Some Popular Lentan Konkani Hymns of Mangalorean Catholics

1. Utta utta prannia

Utta utta prannia

Sandda sandda sounsar maia

Patt koruni teia

Vollka  jezu raia

Othir sounsar

Othir tacho adhar

Othir hankar

Othir tacho dalbhar

Tacher patievn ravlele

Prachit korunk na pavle

Nidrest zavn urlele

Zagrut zainastam sorale

Je konn taka bhulele

Nana porim fottvole

Eextt eextt mhonnon cholole

Xekim gulam zanvk pavle

Dotorn xikonk polltale

Khoin atam te pavle ?

Falea xikonv mhonntale

Falea zainastam sorale

Soire doire sorole

Eextt montr poile ontorle

Hem moni chintun apapole

Hak mariam jejukodde

Thorthoream kamponi

Mhonntanv moni villap koroni

Ha kotta! kotta! somia amchi jinni

Itlean zaleanv nirgunni

He punni sobd aikoni

Kakut amcher tthevoni

Atthov kor somia amcho mhonnoni

Aprad magtanv bhogsuni. Amen.

2. Jezu somia

Jezu somia, atam patkam roddtam

jinni bodlunk khonddit nixchoitam

Choros: 

bhogos mhaka jezu, tuji kakut magtam

Patka mmhojim aichean soddtam, khonddit soddtam.

Rogtan tujea soddoillo otmo mhozo

zanvk soddnaka sasnnak dusman tuzo

Khontin roddon tujea paiam poddtam

Magdalenaborim tuji kakut magtam

3. Jezun amche pasun

Jezun amche pasun, Aplo jiv dila

Rogot aplem vikravn, mhog mhozo kela

Tache'molik rogtan, dilam bhogsanne

Tachea jinnie mornnan, sorginchem jinne

Ekuch ek thembo, tujea rogtacho

Hozar prothvink soddvonn dincheak to puro

Kiteak tor vikrailein, sorv rogot tujem ?

Kiteak somia kelein, sang mhaka odem

Kalvarichea dongrar, somi umkollta

mhozo dev-soddvonndar, Jiv aplo dita

Koso upkar tujo, hanvem bavuddcho

mog keloi-mu mhozo, mhozo papiacho.

4. Deva doiall kakutichea

Deva doiall kakutichea

Bhogos bapa mogachea

Bapoi mhonnonk addvornaka

bhurgeak tujea soddnaka

Choras:

E jezu, hanv kakut magtam

Ditoloi mhonn patientam

Sorv mhojim patkam kanttoltam

Aichean tim sokkodd sanddtam.

Patkam khatir mhaka favo

uzo kotthinn sosnnacho

Koxtt vollvolle emkonddache

Sodanch zollchea ujeache

Patok adharn hanvem sanddlem

Sasann sukh devagelem

Sanddlo sangat anj bhoddveancho

Sontos devak pollenvcho

Ablle mhojo soddvonndar

Morta kalvar porvotar

Mhoje khatir to vollvollo

Hanvem taka khillailo

Itlo boro jezu mhojo

Gonddo sampurnn kallzacho

Kitem mhonn hanv tujer chuklom

Koso tujer uprattlom

5. Papia Nirbhagia

Papia Nirbhagia

Pap na sanddsi

Sasnnachea sasnna, papia

Ifernant vesi

Dhon ani dirvem tujem

Hangach dovorsi

Tujio kornio ghevn papia

Zoddtek-re visi

Hanga pap damplear

Thoin ugtem zait

Devagelem maldisanv papia

Tujer bhezat

Thoin tum papia

Soglloch kampsi

Upaiavinn papia

Kheastik sampoddsi

Eextt ani montr tuje

Tukach kamptit

Kollov korinastana tuka

Fonddant-re dhamptit

Thoin tuji papia

Zait dhull mati

Sukhan vadoileli kudd papia

Kidde-re khatit

Devacho put, papia

mhonis-re zalo

Tuka sodovncheak papia

Sonvsarant ailo

Devan tuka rochilo

Sorginchea sukha

Kiteak vetai papia

Emkkonddachea dhukha

Soitan eextt zavn

Fottoita tuka

Vhodd niskuchar papia

Asare taka.

To nhoi-re eextt papia

Dusman tuzo

Ifernant vetoch papia

Gulam tum tacho

Gulam tum zalear

Ark zait taka

Sorg ani sonvsar papia

Roddot-re tuka.

Sandd papia, pap tujem

Mornachea adim

Devageli kakut papia

Bhogsit-re vegim

Kelelem pap, papia

Sangonk lozonaka

Devachi mai papia

Aiti ravlea tuka.

6. Roddonk melleam ami somest

Roddonk melleam ami somest

Ablle mori amka'poita

Ievn roddiam tichea sangata

Jezu mog khursar umkallta!

Nantgi tumchekodde dhukha

Dusman jedvam ninda korta

Kitlo sosnnik koxttant, dogdhant

Jezu mog khursar umkallta!

Sat tachim utram mogachim

Her vell vogoch magnne korta

Kakut kor mhonnon mhonxachi

Jezu mog khursar umkallta!

Dolleank dhampann poddon ieta

Maiecher dixtt vhorunk sodta

Ghoddi pavtoch mostak bagavn

Jezu mog khursar umkallta!

Ravon mogan khura-mullim

Rogat kusintlem jem vhavta

Thembo themboch amcher gheviam

Jezu mog khursar umkallta!

