Birth: 1763
Death: 27.01.1827
Native Place: Mylaudy, India
Place of Vision: Mylaudy, India
Vedamanickam, whose birth name was Maharasan, was the first protestant Christian of the Travancore Kingdom. He is considered one of the pioneers of spiritual and social revolution at Travancore. He was born into a staunch Shivite family and was brought up in the orthodox practice of Hinduism. His family owned paddy fields in Maulady where he worked along with his parents.
Maharasan was a religious man who regularly visited temples. Yet nothing could quench his deep spiritual thirst. It is said that during one of his visits to Chidambaram, he dreamt of an angel convicting him to correct his spiritual ways. Guided by the dream, he visited his relatives in Tanjore where one of them took him to a church. There he heard Revd. Kohlhoff preaching “Come to Jesus…… You will find Peace!” Touched by those words, Maharasan confessed his sins and accepted Christ as his savior. He was baptized and christened ‘Vedamanickam.’
Overjoyed at the experience of salvation, Vedamanickam desired to return to his Mylaudy, to share the love of Christ with his own people. He first spent some time with Dr. John of Tranquebar Mission who guided him for the missionary ministry. However, as he reached his village, he saw his family performing his death ceremony. For they believed the delay in his return must be due to his death in the journey. Then Vedamanickam explained to them about the spiritual death and the way of eternal life. His testimony not only brought his family to Christ but many of his fellow villagers. His association with Rev. William Ringeltaube brought many fruits in the ministry and led to the establishment of the first church in Mylaudy. Until Vedamanickam was called to glory in 1827, he continued to visit villages, preached the gospel, held prayer meetings, regularized the Bible studies, and managed the Maulady mission without the help of a foreign missionary.
