Church of South India
Newsletter
April 2009
JDCSI
&
1
CMN /Australia
Partnership
powered by providence will be perpetual
T
Jaffna Diocese
he Jaffna Diocese of the Church of South India and the Uniting Church in Australia’s St
George’s East St Kilda Uniting Church Council and Creative Ministries Network Board of
Governance have launched a partnership programme in Melbourne, Australia last month.
T
On behalf of the JDCSI, Diocesan liaison officer, Mr Christy Thiagarajah signed the agreement. 26 / 04 / 2009
his was inspired by a spontaneous appreciation of the work
of the Jaffna Diocese of the Church of South India following the visit of the Rt Rev Dr Daniel Thiagarajah to Melbourne,
November last year to preach at the Peace Rally of St George’s
East St Kilda Uniting Church, Melbourne.
T
he aims of the partnership will be to provide financial
support and other assistance to the ministry of the Jaffna
Diocese, provide an avenue for interested people in Australia
and Sri Lanka to contribute to a ministry of healing, justice and
reconciliation for all victims of the civil war in Sri Lanka and
provide pastoral care and counseling for the wounds of civil
war to the Sri Lankan Diaspora in Australia.
E
very aspect of the management of this partnership has
been carefully framed and the programme will be accountable to a committee of five members appointed by the
programme partners of which one will represent the Jaffna
Diocese. A bank account will be opened in the name of the Sri
Lankan Partnership Programme with the Uniting Church of
Australia Synod of Victoria’s Cash Management Funds.
Rev John Bottomley
Director
Creative Ministries Network
Uniting ChurchAustralia
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April 2009
T
he Rev John Bottomley, the director of Creative Ministries
Network has been appointed as the chairman of the Sri
Lankan Partnership Programme and the Rev Angela Tampiyappa as the incumbent minister of St George’s East St Kilda
Church will function as the secretary. Mr Christy Thiagarajah
will represent the Jaffna Diocese of the Church of South
India Liaison Officer on the committee. The other Tamil
priests are Rev Mano Manopavan ( Melbourne ), Rev Bertram
Mather ( Bendigo )and Rev John Jegasothy ( Sydney )
E
“
xpressing his gratitude to the initiative shown by the
constituting partners of this programme, Bishop Danny
Thiagarajah said in a message:
Rev S. Mano Manopavan UCA
I am filled with immense delight and humble thanks to
God that the partnership programme between the Uniting Church of Australia and the Jaffna Diocese of the Church
of South India will soon be a reality.
“
This is no doubt a sign of the commitment we share to
the great vision of bringing peoples and nations together
in the spirit of the Gospels that inspire our faith.”
H
e said further: “No doubt, we have tremendous challenges ahead of us but whatever we undertake in faith
and dedication, I am sure will be guided by God’s grace. I
am sure our churches will be greatly inspired by this programme.”
Rev Bertram Mather UCA
T
his programme is a great new venture in promoting
a relationship between the churches of Sri Lanka and
Australia which augurs well for the future. A partnership
powered by providence will certainly be perpetual.
Rev John Jegasothy UCA
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Jaffna Diocese
Church of South India
Newsletter
2
April 2009
Church of South India
Newsletter
3
New Church in Panadura
By Shirani Karunaratna – Colombo Correspondent for JDCSI.)
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Our 60th Congregation
Jaffna Diocese
Rev.Srilal Karunaratna.
Minister of the JDCSI Church in Panadura
Church of South India
Newsletter
4
April 2009
A
cause for joy and celebration apart from its hallmark uniqueness that marks the total linguistic
characteristics of Sri Lanka said the Rt Rev Dr Daniel Thiagarajah welcoming the Panadura Church
into the family of the Jaffna Diocese of the Church of South India. “We also welcome the Rev Srilal and
Shirani Karunaratna into our fellowship that will be very
much a pioneer part of our mission in southern Sri Lanka,”
said Bishop Danny Thiagarajah. in the manner The Morning Star became the first bilingual newspaper in Asia,
the founding of the JDCSI Panadura Church, our 60th
of the diocese marks it as a trilingual church with Tamil,
Sinhalese and English being our language of worship and
even more, it will seek to bond the people of Sri Lanka as
one nation enriched by its multicultural traditions and on
which basis this country will seek its unity.
