A Bold Faith in the Hindu Palace: Stirring Controversy
Devasahayam Pillai, once Neelakanta, became a striking anomaly as a Christian residing within the grand halls of Padmanabhapuram Palace, a stronghold of Hindu tradition under Maharaja Marthanda Varma. His newfound faith led him to abandon temple rituals, opting instead for the sacraments at Catholic churches, a shift that alarmed his Brahmin colleagues, including Dewan Ramayyan Dalawa and Singaram Annavi, who saw it as a direct challenge to their religious authority. His presence in the court, once a symbol of Nair nobility, now marked him as an outsider, fueling their eagerness to confront him. Devasahayam’s refusal to partake in “prasadam” offered by a Brahmin priest, and his rejection of a “pooja” performed by relatives at his Nattalam home to atone for his conversion, intensified their hostility. These acts, rooted in his unwavering belief in Christ, positioned him as a defiant figure, sparking heated debates with palace priests who struggled to reconcile his official role with his Christian convictions.
Defiance of Caste Norms: A Social Upheaval
Devasahayam’s embrace of Christian equality further aggravated the court, as he actively engaged with lower-caste individuals, defying Travancore’s rigid caste hierarchy. Following Jesus’s example, he shared meals and fellowship with those deemed untouchable, a practice that horrified the Brahmins and Nairs, who saw caste as sacred. This association contaminated his status in their eyes, making his return to court untenable. Had he merely converted without practicing this equality, the backlash might have been milder, but his sincere implementation of Christian teachings—rejecting all caste distinctions and proclaiming God as the Father of all—clashed with the elite’s worldview. His fearless criticism of Brahmin superstitions and injustices, delivered with the authority of his faith, amplified tensions, turning him into a target for those determined to preserve the social order he challenged.
Royal Tolerance and Church Construction: A Flashpoint
Amid this unrest, signs of royal tolerance toward Christians added complexity. Maharaja Marthanda Varma occasionally showed leniency, accepting a cot crafted by De Lannoy with a sculpted Cross and allowing a Christian priest to bless his residence while wearing a cope, acts that enraged the Brahmins. Meanwhile, the prince, heir to the throne, donated land for a church, granting permission for its construction, a gesture facilitated by Devasahayam’s influence with the royal family. Father Buttari’s request for timber to build this church further infuriated Dewan Ramayyan Dalawa, who viewed it as an encroachment on Hindu dominance. This apparent acceptance of Christians, coupled with Devasahayam’s role, provided his enemies—Brahmins and court officials—with ammunition to portray him as a threat, heightening their resolve to act against him.
Unjust Accusations and a Sinister Plot
The mounting tensions culminated in a conspiracy led by Dalawa and the king’s secretary, who fabricated accusations to justify Devasahayam’s arrest. They claimed he had manipulated the prince into donating church land and warned the king that his failure to act would lead to the kingdom’s collapse under Christian influence. These baseless charges, presented with urgency, pressured Marthanda Varma to order Devasahayam’s immediate apprehension on February 23, 1749, nearly four years after his baptism. Loyal friends alerted Devasahayam to the plot, allowing him to prepare, yet he refused to flee, choosing to face the danger with courage. Undeterred, he continued his Christian duties, traveling 18 miles to a church for Confession and Communion, seeking spiritual strength from Father Buttari and the community that had nurtured his faith, demonstrating his readiness to confront the king’s summons.
De Lannoy’s Intervention and Royal Caution
As Devasahayam was escorted to the king, Colonel De Lannoy, his longtime friend, felt deep sorrow and sought to intervene. He dispatched a European soldier to follow the captors, hoping to negotiate his release, a move reflecting their shared military bond. However, the secretary informed the king, who sternly cautioned De Lannoy against interfering in court matters, asserting royal authority. This rebuke underscored the limits of De Lannoy’s influence, as Marthanda Varma prioritized maintaining Hindu control over addressing a foreign officer’s plea. Devasahayam, aware of this failed intervention, turned to Father Barreiros, S.J., for Confession and Communion, finding renewed strength to face his fate, prepared as a sacrificial lamp like early Church martyrs, his faith unyielding as he entered imprisonment.
Societal Persecution and Christian Resolve
Devasahayam’s arrest marked the beginning of widespread persecution against Christians in Travancore, with many facing heavy fines and punishments. Some fled to the mountains or left the kingdom, while a few temporarily renounced their faith under pressure. Yet, the majority, inspired by Devasahayam’s example, remained courageous, holding fast to their beliefs despite adversity. His refusal to yield to the king’s demands for renunciation, despite promises of high office or threats of torture, intensified royal anger, solidifying his imprisonment. This collective resolve among Christians, fueled by Devasahayam’s steadfastness, highlighted a growing resistance movement, setting the stage for the trials he would endure, as his faith became a beacon for others facing similar oppression.
