ye unto the uttermost corners of the earth and preach my gospel”, the Bible Society aims at making available, copies of the Bible, New Testaments and portions of the Bible to
1.To Every Person in his/her own language.
2.At a price within his/her reach
3.In a style which is easily understood
It is in pursuance of this objective that it brings out special editions for students,members of the armed forces, in Braille type for the blind, etc. The United Bible Society distributes an average of 32 million full Bibles each year. In addition to that, they distribute enough New Testaments and Scripture portions to potentially reach 5% of the world’s population each year. In 2012 they distributed over 405 million Scripture items.
They also manage a growing social media ministry on Facebook and other social networks. The Digital Bible
Facebook page reaches millions of young adults every year. 71% report it helps them apply the Bible’s teaching to their lives. https://www.facebook.com/UnitedBibleSocieties
The Advent ( Lent from 1 to 25 December)
The 4 themes/candles of Advent with the centre candle for Christmas Eve (Image from http://www.beaconhillmd.org)
The Advent (Lent from 1 to 25 December). For Eastern Churches this is the season waiting for the birth of Christ. During this time the church prepares herself through cleansing and renewal for the advent of her Lord. It serves as a time of spiritual discipline and renewal in preparation for Christmas. Christians observe lent with fasting, prayer and self-sacrifice. The term is an anglicized version of the Latin word adventus, meaning “coming”.
Latin adventus is the translation of the Greek word parousia, commonly used to refer to the Second Coming of Christ. For Christians, the season of Advent anticipates the coming of Christ from two different perspectives. The season offers the opportunity to share in the ancient longing for the coming of the Messiah, and to be alert for his Second Coming. In 2014 the four Advent Sundays are November 30, December 7, December 14, and December 21.
In recent times the most common observance of Advent outside church circles has been the keeping of an advent calendar or advent candle, with one door being opened in the calendar, or one section of the candle being burned, on each day in December leading up to Christmas Eve.
Pages from History: 30th Nov 1945 – Sadhu Kochukunju Upadesi passes away.
Sadhu Kochu Kunju Upadesi
30th November, 1945 (1121 Virchikam 15): Sadhu Kochukunju Upadesi (b.Dec.1883) passes away. Sadhu Kochukunju Upadesi (Mr. Moothampakkal Itty Varghese,Moothampakkal, Edayaranmula near Chengannur) was a unique personality in history of the Mar Thoma Syrian Church.
For almost forty years he preached the Bible in simple language all over South India. He practised and lived the life of a Sadhu. He wrote more than 200 hymns, many of that are printed in worship books across denominations even today. Thousands turned to God by hearing his messages. He was the first General Secretary of the ‘Mar Thoma Voluntary Evangelists’ Association, which was founded in 1924, and he continued in the post until 1945.
His continuous travels and gospel work made him sick many times. But on Friday, 30th November 1945 he became very sick and called to eternal rest on 15 Virchikam 1121 (8.45 am) and was buried in the Lakha St.Thomas Mar Thoma Church Cemetery on the following day. The funeral service itself was a great honour for him. Two Bishops, more than 100 priests and more than 40,000 people attended the funeral service.
Read more about his life in our free pdf Ebook: https://nalloorlibrary.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/sadhu-kuchujunu-upadeshi.pdf
9 Nov 2014: CSI, CNI and Mar Thoma Church celebrate ‘The Communion of Churches in India (CCI) Day’.
On 9 November, 2014, Sunday: the CSI, CNI and Mar Thoma Churches celebrate this Sunday as the ‘The Communion of Churches in India (CCI) Day’.
The Communion of Churches in India (CCI) has been constituted as the visible organ for common expression of the life and witness by the founding Churches, the Church of North India (CNI), the Church of South India (CSI) and the Mar Thoma Syrian Church (MTC) which recognise themselves as belonging to the one Church of Jesus Christ in India, even while remaining as autonomous churches, each having its own identity of traditions and organizational structures. “The Communion” invites other Churches in India to enter into full communion with the member churches separately and join “The Communion”.
World Sunday School Day: 1st November 2014 (Free Ebook – Robert Raikes and how we got Sunday School)
George Romney’s portrait of Robert Raikes, the newspaperman who popularised schooling on Sundays Photo: National Portrait Gallery, London
2nd November 2014 : World Sunday School Day – The first Sunday of the Month of November is celebrated throughout the world as Sunday School Day. The Mar Thoma/ CSI/ CNI churches are celebrating Sunday, 2nd November, 2014 as World Sunday School Day.
Robert Raikes (1735- 1811), an English Publisher, started the first Sunday School in the city of Gloucester in England in 1780. During the early days, reading, arithmetic and Bible was taught at the Sunday Schools.
In 1809, Church representatives of the Malankara Churches held a meeting at Kandanadu Church, near Ernakualam to arrange facilities to teach children in the Church about religion, prayers and sacraments. The India Sunday School Union was founded in 1876.The Mar Thoma Sunday School Samajam was established on 25 February 1905, at the Maramon Convention.
We encourage our readers to read and share this Free 4 page PDF Ebook Resource for your Sunday Schools and children’s services: Robert Raikes and How We Got Sunday School
Inscription on the tomb of Robert Raikes.
Pages from History: 14th September 407, Archbishop John Chrysostom dies
14 September, 407: Early church father John Chrysostom, the greatest preacher of his age, dies in exile when, in poor health, he is forced to travel on foot in bad weather. He was the Archbishop of Constantinople.
John Chrysostom
Pages from History: 4 September, 1847: Henry Francis pens Hymn ‘Abide with me’
4 September, 1847: Henry Francis Lyte (1793-1847) writes the Hymn “Abide with me” (Malayalam – Koode paarkka neram vaikkunnitha, No.8 (7) in Kristheeya Keerththanagal). Lyte wrote this hymn at the end of his life, just two months before he died. The text for this Hymn was taken from Luke’s Gospel Ch.24 v. 29 “Abide with us; for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent”.
Henry Francis Lyte
Nalloor Library 