T
he Rev Mr Karunaratna comes to us with a great deal
of experience and has also served as the secretary of
the First Synod of the Lutheran Churchy of Sri Lanka. The
2004 tsunami brought great tragedies in their lives when
they lost their colleagues the Rev Ranjith Fernando and
his beloved wife perished on the train that was washed
away somewhere near Hikkaduwa. Although their church also was badly affected, the Karunaratnas
stayed gallantly by their congregation and one day felt moved to become a part of the JDCSI.
T
he Rev Mr Karunaratna felt it was the Holy Spirit that was in action and brought him, his wife and
his parishioners into the fellowship of the JDCSI. He counts twenty years of service in the pastoral
ministry and we are happy that his wife Shirani, apart from her commitment to their parish will also
be an asset to us along with her husband with the Morning Star which will soon be launched as a
trilingual journal, the JDCSI website and the independent JDCSI Newsletter.
T
he Rev Mr Srilal Karunaratna becomes our second Sinhala presbyter but that is only a technical
factor, which makes along with others the Sri Lankan ideal of a family and the unity we will strive
for with great earnest.
We extend a warm welcome to Pastor Srilal and Shirani Karunaratna into our fellowship.
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Jaffna Diocese
Our 60th Congregation
We welcome New Church in Panadura
our 60th congregation with great joy
Church of South India
Newsletter
April 2009
5
Bishop’s
Charge
Bishop’s Charge to the Sixtieth
Sessions of the Jaffna Diocesan Council
Reconciliation,” Bishop Daniel Thiagarajah emphasized in his Charge to the Jaffna Diocesan Council 2009, “is not a hasty peace that tries to escape the examination of the causes of suffering. If the
causes are not addressed, suffering is likely to continue and the wheel of violence keeps turning and
more and more people get crushed.”
T
he Rt Rev Dr Daniel Thiagarajah, it would be recalled made a stirring charge at the 58th Sessions of
the Jaffna Diocesan Council inviting the members of the eminent assembly, ˜to journey together
in hope.” Since then the Jaffna Diocese of the Church of South India has covered great grounds in this
passage and even become a truly national church of the country, north to south and east to west.
I
Arul’s Special Report
from Jaffna
n the opening lines of his charge, Bishop Thiagarajah said: “Indeed,
all of us traveled together in seasons of joy as well as of hardships
and troubles. However, we have also experienced the great miracle of
Pentecost repeating in this diocese as we marched forward trusting in
the Lord who has called us. The One who called us continues to remain
faithful and we are glad about it.
“
We are extremely happy that we, as a united and uniting church,
have ventured forth into new areas of mission, new patterns of mission and of course, new paradigms of mission as appropriate to the context. Our context demanded of us that we kept on being in solidarity
with the people who continued to suffer due to hardships that consisted of repeated displacements and loss of property and loved ones.
“
The context in which we gather here today is somewhat different
from what it was when we were here in 2007. Many things have
happened in the lives of our people. The geopolitics has changed to a greater extent. When we
were focusing on building of lives, what has happened over the past few months have made us to
re-focus on the ministry and mission of the Church?
“
The traditional triangular pattern of Mission as education, as medical ministry and as evangelization was enhanced by the notions of development and rehabilitation. Our people have suffered
as a result of the ongoing and unresolved conflict that has been going on for years. To add to the
misery of the people, the tsunami came and played havoc in the lives of those who have been traditionally living along the coastal belt. Further displacements happened.
“
A community that has suffered much due to human-made war and violence began to be affected
by nature-made destruction that was unprecedented and unexpected. Churches had to re-think
of their mission but this made them go far back to what they were intending to do.
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Special Report Bishop’s Charge
Jaffna Diocese
“
Church of South India
Newsletter
6
April 2009
“
The escalation of the war and the dimension of it that came along have taken people by surprise.
Those who have experienced displacement(s) began to experience a kind of ‘uprootedness’ in their
lives. The last few months have seen much destruction, annihilation and loss, both of properties and of
human beings.
