Thursday, January 31, 2013

Yale, the temple cow and North Britain.


Our last day in the far south. In the old colonial buildings we find the marriage register of one Elihu Yale. He went on to settle in America and establish an educational establishment that still bears his name.  In the church next door a memorial stone laid by an American ambassador.
The heffer in the Hindu temple is pregnant. A cause for much joy and celebration. The arrival of calves in such a place considered to be a most propitious event.
The multi-tasking professor with the three mobile phones has arranged for us to met an elder of the Church of Scotland. In 1947 the elders father met a Scottish missionary, a Reverend Trotter, who had discovered a group of villages that had ancient gospels and maintained an oral link to St.Thomas that went back 70 generations. As far as he is aware the villages are still out there amid the vastness of southern India.

Before we leave a chance to tour the church. St.Andrews Chennai. A little touch of Scotland in India. A tombstone to a Mr. William Gordon. His address :  The Manse of Birnie N.B.  The N.B stands for North Britain. A piece of high Imperial snobbery when all mention of Scotland was dropped and to be Scottish , rather than North British, was decidedly non-you .

The church a most un-Presbyterian place. Much laughter and light. An old fashioned Scottish emphasis on doing things rather than arguing amongst themselves. They run  hospitals for the poor (3) and schools (3). The minister tells ' the font ' of future plans to establish a school for blind girls with leprosy and a hospice for abandoned children . Angus feels that we may be visiting southern India again.

The battery on the mobile phone runs out as the congregation sings a halting lilt. The minister says it was Mahatma Gandhis favourite song. Another Indian mystery.

15 comments:

  1. The obelisk in Duthie Park commemorates an General from North Britain.
    How interesting to hear about the Scottish presbyterian connection. I had always thought that the Christians in Southern India were Roman Catholics.
    Cheers,
    Gail

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  2. Intriguing what you can find in out-of-the-way places.

    Just read a blurb on Israel where they were listing the religions and ended with 'a very small minority of Israeli Christians belong to the Church of Scotland.' who knew...

    XXXOOO Daisy, Bella & Roxy

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  3. We all live in various parts of this big old world of ours, but we are all interwoven in many ways.
    I found this post very informative and the history of it all very interesting.
    The more you seek, the more you shall find. Thanks for the eye opener Angus.

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  4. I forgot to tell you that St Thomas is the patron saint of the Anglican church in Islamabad. The term N.B. is very interesting - I'd never heard of it. Puts a new slant on the independence issue: could end up like North and South Korea!

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  5. Wow! It would be cool to be able to visit again! Your trip sounds so fascinating and exciting! :)

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  6. Mr. O and I are enjoying your travels over our morning cups of coffee. Thank you for sharing with us.

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  7. This is really so fascinating, Angus.
    I'm enjoying the tour.
    Although..... North British? Bah!

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  8. Our paper this morning had a photo of youngsters dressed ...more like undressed...like Ghandi in Chennai to celebrate his anniversary. I might not have paid attention were it not for your trip.

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  9. Angus - Please find out what Gandhi's favourite song was. I'd love to know the name. Finoula and Maxx.

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  10. Still reading and with much enjoyment! North British? Learned something yet again! My, the Scots indeed have brought much to the world! Another trip sounds like a grand idea! We'll keep tuned!

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  11. Amazing sights and history jumping off of the page. Thank you.

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  12. Appears to be quite a lot of blindness in India. Is it bacterial , diabetes, injury, heredity, complication of leprosy? You've mentioned schools for blind girls on a couple if occasions. Is the blindness gender related or do girls fare less well in Indian society?

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  13. Learning so much from your informative, and funny, adventures. Chester Bowles was also a governor of Connecticut and, briefly, an undersecretary in the Kennedy administration, from which he was removed after expressing opposition to the Bay of Pigs. Thus, his "promotion" to be ambassador.

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  14. Birnie is very near where I grew up in 'North Britain'. I will try to get a photo next time I'm in the area.

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  15. Informative, amusing, delightful blog!

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