C. P. Chandy Sir – May 4 I ‘Sabha Kavi’ ‘Malankarayude Aprem’ Heavenly Trumpet of Malankara Orthodox Church. 1916 – 2005

The Holy Church remembers May 4^th every year, an unsung, selfless pious soul, evangelist, Church poet contributor and composer of Church hymns, especially of our Holy Liturgy. Late C. P. Chandy sir was born in 13 Feb 1916 at Vennikulam, Chakkalakunnel to a missionary, Philipose Upadeshi and Achamma, daughter of Rev. Mattackal Pathrose kathanar, Niranam, as the youngest in the family, of three brothers and four sisters. After his high school education, he joined in Alwaye Advida Ashramam for Sanskrit.

Later he gained deep knowledge in Sanskrit with the assistance of a scholar from the Pandalam Royal family. In 1939 he achieved the “Sanskrit Shastri” from Aluva Adwaithashram and he joined Thirividayur University for Malayalam and graduated from the then Travancore University in 1945. His intense love for his mother-tongue Malayalam, Chandy joined Theological Seminary as a Malayalam teacher. Here he got associated with another scholarly, stalwart of Malankara Orthodox Church, Mr. V K Mathews, who joined Seminary for teaching Theology, who later became Fr VK Mathews and finally HH Marthoma Mathews I. These two great souls began the work of translating worship songs and this association was a blessing for the Holy Church, which helped a lot, in slowly replacing Syriac songs and prose with Malayalam.

He under the guidance of H. H. Baselios Geevarghese II, at the age of 27, started translating the Syriac worship songs to our native language Malayalam. During the reign of Kallaseri Bava he served and stayed at the Old Seminary to work as a Malayalam teacher, there he started his dedicated work. He was a teacher at Catholicate high school at Pathanamthitta, and Diocese Secretary of Thumpamon Balasamajam. He was a good leader and a co-coordinator. He was also a visiting professor at Catholicate College for Syriac language.  

Chandy sir did the translation for the first time but he beaded and interweaved with the decisive grace by God Almighty, the whole Qurbana Kramam in six months, followed by other songs too. With inspiration from the above, Chandy sir translated the Hoothommo, by HH Baselius Augen in complexed Syriac language. Chandy sir succeeded there also in churning out many everlastings, gems as songs to the Holy Church. Chandy sir also penned the Catholica Mangalam Ganam. Initially it was in the tune of the National Anthem, but when a ruling came that no songs should use the tune of the national anthem it was changed to the present one.

In 1948, he joined Basil Dayara, Pathanamthitta as a student under Puthenkavil Kochu Thirumeni, H. G. Geevarghese Mar Philoxenos. The first book of his translation was Holy Qurbana songs. On insistence from Puthenkavil Thirumeni, Chandy Sir joined Puthenkavu School as Malayalam Teacher and later transferred to Catholicate School. He served as a teacher for almost thirty years. C P Chandy was an active part of all Spiritual movements of our Church like Balasamajam, Sunday School, Students movement (MGOCSM) and  Youth Movement. Having served as the secretary of Thumpamon Diocese Balasamajam, he was also active in Servants of Cross. His good humor used to make the camps of these spiritual organizations fun filled. Fr M V George (LL Geevarghese Mar Osthathios) would be at the receiving end of many of Chandy sir’s jokes in these camps. One cannot forget the song Swargesta thata Natha..……… (Sunday school opening prayer song) which was a big contribution for Sunday school. He was an eminent personality which our Church can never ever forget.

He was a scholar in Malayalam, Syriac, Sanskrit, Tamil, Hindi, and English. Till then the Holy Church was following the Syriac liturgy which was not easily followed by all. The proficiency of Fr. V. K Mathews in Syriac language facilitated the right meaning of songs to flow with Chandy sir’s proficiency and prowess of Malayalam to ensure the emergence of liturgical songs of the present form. This great man had translated Syriac prayers and songs to Malayalam in such a way that today we have the most meaningful and beautiful services for all our Sacraments.

Malankara Orthodox Church, developed through and because of the chosen people of God. No one thought that Chandy sir would end up as a boon to Malankara Orthodox Church and his efforts will last for centuries to embellish the Orthodox Liturgical music. Undoubtedly for our Church, one of them is ‘Sabha Kavi’, C. P. Chandy, a man who fully devoted his lifetime for the benefit of our Church. We Orthodox Christians all over the globe sing the songs in Holy Qurbana and holy sacraments but neither acknowledge the same nor try to see how those songs got translated from the original version in Syriac. Rarely do we imagine a frail-looking lay man Chandy Sir, was behind the voluminous task and as usual, we are made to believe that you and me and our Holy Church had not extended the gratitude he deserves.