“
In the history of Christian Missions in the 60s and 70s the theologies of liberation responded to two
important challenges viz., endemic poverty and military dictatorship. When the notion of ‘theology
of liberation’ was accepted in the continents of Africa and Asia, issues of overcoming the impact of colonialism and economic and social challenges were addressed.
“
Along with the idea of liberation came the concept of Development. The end of colonialism on the
one hand and the transition that was taking place from colonialism to independence on the other
have made Christian mission find new ways to understand itself.
“
H
e then proceeded to say that all these have paved way for a new Missiology. ”It became necessary
to think of the ‘Nazareth Manifest’ (Luke 4. 16-21) than merely of the ‘Great Commission’ as recorded in Matthew 28. 19-20. It was important to focus on Missio Dei, the mission of God.’
“
I
Jaffna Diocese
Special Report Bishop’s Charge
In the post-colonial era, the challenges posed by the people who have been ‘no people’ hitherto were
of pertinence. Christian mission had to address the issue of crisis of identity. As such” Bishop Thiagarajah stressed, “the important aspect of mission was the determination to be in solidarity with the
people so that the life that has been at risk was supported by this liberative solidarity.”
Many events that happened in the 80s and 90s in the world arena also challenged everyone to address the issues that arose,” he observed. “Political oppression and civil unrest or conflicts have worsened the situation than before. Reconciliation, the notion for such a time like this:
n this context, the word that has often been spoken of was ‘reconciliation.’ Churches were challenged
to think and reflect on ‘reconciliation’ theologically. Among the new paradigms for mission that were
emerging, the paradigm of reconciliation was considered to be important and thought provoking. The
theme of reconciliation was considered to be biblically rooted and theologically sound for the enhancement of Christian faith.
“
However, questions arose whether it was sufficient or it had to be linked with the notion of liberation
as many communities and nations have been longing to be liberated from the clutches of oppression. Reconciliation had to do with coming to terms with a painful past, and engaging in the reconstruction of societies which had overcome political oppression or had seen the end of civil conflict.”
B
ishop Thiagarajah, addressing a
council that had for the first time
members from both the Tamil and
Sinhalese communities said that the
key problem understood the notion of
Reconciliation. “There are at least three
understandings of reconciliation that
come close to the genuine meaning of
reconciliation but distort and even falsify its true meaning. These are: Reconciliation as a hasty peace; reconciliation
instead of liberation; and reconciliation
as a managed process.
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April 2009
Church of South India
Newsletter
7
“
It needs to be recognized that ‘Reconciliation as a process’ takes time. Reconciliation is a process and a way of life with an eschatological horizon that cannot be
foreshortened by circumventing history. It requires respecting, and often, restoring
the human dignity of the victims of violence.
“
“
These calls want the victims
of violence to let bygones be
bygones and exercise a Christian
forgiveness. In trivializing and ignoring a history of suffering, the
victims are forgotten and the causes of suffering are never uncovered
and confronted.
“
Reconciliation,” Bishop Thiagarajah emphasized, “not a hasty peace
that tries to escape the examination of the causes of suffering. If the
causes are not addressed, suffering is likely to continue and the wheel
of violence keeps turning and more and more people get crushed.
“
Too often in the deliberation about peace and reconciliation the
victimized are called to forgive and reconcile in a way that perpetuates rather than rectifies the root causes of injustice, alienation, and
division. While reconciliation suggests a genuine change in relations,
reconciliation can also mean a collapse into acceptance of the status
quo because of the belief that nothing can be done.”
B
ishop Thiagarajah then went on to deal with the core issues within
a biblical context and the challenges before us to re-awaken them
to be Christian values-armoured to face them.
Note by the Editors: A copy of Bishop Thiagarajah’s charge in its entire
form will be emailed on request to us.
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Special Report Bishop’s Charge
Jaffna Diocese
Furthermore, reconciliation cannot occur without recognizing the sources of
conflict and initiating a process that liberates the victims of violence from the
structures of domination and oppression. The struggle against injustice is part of the
genuine pursuit of reconciliation. Furthermore, reconciliation cannot be confused
with conflict mediation, a process whose goal is to lessen conflict or to get the parties to accept and live with situations of conflict.
