Pasumalai, Love Divine & Church
PASUMALAI, LOVE DIVINE & ARANGASALAI - MADURAI, TN, INDIA in squat.
Pasumalai means "LOVE DIVINE” and "Love Divine" means Pasumalai. We never able to separate these two.
PASUMALAI: Whenever we proclaim the place Pasumalai, first we must understand the Madurai’s first church called “New England Church” or “Kindergarten”, now in Pasumalai Boys School campus. In the year 1847 the “Father of Pasumalai- Rev.William Tracy”, the first Pastor alongwith a missionary Mr.Cheery built this Church through the American Mission. The present church “CSI Whitin Memorial Church” was planned to build in 1902 by Rev.Jones Iyar and his friends consecrated the church in 1904. 50% of the expenses were met by Rev.Edward White and during 1904 he died. Hence, in memory of “Edward White” the church was named by Rev.Jones as “Whitin Memorial Church”. Then the one and only famous “ministry drama” called “Love Divine” created by Rev.L.L.Lorbeer, an American Missionary and then the various educational institutions in Pasumalai.
In the year 1706, July 9th Missionary Ziegenbalg from Germany (சீகன் பால்க்) landed in Tamilnadu, Tharangampadi and learn Tamil. In the year 1708, October, 17th he started translating New Testament in Tamil. He completed the work in 1711, March, 31st and it is the first Tamil translated New Testament. We should thanks God for this great ministry. In 1713 the printing work completed with great difficulty.
After so many small corrections done by Johann Philipp Fabricirus, Renius iyar, Peter Percival, Hendry Bower, Rev. William Tracy(the one who built church in 1847 in Pasumalai). In 1861 the “Power Committee” to start distribute this Bible constituted by Rev.William Tracy, Power Iyar, Munsi Muthiah Pillai, Dr.Caldweld Iyar, Sargent Iyar in 1861, April, 29th at Palayankottai, TN. Then our local Tamil Scholar J.S.Masilamani Iyar corrected some minor amendments and then submitted this new version before Madras Representative Christian Council on February, 19th 1915 and it is called “Larsen Changes”(லார்சென் திருப்புதல்). In the year 1941 the revised Bible came into existence with full-fledged printing version.
The Madurai’s first college ancient “American College” was initially started at Pasumalai in the year 1882 as “மதுரா சுதேசக் கல்லூரி-Madura Native College”. Pasumalai is the place for “Educational Revolution”, “Social revolution”. “Anti-caste struggle”, “Feminine revolution” and also doing “charity for Tamil” by first publishing “Christian hymns” & “புகழ் மாலை பாடல் புத்தகம்” here. Almost all the Educational institutions were there in those days ie.Pasumalai School, American College, Teachers Training Institute, Creech with Medical Centre, Trade School, Kindergarten. Both Boys and girls are engaged in the institutions. In Madurai the first printing press was started in 1871 as “Lenox Press”. In 1870 the diocese magazine “Sathiyavarthamaani” was started distributing to members at Pasumalai. First post office at Madurai started at Pasumalai in those period. First DC current was distributed to houses and institutions in the year 1922. Night schools and Mobile library was started at Pasumalai.
One Big Bell for our Pasumalai Church and one for Tirupparankundaram Murugan Temple were donated by the then American Missionaries. Both are same sound and specification. The bell were manufactured at Boston, America with 336 raththal weight.
On September, 1st 1845 the school house and the Principal’s bungalow were completed and the school was brought to Pasumalai on September, 4th 1845. The New England Church was completed in 1847.
Pasumalai is a secular village with Christian majority in those days and also so many missionaries, preachers, pastors and Bible scholars were rose from here and they are around the world. A very good “Prayer Cell” was organized by Rev.Wasburn Durai alongwith Pasumalai youth in “Near by Kalai Malai” in that period some of them were Rev.J.S.Masilamaney & Mr.Royappa.