From 1940, C P Chandy dedicated his life for our Church. Since then he was successful in translating most of our worship, namely all sacramental prayers, Sheema Namaskaram, Perunal Shrishrooshakal, Good Friday service, Songs of Sleeba to Kyamtha and Kyamtha to Sleeba in the Holy Liturgical Book, Noyambile Namaskaram, Koodashakramangalum Aanida, Penkiza Namaskaram, Aandu Thaksa, Kashtanubhava Azchayile Geethangal, Perunal Sushrushakramangal, Hoothoma, Holy Liturgy Thaksa, Shavasamskara shusrushakramam, Vaidikarude Shavasamskara Shusrshakramam, Kahanito. All this were successful because of his determination, hard work, patience, intellectual knowledge and full submission to God. Still His love towards our Church was above all this.

H. H. Baselious Mar Thoma II, once declared that “The Churches spiritual growth lies in its prayer and worship. C P Chandy has made his best efforts to keep them alive by translating all the prayers and songs. His great contribution to the Church has made him one of the greatest men our Church has ever seen this century”. In 1969 His Holiness Baselious Ougen I respected and awarded him the “Sabha Kavi Pattam” for his dedicated and selfless contribution to the church. A great soul, a pillar of our Church and faith, is known as ‘Nimisha Kavi’ because he could write poems on any topics instantaneously, covering within the periphery of language metrics and prosody. As a bachelor, he spent all his life, apart from all his ailing years at the evening of his life, for the glorification of God by writing, translating the Syriac worship into Malayalam, evangelizing and educating the young ones with his wisdom and theology.  

In 1976 he retired from the Catholicate high school. He was in Old seminary Kottayam as a visiting professor for Syriac and Malayalam. Chandy Sir kept good relationship with almost every Church leader not for any material or worldly gains but for the commitment to the Church they served. Baselius Geevarghese II conferred upon him the title ‘St. Ephrem of Malankara’. HH Baselius Mar Thoma Mathews I himself chose Chandy Sir to do the translation of many of his works, especially those of liturgical books. M C Kuriakose Ramban, with whom he was so close to, was the first to refer to Chandy Sir as ‘Samudaya Kavi’. In 1964, HH Baselius Augen I officially awarded him with the title of ‘Sabha Kavi’. He partnered Yuhanon Mar Severius Metropolitan to write the Prayers and Songs for Feast of St Mary and Parumala Thirumeni. HH Baselius Mar Thoma II gave him the elite name of ‘Malankarayude Aprem’. These titles are so apt, meaningful and fittingly perfect to Chandy Sir. We cannot find another individual with mind and tongue praised God Almighty. He will certainly be in the company of angelic community of Seraphims singing praises in heaven.

Chandy sir’s works will remain immortal as they are used by Jacobites, Malankara Catholics and Marthomites. Chandy sir always stayed in the Dayara, he rarely stayed a night outside away from the Dayara premises. He kept silently voicing out this to the world. C.P. Chandy Sir was an individual who was exceptional as well as so gifted by God Almighty with ability to both write and speak. The only contemporary personality likened to Chandy sir who comes to our minds is Philipose Mar Chrysostomos of Marthoma Church who is golden-mouthed in terms of evoking a laugh or two but at the same time communicating what God Almighty plants into his grace’ heart. CP Chandy sir also as well as Chrysostom Thirumeni with their humor create pathways to praise the Lord, to set a standard which many of us should try to follow. Let the lives of Chandy sir and many who sacrificed or dedicated their lives to the growth of the Church be a guiding light to us and let us sincerely pray such that more of such individuals arise from our Holy Church yet again!!

In 2005 during the 40^th day of the Holy Lent on 21^st March 2005 he got paralyzed by a stroke and underwent treatment since then. He received the sacrament of anointing the sick in full spirit. On (Ascension Day) May 4^th, 2005 at the age of 88, he left for his heavenly abode. His funeral services were conducted under the leadership of H. G. Geevarghese Mar Osthathios and H. G. Philipose Mar Eusebius along with seven Thirumeni, 60 priests, deacons, and many believers and clergy from our Church as well as other Churches for the funeral. C. P. Chandy lies buried at St. Basil Dayara Chapel, Pathanamtitta. Shri C. P. Chandy was the Heavenly Trumpet of Malankara Orthodox Church.

He should be a lodestar for our life that also is expected to bear forth fruits in hundred folds for the Master of the vineyard.
For you became rich in Christ beyond all measure!
For your heart sings continually and joyfully in the Spirit!
You shed upon our darkened souls the brilliant light of your wisdom!
Your love and guidance enlightened us, to serve the LORD with renewed purity