Church of South India
Newsletter
8
April 2009
Gß áÚzøu BØÖ[PÒ , ÷uØÖ[PÒ;
H\õ¯õ 40 : 1
“Comfort, yes,
comfort My people.”
Isaiah 40:1
We need
Volunteers for
Wanni
W
e are at threshold of the end of a violent era and the promise of
a new hope provided we have awoken to the reality of what did
bring all the miseries to the people of Sri Lanka and especially the people of the Wanni who have paid an awesome price. Their lands have been
laid waste, infrastructures destroyed and a generation of children hurt
and many even lost.
T
he scars left on the people will take ages to heal but heal they must and recover they must. It is
incumbent on the more fortunate of the Sri Lankan community and their kith and kin overseas to
help gather up the broken threads and bring back honour and dignity to our people.
W
e have to commit ourselves truly, deeply and with a spirit of loving kindness and grace that
there shall be no more violence of any kind and we as people of Sri Lanka from whatever community we may come from have to undertake a massive task of bonding with each other and together
involve ourselves in a major human and material rehabilitation programme to bring comfort and hope
to every Sri Lankan.
I
f Paranthan’s Navajeevanam, a vision of the Rev and Mrs Thambirajah of the JDCSI and Sister Elizabeth Baker of the Methodist Church, founded in the late 1950s can be held as an example, every
little town and village in the Wanni needs to have a Navajeevanam, new life. Navajeevanam itself,
badly mauled by the civil strife needs to be lifted up to its old stature and that too applies to the work
of Miss Hutchins in Paranthan.
E
ach of us is blessed with skills and expertise and all of us are needed to undertake this massive
task which if embarked on with the true spirit of comradeship, can be a very pleasant and rewarding experience with each one enriched by such a truly dedicated commitment. In the process, we will
also be revealed whether we are Sinhalese, Tamil, Muslim, Malay or Burgher, we are all one and belong
to the same human family. And when we bond, we become a powerful nation.
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Jaffna Diocese
Gß áÚzøu BØÖ[PÒ , ÷uØÖ[PÒ;
By Christie Richards USA
Church of South India
Newsletter
W
e need all kinds of people to undertake this task: teachers, builders, craftsmen, engineers, doctors, counselors, priests, farmers, musicians, accountants in fact every type that makes a community a complete one.
W
e need to invest funds and a community that spent billions on violence and arms can surely
invest millions in peaceful productive pursuits. We will build channels and waterways and not
bunkers and military fortifications. We will herd cattle and goats to the grazing grounds and not children to the parade grounds.
T
here will be no more gunshots but music of the lute and the songs of the birds and our rich wild
life will no more be molested. People will enjoy the fragrant air of freedom and the spirit of community that will value mutual trust among each other.
W
e have to train volunteers to work at the grass roots of development both urban and rural and
each family must be helped to become independently interdependent with its neighbours and
from there on to the community and the nation. The faith of our fathers will enhance our cultural
heritage whether Buddhist, Hindu, Christian or Moslem and a spirit of brotherhood will prevail as a
source of great strength and inspiration in diversity.
T
he Wanni that has suffered so much has undergone a violent turmoil for too long a period of time
can now became the region of hope for Sri Lanka where all the communities together can work
together to bring back this region to its stature as granary of the country and even attempt greater
heights for the people of Wanni. Sri Lanka is greatly indebted to them for the horrendous price they
have paid during the last fifteen years.
W
e need volunteers, our own people immaterial whether they are from Sri Lanka or from the Diaspora. We shall march with ploughshares and sickle and announce with pride, in the words of
Prophet Isaiah (40:3) “That her war is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned.”
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9
Gß áÚzøu BØÖ[PÒ , ÷uØÖ[PÒ;
Jaffna Diocese
April 2009
Church of South India
Newsletter
10
April 2009
first anniversary
Mahilrajan’s friend
recalls shared experiences
Community News
P
rofessor Ratnajeevan J Hoole in his tribute to his friend marking the first anniversary of his death,
recalled their shared experiences while expressing his deep sadness and great loss. This, he wrote,
was his way of joining his dear and near ones to celebrate Mahilrajan’s life and thank God for it and
for his victory over death; his comparably more glorious life after death.