Our Diocese of Madurai & Ramnad – logo was created by our Pasumalai School drawing master Mr.C.V.John. In April 15th, 1958 a committee (Selvi Nickelson, Selvi Barbara, Mr.Rajarao and Mr.C.V.John) constituted by the diocese and in 1961 in the executive committee at Srivilliputhur the Logo was incorporated. (Please go through the details in website : History of C. S. I. Madurai-Ramnad Diocese Logo :: www.paulshumanmanagement.in (webnode.in)
ARANGASALAI: Arangasalai was the brain-child of the American Missionary in Pasumalai Rev.Dr.John.J.Banninga the principal of the Union Theological Seminary in Pasumalai. He was ably assisted in this project by Rev.Dr.John X Miller, the manager and Correspondent of the Pasumalai High & Training Schools in the 1920’s.
There was a naturally occurring, wide and extensive hollow, which seemed to be scooped out on the eastern slope of the Pasumalai Hill south of Oberlin the missionary abode and north of the Pasumalai Madurai Main road. This hollow had rugged sides, protruding rocks and an uneven bed with hill vegetation. But it presented the appearance of a sort of expansive site, suggesting to the American Missionaries the possibility of constructing an amphitheatre-like open air stadium there. Realising this, they set to work clearing the hollow and levelling the base removing the rocks and the vegetation. Then they put up a stage on the Western side of the site heralding the birth of an open air stadium which they called Arangasalai in the year 1920. It should be mentioned that the “work boys” who were the scholarship holders of Pasumalai High school worked in the evenings along with the skilled workers in this project.
Arangasalai was used in 1920’s and 1930’s for holding school functions like the anniversary and the All Pasumalai Commencement Exercises for the outgoing students and conferences of the American Madura Mission. The students and staff of the Union Theological Seminary staged periodically plays of Bible stories under the guidance of Rev.J.S.Masilamoney, a veteran Tamil play wright and lecturer in the Seminary. These performances of the Bible stories were really the fore-runners of Love Divine staged to day.
After the staging of Love Divine commenced, Arangasalai passed through a complete metamorphosis in larger scale. The bleak stage put up at the outset gave way in course of time to permanent structures.
DRAMA STAGE(300 MTR long) : Mr.C.V.John was the “Architect” for Love Divine stages. The steps in various places on the vast stage, the office of the high priest with the “Upper room”, Pilate’s Palace and The Cross was built by Mr.C.V.John, Drawing Master, Pasumalai Schools. As could be the practical responsibility of Mr.C.V.John to draw the sceneries in papers and got approval from Rev.L.L.Lorbeer and then executed on the stage, which could be aligned with the German play, Obera Mercau. During those days in 1944 to 1995 Mr.C.V.John drew the sceneries in wooden frames and cardboards and fix them while enacting drama. From 1977 onward after the demise of Mr.C.V.John, Mr.T.P.Jeganathan has taken charge as a good successor.
The new Jesusalem temple with the dome was constructed by Mr.Robin Mein, a Diocesen building contractor. The residence of Martha and Mary made its appearance on the Southern Side, constructed by Mr.R.S.Baliah. Designed by Mr.TP.Jeganathan, the Pilate’s audience hall was built by Mr.J.John Victor. Mr.T.P.Jeganathan was responsible for the construction of the Joseph’s residence on the northern elevation. This was followed by the installation of the Aspersion stand which was blue printed by Mr.T.P.Jeganathan and constructed by Rev. D.Jesudasan the present General Convbenor of Love Divine. The audience area of the Arangasalai has been extended three times to the third time this year(1995) under the supervision of Rev.D.Jesudoss & Mr.Arul Sathianathan and Mr.Erskin in order to accommodate the ever-increasing number of spectators.
Thanks to Mr.Devaraj Athisayaraj a well-known historian and Retd. Teacher- "பசுமலை வரலாற்றுக் கதைகள்"
LOVE DIVINE – THE PLAY(Drama, prose and music) - இயல், இசை, நாடகம் ஆகிய மூன்றையும் வளர்த்த பெருமை தெய்வீக அன்பின் திருக்காட்சியைச் சாரும்.
First and foremost outlook that without “LORBEERS” the missionaries from America there is no Love Divine and no Pasumalai. Love Divine is the passion play staged in Pasumalai by the CSI Protestant Church Community every year during the lent season. This play depicting the life and of teachings of Jesus Christ (from birth, miracles, crucifixion & resurrection) is staged in the Arangasalai, the open air stadium at the foot of the Pasumalai hill.
