Telugu Christians
[4] Regions with significant populations of Telugu Christians include the erstwhile Northern Circars, the coastal belt and the cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad.
[15] British colonial officers, Eurasians, and the likely presence of a few native Christian families has made missionary activity a possibility in these early years.
He preached in the northernmost parts of Andhra in 1805 but failed to achieve his objectives, and he did not venture again into the region, confining his ministry instead to the Oriya-speaking districts.
[13] Canadian Baptist Missionaries quickly identified the possibility of holistic transformation of the Telugu society through education, and they found women to be potential agents of change.
Supported initially by the Pennsylvania Ministerium, and later by the Foreign Mission Board of the General Synod, Heyer was also encouraged and assisted by British government officials.
August Mylius of the Hermaunsburg Evangelical Lutheran Mission (HELM), Germany began his evangelistic work in the southern part of Andhra i.e. the present districts of Nellore, Prakasham and Chittoor.
On Sundays the labour camps where Arthur Cotton supervised resounded with the singing of Christian hymns, songs in various languages such as Telugu, Tamil, and Tribal dialects.
[19] Sir Arthur Cotton, a British engineer with the help of two missionaries E.E Jenkins & George Fryar travelled in the Telangana regions.
The Christian sanyasis[dubious – discuss] of Andhra worked with the permission of the local authorities, which enabled them to spread the gospel with the greatest possible freedom.
A history of the Old Testament called Purva Vedam, Rajula Charitra, Amrutham Bhavan, and a life of Christ were among the writings that were revered by the Telugu Roman Catholics.
A number of Jesuit missionaries were keen on observations and experiments in astronomy, among whom the names of Le Gac, Ducros, Duchamp, Gargam and Calmette stand out.
The description of Gargan's journey of September- November 1730 through the southern districts of Andhra and information on geology, such as the quarries of Cambam and the diamond mines of the eastern side of Terramula, were of special interest.
[25] Following the Indian Independence in 1947, all properties that belonged to the erstwhile missions and churches that were part of British cantonments in the region of Andhra Pradesh were bequeathed to Telugu Christians.
It is one of the biggest dioceses in the Church of South India, comprising 1100 congregations in 71 pastorates and spread over five revenue districts of Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh state namely Adilabad, Medak, Nizamabad, Rangareddy and the cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad.
[30] The Samavesam of Telugu Baptist Churches runs educational institutions, hospitals, health centres and one theological seminary, in Ramapatnam.
Most churches and cathedrals in the region conform to the Gothic Revival style because the missions which had the greatest influence in the area were either from England or the United States.
Churches of much architectural value can be found across the length and breadth of Andhra Pradesh even in smaller towns and villages that have been influenced by missionary activity.
With a red brick exterior, this church is a fine example of the Gothic Revival style that was greatly patronised by the British.
The church, although much smaller in size, bears much resemblance to the Cathedral at Medak with both adhering the Gothic Revival architectural style.
Being commissioned by Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom in 1847 out of her own money, the church is a beautiful structure with a stark white exterior that towers over its lush green surrounding.
In the year 1983, Queen Elizabeth II, of the United Kingdom celebrated her 36th wedding anniversary in the Holy Trinity church during her tour of India.
As the result of interaction with missionaries, Telugu Christians were the first people in the region to accept and even adopt Western thought and principles such as the education of the girl child, widow remarriage, and other such reforms.
Institutions of higher education include not only colleges and universities but also professional schools in such fields as law, theology, medicine, business, music, and art (3) access to the teaching profession.
[citation needed] Telugu Christian women do not wear the bindi or bottu (red dot on the forehead) and can therefore be easily distinguished from their Hindu counterparts.
[13] The arrival of single women missionaries in India resulted in a war against the Telugu culture of woman's dependence and male domination.
[citation needed] This "puzzle" fanned the self-confidence of native women to cross their village boundaries on preaching tours, which was unimaginable to the Telugu culture.
Most life events hold religious significance such as births, baptisms and christenings, confirmations or Nirdharana, marriage (which is referred to as Holy Matrimony or Parishudda Vivahamu), funerals, burials and memorial services.
It involves the application of Nalugu a paste of turmeric and other spices to the bride or bridegroom in their respective homes amidst singing of traditional Christian wedding hymns, the most popular ones being Mangalame Yesunaku and Devarini Deevenalu.
The publishing of the Banns of marriage on the three Sundays that precede a wedding is another common practice[citation needed] that has its origins in the Church of England.
While the pipe organ alongside the Tabla was traditionally used as an accompaniment in congregational worship, its use today is limited as many have fallen into disrepair.