H
ailing from families closely knit together, Professor Hoole wrote: “Our lives crisscrossed each
other’s. I was a nephew of K. Nesiah’s on one side and him, a grand-nephew on the other. His
sisters were close friends of my cousins, the Peter Somasundaram girls. We were Johnians and later
worked in Nigeria at the same time. My brother Rajan was privileged to be Mahilrajan’s batch mate at
the Engineering Faculty at Peradeniya.
“
We were thus destined to run into each other at so many family, school and Church occasions.
His aunt Ratnathickam Vaathiyaar was my teacher at Nallur CMS Practicing School. His uncle, the
avuncular and saintly Father Raju Coomaraswamy was my OL Christianity teacher. I should say he was
one of my best teachers since our preparation went well beyond exams into how the two books of
the Bible for the exam were connected to other books of the Bible and non-Biblical and apocryphal
sources. He was so open that anything could be discussed in class.
Professor Ratnajeevan J Hoole
“
In the late seventies we lived in Uduvil and used to worship at
the Kokuvil Anglican Church. Mahilrajan’s wife, Nirmala was the
organist there. Her affable father, Thiagarajah master with his infectious and almost permanent Asmile that made it feel so good to
be around him, was the elder Warden. She was also a teacher at St.
John’s and had been a year junior to my brother and Mahilrajan at
Peradeniya. We were very pleased indeed to hear of the impending
nuptials between this quiet Christian pair.
“
Mahilrajan’s heritage includes the A.W. Rajasekeram family and
with it all that is St. John’s, and the old Richards family from
which his mother Sathya hailed. Mr. Rajasekeram will be remembered fondly forever as the Principal of St. John’s College who
steered her through the difficult early Srimavo Bandaranaike years.
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Jaffna Diocese
A Tribute:
Edited for this publication
April 2009
“
Church of South India
Newsletter
11
I also remember the Satyagraha period when soldiers in a lorry came into the school. Out stormed
the majestic looking Mr. Rajasekeram in his white nationals and matching silvery hair, shouting with
authority: ‘This is a private school. Get out!’ The soldiers meekly drove off.
“
As family members proudly attest, Mahilrajan, the second in the family and the only boy, took his
family responsibilities after his father’s death very seriously and saw to the welfare and future of his
sisters. The foray into Nigeria was towards his sisters’ needs. He kept in touch with all his aged aunts
and uncles regularly.
“
The evil war has separated us all. Mahilrajan left home only after being personally affected thus by
the 1983 riots. I have not seen them since although Rajan my brother is thankful for having been
able recently to visit them in Canberra and renew old ties and memories.
Now when I am asked to prepare this message as I live in the US, it is useful to ask “Why am I being
asked to write this when I have not spoken to them for decades? What ties us together?
“
It is the sense of community that binds us together across the miles, several lands and time. My bond
to them and love for them is in the choking emotions that well up in me when I think of them and
the things and experiences we shared. Thankfully it has rightly not been a case of ‘Out of sight, out of
mind’ but rather one of ‘Absence makes the heart grow fonder’ as ought to be, as my father reminded
me in a postcard when I missed writing one of my usually regular letters home while at the university.
“
We are all bonded together by our shared values. These our values primarily are Christian and centered in the society from which we come with our shared experiences.”
Dr. Prince Selvachandran passes away
Vellore-trained Dr Prince Selvachandran of the Jaffna
Diocese of the Church of South India and a son of the late Mr
and Mrs S S Selvadurai of Kalluvam, Udupiddy passed away in
Jersey, United Kingdom after battling a long illness. His final
committal was held today, Friday May 8, 2009 following a service at the St Saviour’s Parish Church.
A brother of Dr Benjamin Selvarajan of Wandsworth, London,
United Kingdom, he leaves behind his wife Brenda and children Brinthini Ravichandran, Suthan Selvachandran and Sashi
Trevett, sons-in-law Dr Ravichandran and Richard Trevett, and
grandchildren Raghul and Rohit Ravichandran and Christopher
and Rebecca Trevett.