Any historical note on the play Love Divine will be incomplete without reference to the construction of the Arangasalai. The history of Love Divine is inextricably linked with that of Arangasalai. A peep into the past in Pasumalai will reveal that Arangasalai came into existence in the early 1920’s more than twenty years before the advent of Love Divine.
Love Divine was first staged in part in 1942 as “The Dawn”- the passion of Christ until the witness of Centurion and a full length performance in 1944 under the guidance of Rev.L.L.Lorbeer, a devoted American Missiionary and an ardent evangelist with his wife Mrs.Elva Lorbeer alongwith some of our Pasumalai CSI church elders. In the year 1942 Rev.L.L.Lorbeer and his wife witnessed a play called “Obera Mergau” on the life of Jesus Christ staged in an open air stadium in Germany. He was so much impressed with it that he made a solemn Yow, “I will organize a similar play on the life of Jesus Christ in Pasumalai”. The Love Divine, we have today is the fruit of this resolution he made while in Germany. Returning to Pasumalai, he set the ball rolling to produce a play on the life of Jesus Christ, which he called Love Divine. Rev.L.L.Lorbeer rather called it as a ministry instead of a drama.
Around 50 scenes in the play Love Divine include the Prophesy told before the birth of Christ, His Birth, His temptations, miracles, teachings like sermons in mount, crucifixion, resurrection and ascension which are presente in an engrossing way with remarkable realism. The responsbibility of the artistic presentation of the scenes was entrusted to Mr.C.V.John, Drawing Master. The play was originally written by Dr.V.P.K.Sundaram alongwith Rev.L.L.Lorbeer. The songs were written and sung by Pulavar V.Jeyaraj. Originally the play was enacted in two Parts ( I & II) with a small time of interval.
The Approval Committee of the Text of Love Divine in 1943:
- Rev.J.S.Masilamani
- Mr.I. Sam Benjamin
- Mr.Michale Parimalam
- Mr.C.V. John
- Mr.G.Joseph alongwith Rev. L.L.Lorbeer
In March, 7th 1957 Mr & Mrs.Lorbeer went to America and handed over the responsibilities to the following Pasumalai elders:
Directors : Messrs. S.P. Devasigamani & T.J. Sellathurai
Constunes : Mrs. Sugirtha Samuel
Stage Settings : Mr.C.V. John
Lighting : Mr.Christopher Solmond
Music : Messrs. V.P.K. Sundaram, V.Jeyaraj, John Evangel, Mrs.Jessie Duraraj
Thousands of people both Christians and non-Christians flock to Pasumalai during the last days of Lenten season to witness the life and teachings of Jesus Christ dramatized through Love Divine in simple Tamil language. Usually it will be staged three days during last weeks of lentern days every year. Every Good Friday(III day), the Tuesday before that Good Friday (IInd day) and the Saturday before that Tuesday(First day). Even an illiterate can understand the songs and dialogues of Love Divine. In those days, people from neighboring villages came in bullock carts with meals and they spent the whole day inside Arangasalai. The number keeps on increasing year after year. Watching Love Divine is a religious experience to countless people in the audience. For them, witnessing the scenes of Love Divine is WORSHIP, edifying and uplifting. No stir, no noisy reaction from the audience like clapping of hands occult during the play. Sometimes, some audience thrown stones, tumblers on the Soldiers, who thrashes the Christ on crucifixion scenes. Many people consider going to Pasumalai every year to witness Love Divine as a PILGRIMAGE undertaken to receive the blessings of Jesus Christ. The Tamil(Carnatic) and English(hymns) choirs are the main focus on Love Divine to break the minds of the audience.
Love Divine is a legacy left by Rev.L.L.Lorbeer and Mrs.Lorbeer to the Pasumalai Church Community which is always proud of this priceless possession. Pasumalai Church Community is staging Love Divine for the past 81 years (1942 – 2023) believing that the play is the most efficacious medium to promote evangelism. May God the almighty bless and guide Pasumalai to hand this “Torch” Love Divine from generation to generation.
S.Paul Sureshkumar, MBA(HR&IR)
(Director – Love Divine)
15/34, “Rock-View”, Old Vilachery Road
Pasumalai, Madurai-625004. Mob.: 9842971959
Email: sureshshanth15@gmail.com
Website : www.paulshumanmanagement.in (webnode.in)