Common Characteristics of Mental and Physical Tortures:
Mental Tortures: A Plan to Shame and Weaken Him
Devasahayam Pillai went through tough mental tortures meant to make him feel tired, sad, and ashamed. In front of King Marthanda Varma, two important court leaders, Dewan Ramayyan Dalawa and Singaram Annavi, said mean things about Christians. They called them dirty, foolish, and bad people, which hurt Devasahayam a lot because he was a Christian. This happened in the big palace where everyone could hear, and it was a way to make him feel small and lose respect in front of the king and other important people. To make it worse, they made him ride a buffalo in a public parade as a punishment. They put erukku flowers around his neck—flowers that people in Travancore thought showed shame and bad luck—and gave him just a tiny piece of cloth to wear. This parade went on for 16 days at first and then lasted for many months as they took him through different parts of the kingdom, letting big crowds look at him, laugh, and make fun of him. This was all planned to break his spirit by showing him off in a humiliating way. The pressure to give up his Christian faith grew even more because some Christians got scared and stopped believing, and people used this to tease Devasahayam, saying he was wrong to keep his faith. The hardest part for him was when his wife, Theresa, got so afraid of the tortures that she gave up her faith for a short time, though she felt sorry later and came back to it. All these things—the mean words, the long shameful parade, the teasing, and his wife’s temporary loss of faith—were meant to hurt his heart and mind, but Devasahayam stayed strong by praying and holding on to his belief in God.
Physical Tortures: A Three-Year Ordeal Leading to MartyrdomA. Confinement in a Restrictive Prison Cell
B. Initial Death Sentence and Its Reversal
Devasahayam faced an initial death sentence shortly after his imprisonment, reflecting the gravity of the charges against him. The king’s decision to revoke this sentence left him in a complex emotional state—grateful for the chance to continue his faith, yet longing for the honor of martyrdom. His steadfast devotion to Christ, maintained through prayer for strength and guidance, underscored his resilience in the face of this unexpected reprieve and the physical toll of prolonged uncertainty.
C. Foot Parade with Chili and Scourging
Devasahayam endured a 16-day foot parade through the capital, garlanded with erukku flowers—a symbol of disgrace—and accompanied by drumbeats, a public ritual of humiliation that extended for months across the kingdom. Chili powder and paste were applied to his body, intensifying the torment, while Father Buttari documented the use of thorny scourges that tore his back and forced inhalation of pepper fumes, causing burning sensations akin to fire. Despite accusations and mockery, he remained resilient, praying and lifting his hands in faith.
D. Buffalo Parade with Public Beatings
As a traditional South Indian punishment, Devasahayam was paraded on a buffalo with hands tied behind him, seated backward to signify condemnation. Crowds mocked and cursed him along the route, while he was beaten with tamarind and thorny sticks, tearing his flesh. Chili powder was smeared over his wounds and body, and he was forced to stand in the scorching sun, yet he bore these physical sufferings with patience and joy, reflecting his unyielding spirit.
E. Perilous Buffalo Journey
The buffalo parades posed significant physical challenges, as Devasahayam, with hands bound behind him, could not grip the animal’s flat back. The uneven terrain of Travancore’s roads likely caused frequent falls, worsened by the buffalo’s resistance to carrying a rider, which often shook him off. This dangerous and exhausting journey, spanning months, tested his physical endurance against the rugged landscape and the animal’s unpredictable movements.
F. Second Death Sentence and Reversal
A second death sentence was imposed when Devasahayam was accused of encouraging Christians to refuse the king’s special taxes. Initially, he welcomed this as a path to martyrdom, but its revocation dashed his hopes, prolonging his physical ordeal. This judicial fluctuation, rooted in political pressures, required him to muster additional physical and spiritual strength to endure the ongoing torments.
G. Torture by Taluk Chiefs Across Villages
Under Travancore’s practice of moving prisoners between locations under local taluk chiefs, Devasahayam was paraded through villages with Christian converts to deter further conversions. Large crowds gathered to witness his daily beatings and chili powder applications, yet he remained steadfast and joyful. His physical suffering thus served as a powerful witness to his faith, inspiring onlookers despite the intended suppression.