Following his graduation he worked at the Green Memorial
Hospital, Manipay from 1964 to 1984 during which time he was
the Medical Superintendent and lead surgeon of the hospital.
Thereafter he joined the General Hospital in Jersey as Associate Specialist in General Surgery. However, ill-health caused by
Alzheimer’s disease forced him to an early retirement and he
passed away peacefully Friday May 1, 2009.
His father Mr S S Selvathurai was principal of the American Mission College, Udupiddy and
served the Jaffna Diocese of the Church of South India as its treasurer for many years.
Dr Selvachandran was an alumnus of American Mission College and Jaffna College and his
brother, Dr Benjamin Selvarajah was also a graduate of the Vellore Christian Medical College, India.
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Community News
Jaffna Diocese
“
12
Church of South India
Newsletter
April 2009
The ultimate in relationship is being helped to discover oneself
A tribute to Leela Sinniah
Paying his tribute to Leela Sinniah for her exampled life at the Presentation-in-Reverence of her
mortal remains preceding their crematory rituals Monday May 4, 2009, Victor Karunairajan, a friend
of the family said, Leela brought out the best in others by her exampled life, compassionate nature
and the readiness to help anyone any time with utmost joy in her heart. He compared this to what
the late venerable Yogar Swamy said “En Gurunathan moolam ennai nan arinthane” from my guru I
discovered myself.
Jaffna Diocese
by Victor Karunairajan
Community News
“Those of us who dwell in the negatives and the differences have had a lot to learn from Leela; she
impacted positively and inspirationally on the positives and the unifying features. And wherever
necessary, and if the gaps were forbidding, she built bridges. A good example is how she made her
family a role model for all of us who came to know her, her husband Albert and
their children
Sudha, Revathy and Inthumati and through them, their near and dear ones.
“She was a devout Hindu married to an equally devout Christian and
brought up their children in an environment enriched by both faiths.
After all, our creator is eternal and God of all creations. It was this
ultimate reality that reigned supreme in the household of the Sinniahs.
Making a personal reference, Mr Karunairajan said: “When I made
plans from England to bring my children to Sri Lanka for their
education late 1960s, there were a few strengthening factors to
such a decision. Apart from my mother and grandmother, there
were three teacher couples and an individual at Jaffna College
that gave me great confidence that they will be like second
parents to my children. There were Albert and Leela Sinniah,
Lindsay and Jeevo Mahilrajan, Chutti Thurairatnam later joined
by Sheila and Rajan and Mahila Kadirgamar.
“I could not have wished for anything better. The variety of
experience my children and I had because of such relationships,
prepared them well for life. It was a great foundation. In our lives
we are sailing the oceans and how we take the surfs and swells, the
calm and the hurricanes are all that matters. Imagine when one has
a friend like Leela, how strong we can be, because the very hallmark
of her life was to be supportive to another especially those in need and
are also the vulnerable.
“Strangers to Vaddukoddai, they came as a miracle to the college community,
a blessing
indeed. There are many remarkable factors that made them stand out in the community. A teacher
of agriculture, Albert led by example and was an expert breeder of goats. If every family with a
backyard should breed goats, a great deal of illness will not dare attack us. Albert and I shared this
passion as much as we shared our passion in matters related to the community and especially the
church; and we have laid our unique tracts there.
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April 2009
Church of South India
Newsletter
13
“Albert apart from being a committed teacher was an inspiring lay leader and was Secretary of the
JDCSI Cathedral Church and Leela was very supportive to him. Our late, much revered Bishop Kulendran considered Leela as one of his own children. And Leela, a Hindu, has had the privilege of mending his holy vestments. He thought very highly of her spirit of the community.
“Even the lowly workers in and around the Jaffna College community would end their daily labour
with some refreshments from her hands. She embraced them all as a part of her family. This is
witnessing the grace of God, a nature that was spontaneous in her personality. She was always on
call for her friends and relatives who needed her advice and help in matters even very personal that
demanded outside help; it could be weddings, illnesses and even other occasions when a kindly
shoulder and a gentle heart were in need.
