Chetty Bhanumurthy

Chetti Bhanumurti (born 23 February 1888;[2] died 6 January 1973[1]) was a Hymn Writer whose hymns are found in the Hymnal in Telugu.[3] Bhanumurti was a Pastor of the Canadian Baptist Mission/Convention of Baptist Churches of Northern Circars who also led the Principalship of the Baptist Theological Seminary, Kakinada from 1945-1956 leading to its affiliation to the nation's first[4] University, Senate of Serampore College (University) in 1946[5]

Chetty Bhanumurthy, CBCNC
Born(1888-02-23)February 23, 1888[1]
Cocanada (Madras Presidency)
DiedJanuary 6, 1973(1973-01-06) (aged 84)[1]
Andhra Pradesh
Education
Alma mater
Years active1912-1973 (61 years)
Known forLyrical compositions in Telugu Christian Hymnal
ReligionChristianity
ChurchCanadian Baptist Mission/Convention of Baptist Churches of Northern Circars
Congregations served
CBM-Andhra Baptist Church, Kakinada (1913-1914/1918-1919)
Offices held
TitleThe Reverend

Comparative religion Scholar R. R. Sundara Rao who researched at the University of Wisconsin–Madison highlighted the literary standard of Chetty Bhanumurti terming him as a pioneer hymn writer whose songs had the element of Bhakti.[6] The Old Testament Scholar, Victor Premasagar was also enthused by the lyrical content in Bhanumurti's compositions,[7] especially Hymn Number 94 titled Yesuku Samanulevaru (Translated Who is equal to you Lord?) with direct reference to Psalm 71:19 and strikingly similar to Tyagaraja's composition in Kharaharapriya. Dayanandan Francis brings Chetti Bhanumurti in the line of another Hymn writer, Puroshottam Choudhary and writes,

Like Choudari, Bhanumurti also is interested in picking up ideas, thought-forms and even ragas from popular Hindu poems and lyrics, while at the same time endeavouring to broaden the perspectives found in such religious literary forms with distinctive Christian ideas.

Studies

In 1915,[8] Bhanumurthy discerned his avocation towards priesthood and went for ministerial formation to the Serampore College, Serampore, a constituent College of the nation's first University,[4] studying up to 1918,[8] during the Principalship of George Howells, as a candidate of the Canadian Baptist Mission/Convention of Baptist Churches of Northern Circars where Bhanumurthy obtained a Licentiate in Theology (L.Th.).[2]

Theological Teacher

Bhanumurthy taught at the Ramayapatnam Baptist Theological Seminary in Ramayapatnam[2] and later on moved to Kakinada where he taught at the Baptist Theological Seminary in Kakinada along with Muthyala Theophilus who was his colleague. This was the period when A. B. Masilamani joined the seminary for spiritual formation. In 1952, Bhanumurthy became Principal of the seminary.

Hymns

Roger E. Hedlund, the Missiologist writes that along with the Bible, the Christian Hymnal in Telugu also forms the main bulwark of Christian spiritual life for the Telugu folk and of equal use to both the non-literates and the literates as well.[9] In such a context, it is noteworthy that sixteen of Bhanumurthy's compositions are found in the Christian Hymnal in Telugu with the following sequence,

  • 9, Stuti Geethamu,[3]
  • 84, Neeti Suryudu,[3]
  • 87, Kreesthuku Namo Namo,[3]
  • 92, Yesu Sharanu,[3]
  • 94, Yesuku Samanulevaru,[3]
  • 116, Raraju Janmadinamu,[3]
  • 198, Siluva Balamu,[3]
  • 201, Yesu Shanthikarudu,[3]
  • 263, Kreesthu Sanghamunaku Sirassu,[3]
  • 361, Yesunaku Sakshulu,[3]
  • 406, Kreesthuni Vembadinchuta,[3]
  • 514, Kutumbaradhana,[3]
  • 522, Melukolupu,[3]
  • 524, Kraistava Yuvajanulara Kreesthu Koraku Nelavandi,[3]
  • 552, Abhinaya Christmas Geethamu,[3]
  • 579, Kruthagnathala Panduga,[3]

References
  1. Roger E. Hedlund, Jesudas M. Athyal, Joshua Kalapati, and Jessica Richard (Edited), The Oxford Encyclopaedia of South Asian Christianity, 2012.
  2. Mary Stillwell McLaurin, Chetti Bhanumurti in John Craig, J. R. Stillwell, I. C. Archibald, A. E. Baskerville (Edited), Some of the Trophies: Canadian Baptist Foreign Mission Board Jubilee Volume, Telugu Trophies - The Jubilee story of some of the principal Telugu converts in the Canadian Baptist Foreign Mission in India from 1874 to 1924, American Baptist Publication Society, Toronto.
  3. Andhra Christian Hymnal, Christian Literature Society, Madras, 1966
  4. Murli Manohar Joshi, Higher Education in India Vision and Action, A paper presented at the UNESCO World Conference on Higher Education in the Twenty First Century, Paris, 5–9 October 1998. Internet, accessed 22 August 2008. "Department of Secondary&Higher Education". Archived from the original on 23 February 2012. Retrieved 2015-11-15.
  5. Orville E. Daniel, Rising Tides in India, Canadian Baptist Foreign Mission Board, 1963, p.91.
  6. R. R. Sundara Rao, Bhakti theology in the Telugu hymnal, CISRS/CLS, Bangalore/Chennai, 1983.
  7. T. Dayanandan Francis, Attempts at Critical Assimilation in Regional Christian Literature: A Tamil Perspective in H. S. Wilson (Edited), The Church on the Move: A Quest to Affirm the Biblical Faith - Essays in honour of P. Victor Premasagar, CLS, Chennai, 1988, pp.135-144
  8. S. J. Samartha, M. P. John (Compiled), Directory of students 1910-1967, Serampore College (Theology Department), Serampore, 1967, p.1.
  9. Roger E. Hedlund, Quest for Identity: India's Churches of Indigenous origin: The "Little" Tradition in Indian Christianity, New Delhi, 2000, p.261.
  10. C. L. Johnson (Edited), Canadian Baptist Mission 125 year's Jubilee Celebrations of Baptist Churches in Northern Circars, Baptist Theological Seminary, Kakinada, 1999, p.217-219.
  11. CBM-Andhra Baptist Church, Jagannaickpur, Kakinada 100 years souvenir 1906-2006. Office Bearers of the Church 1906-2006, p.2.
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