H. Miraculous Water at Puliyoorkurichy
At Puliyoorkurichy, Devasahayam, positioned on a rock and denied water due to intense thirst, prayed with tears and struck the rock with his elbow, miraculously causing water to gush forth. This fountain, still active today and drawing pilgrims from afar, stands as a testament to divine intervention. The event, celebrated as a symbol of God’s grace, offered him relief amid his physical deprivation.
I. Imprisonment at Peruvilai
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| Tied to a neem tree |
In 1751, Devasahayam Pillai, a Christian convert persecuted for his faith, was taken from Puliyoorkurichi to Peruvilai, where he endured seven months of torture, chained to a tree with fetters that forced him to sit or lie back, unable to move freely; yet, he prayed fervently, drawing crowds, including his jailer, whose childless wife received his blessing and later bore a child, turning the jailer sympathetic. Soldiers’ kindness allowed visits from priests like Father Pimentel, S.J., with whom Devasahayam shared his joy in suffering for Christ, and Father Thommaso de Fonseca, S.J., who administered Reconciliation and Communion at night. When guards offered escape, Devasahayam, after consulting Eustachius De Lannoy and Father Giovanni Battista Buttari, S.J., chose martyrdom over cowardice, speaking of Christ’s passion to visitors and having a villager read the Bible aloud, transforming Peruvilai into a place of worship until King Marthanda Varma, frustrated by his growing influence, ordered his transfer to Aralvaimozhy’s prison in early 1752, setting the stage for his martyrdom.
J. Foot Whipping, Beatings, and Lashes
Devasahayam faced daily punishments of 30 cane lashes, supplemented by unauthorized beatings, leaving 35 wounds and scars on his body. His refusal to renounce his faith prompted the king’s decree for whipping with thorny scourges, a physically devastating measure that underscored the intensity of his persecution over the three-year period.
K. Laceration of the Skin
His tormentors used a sharp, thorny scourge to cut his skin, enhancing the burning sensation from chili powder or paste applied to his wounds. Pain was also inflicted on his face, a targeted act to maximize physical suffering and break his resistance, reflecting the calculated cruelty of his captors.
L. Suffocating Chili Powder in Prison
Devasahayam was locked in a cell surrounded by pots of boiling water mixed with red-hot chili powder, a cruel attempt to force his surrender through suffocation and intense irritation. His ability to endure this harsh environment demonstrated remarkable physical resilience amidst the oppressive conditions.
M. Ants in the Prison
In a county headquarters jail, Devasahayam suffered from an infestation of kadierumbu, or red ants, known for their painful bites. This added a constant physical torment to his confinement, compounding the challenges posed by the already restrictive cell environment.
N. Exposure to Poisonous Snakes and Scorpions
Devasahayam was subjected to the terror of being surrounded by deadly snakes and scorpions, a life-threatening ordeal from which he miraculously survived. This survival, attributed to divine protection, highlighted his physical endurance and faith in the face of extreme danger.
O. Denial of Bath
For three years, Devasahayam was denied the opportunity to bathe and was provided no oils to soothe his skin, leaving his body exposed to the elements and the cumulative effects of his tortures, further deteriorating his physical condition.
P. Thirst and Miraculous Relief
Devasahayam endured repeated deprivation of water, including near the sea during a buffalo parade where he was offered only salty seawater, which he miraculously transformed into drinkable water through prayer. At Puliyoorkurichy, despite being given sewage water, the earlier miracle of the rock fountain provided relief, symbolizing divine grace amid his physical thirst.
Q. Hunger Deprivation
In Peruvilai, Devasahayam received only a meager portion of cooked rice, which was eventually withheld in an attempt to starve him to death. This deliberate starvation, a cruel extension of his physical torment, tested his bodily limits over the prolonged imprisonment.
R. Carried Like an Animal
En route to his execution at Kattadimalai, soldiers, frustrated by chains slowing his pace, laid him flat and inserted a pole through his bound hands and feet, suspending him for transport. By the time they reached the site, the restraints had dug into his flesh, causing agonizing wounds, a final act of physical brutality before his martyrdom.
S. Spiritual Life During Torture
Bishop Clement noted Devasahayam’s dedication to spiritual practices, spending mornings and evenings in contemplation, praying, and reading saints’ lives aloud to inspire others. He fasted on Fridays and Saturdays for Christ and the Virgin Mary, beyond church requirements, and obeyed priests like Fr. Buttari diligently. Welcoming priests for Confession and Communion, even at night, he expressed remorse and joy, earning the title “living martyr” despite limited access to sacraments due to his circumstances.
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