“On a particular dawn in my life, like a miraculous blessing Albert and Leela came into my life; they
were total strangers to me at that time. It is said strangers are friends we have never met. They were
strangers no doubt but God had designed that one day we will meet and the meeting will be that
of very dear friends. My children and grandchildren and my sons by choice will fully endorse what I
have had to share with you all from this very privileged opportunity to pay my heartfelt tribute to a
great and humble human being.
Mr Karunairajan concluded: “As Yogar Swamy said, the ultimate in relationship is the guru who will
help you to discover yourself. Leela enjoyed that stature among all who were privileged to know
her.”
Unique Mridanga Arangetram
in Melbourne
Melbourne All Saints Anglican Church Hall became the venue of an unusual recital Sunday April
19, 2009 when Jayan Gunaratnam, a sishya of Guru Yogan Kandasamy performed his Mridanga
Arangetram before a distinguished audience of musicians and elders and relatives and friends in
the ancient traditions held sacrosanct in Carnatic music. Mrs Saku Thiagarajah, was the chief guest
of the evening.
What was significant about the debutant was that he learnt the art of playing this ancient rhythmic
instrument at an age when most people retire from active life and take an easier and more relaxed
course in their day to day activities. Joe to all his dear and near ones, Jayan took the stage at the
age of sixty one to prepare for his arangetram, the maiden recital of an artiste having successfully
completed his course under a guru. This traditions dates back to thousands of years when the gurus
conducted their training in what were called the cultural universities of the forests.
Jayan commenced his recital led by the well known violinist Sri V Suresh Babu with a very popular
Dikshiter composition Maha Ganapathim in the lively raga Naatai and raga Aadhi and followed
it up with the evergreen Aananda Natam Aadinar in the Poorvi Kalyani raga and thala Roopakam
composed by Neelakanta Sivan. The last two pieces before the intermission were Devan Kovil Mani
Osai in the Misra Kaambhodhi raga and thala Aadhi and Tyagarajah Swamy’s lovely lilting rhythmic
melody Saamaja Vara Gamanaa in the Hindolam raga to the beat of the raga Aadhi.
After the intermission he delighted the Christian audience in particular and very much appreciated
by the Hindus present as well with two extremely popular Christian classical lyrics, Seer Yesu Palan
and Eththanai Navaal Thuthipen both in the Hamasadwani raga and Aadhi thala composed the Reverends Paramanantham and S Yesuthasan respectively. Older members of the audience in particular
were overjoyed when the violinist tuned his strings to the raga Sindhu Bhairavi to play that famous
pastoral delight, Kaatri nile Varum Geetham first sung by the late M S Subbuluxmi in the late 1940s.
The recital ended with a Maharajah Swati Thirunaal’s Thillana composition in the Dhanashree raga
with the beat accompaniment in Aadhi tala and it was followed by the traditional mangalam.
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Community News
Jaffna Diocese
“Leela will be missed by her peers, those younger to her and by her grand children and their peers
because she was everything to everybody who knew her – a good wife, a wonderful daughter, a
lovely mum and grand mum, a dear friend and a patient counselor and ideal neighbour. It is not
always we meet the likes of Leela and those of us who were privileged to know her are indeed truly
blessed.
Church of South India
Newsletter
April 2009
My Acre of Appreciation
By Victor Karunairajan
Out in the loveliest woods
Midst free flowing brooks
Sentinels of towering trees
Branches all spread out
Nurturing many life-forms
Their own and other species
Is an acre of appreciation
Where in silent sojourn
And prayerful gratitude
I thank God for dear ones.
Woods, I needn’t search
For they are in my heart
Fashioned and fantasized
As the ideal surrounds,
God would have created
For all of his creations
But over eons of time
We have laid them waste.
I’ve searched my heart
To seek such a haven
Eventually discovered
That in us, surely I know
We have the loveliness
Of nature’s magnificence
Blessed and ingrained
Within us, and on us.
Set among this idyllic world
Of my perpetual dreams
Where every dawn and dusk
The magic moments of day
When my heart rings a note
Joyfully and thankfully
Overflowing in pride
For the gift of folks dear
A dedication to them
Is my Acre of Appreciation.
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Jaffna Diocese
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