Henne patok tenne dev-mog

Hankam kottinn hem jhuz zata

Punn mog patkar joitevont zavn

Jezu mog khursar umkallta

7. Hanv ailam tujexim

Chorus:

Hanv ailam tujexim bapa mhojea

Kalliz ugddapunk tuka

Bhorvoson tujexim ailam bapa

Axirvad di mhaka

Bapai sarkea mogan tujea

Lhanponni hanv vhaddtalom

Sonvsarim axa-khuxank sampddon hanv

Mog tuzo visron gelo

Tuje venne dis ani rat

Sukh-samadhan axelom

tujie khuxechem kain guman nastam

sva-khuxi korun aslom

Bapa mhojea bhogsi mhaka

Raji zanvk hanv axetam

Az thavn jinni bodlun bapa hanv

Tujea mogant jietam

225 years Memory of Captivity Mangalorean Catholics by Tippu Sultan

Captivity of Mangalorean Catholics at Seringapatam

Hyder Ali occupied Mangalore in 1763. From 1766–1772, Hyder Ali took de facto control of the throne of the Mysore Kingdom through the Wodeyar dynasty. In February 1768, the English captured Mangalore from Hyder. The Portuguese had offered to help Hyder against the English. But when the Portuguese betrayed Hyder, he directed his anger towards the Mangalorean Catholics, who had been converted to Christianity by the Portuguese. Toward the end of 1768, Hyder defeated the English and captured Mangalore fort, where the Mangalorean Catholics were taking refuge. Around 15,675 of them were taken as prisoners to Mysore by Hyder. Only 204 returned; the rest died, were killed, or converted to Islam. After Hyder's death in the Second Anglo-Mysore War on December 1782, the British captured the fort again. Hyder was succeeded by his son Tippu Sultan. The Mangalorean Catholics helped the British in the fort by providing them rice, vegetables, and money. Tippu decided to come down heavily upon these Christians for providing aid to the British. On 20 May 1783, Tippu Sultan laid siege to the Mangalore fort, where the Mangalorean Catholics and English army were taking refuge. The fort was finally delivered to Tippu when the British capitulated it on 30 January 1784. More than 5,600 Mangalorean Catholics, who were condemned for treachery, were killed.

The captivity of Mangalorean Catholics at Seringapatam, which began on 24 February 1784 and ended on 4 May 1799, remains the most disconsolate memory in their history. Soon after the Treaty of Mangalore in 1784, Tippu gained control of Canara. He issued orders to seize the Christians in Canara, confiscate their estates, and deport them to Seringapatam, the capital of his empire, through the Jamalabad fort route. According to Thomas Munro, a Scottish soldier and the first collector of Canara, around 60,000 of them, nearly 92 percent of the entire Mangalorean Catholic community, were captured, only 7,000 escaped. Francis Buchanan gives the numbers as 70,000 captured, from a population of 80,000, with 10,000 escaping. They were forced to climb nearly 4,000 feet (1,200 m) through the jungles of the Western Ghat mountain ranges. It was 210 miles (340 km) from Mangalore to Seringapatam, and the journey took six weeks. According to British Government records, 20,000  of them died on the march to Seringapatam due to hunger, disease and ill treatment by the soldiers. Those who resisted were thrown down from the Jamalabad fort route. According to James Scurry, a British officer, who was held captive alongwith Mangalorean Catholics, 30,000 of them were forcibly converted to Islam. The young women and girls were forcibly made wives of the Muslims living there. The young men who offered resistance were disfigured by cutting their noses, upper lips, and ears and paraded in the city. According to Mr. Silva of Gangolim, a survivor of the captivity, if a person who had escaped from Seringapatam was found, the punishment under the orders of Tipu was the cutting off of the ears, nose, the feet and one hand.

British and modern era

In the Battle of Seringapatam on 4 May 1799, the British stormed the fortress, breached the town of Seringapatam, and killed Tippu. After his death in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War, the Mangalorean Catholics were freed from his captivity. Of the 60,000 Mangalorean Catholics taken captive, only 15,000 made it out as Christians. British general Arthur Wellesley helped 10,000 of them return to South Canara and resettle on their lands. According to the Mangalorean genealogist Michael Lobo, the present Mangalorean Catholic community is descended almost entirely from this small group of survivors. Later, the British took over South Canara. In 1800, they took a census of the region. Of the 396,672 people living in South Canara, 10,877 were Christians. Padre José Miguel Luis de Mendes, a Goan Catholic priest, was appointed Vicar of Our Lady of Rosary at Mangalore on 7 December 1799. He took a lot of interest in the re-establishment of the community from 1799 to 1808. Later, British general John Goldsborough Ravenshaw II was appointed collector of South Canara. He took active part in the re-establishment of their former possessions and recovery of their estates. He constructed a church for them, which was completed in 1806. Their population almost doubled in 1818. According to various parish books existing that time, Mangalorean Catholics numbered 19,068 in South Canara (12,877 in Mangalore and Bantwal, 3,918 in Moolki, 2,273 in Cundapore and Barcoor). Seventeen churches which were earlier destroyed by Tippu were rebuilt. After relocation, the community prospered under the British, and the jurisdiction of the Archbishop of Goa commenced again.

The opening of the Protestant German Basel Mission of 1834 in Mangalore brought many handicraft and tile-manufacturing industries to the region and led to a large-scale rise in employment. In 1837, when the political situation in Portugal was in turmoil, Antonio Carvalho, a Portuguese priest, arrived at Goa without being consecrated as a Bishop. Many Mangalorean Catholics did not accept the leadership of Carvalho but instead submitted to the Vicar Apostolic of Verapoly in Travancore, while some of them continued to be under the jurisdiction of Goa. The parishes in South Canara were divided into two groups — one under Goa and the other under Verapoly. Under the leadership of Joachim Pius Noronha, a Mangalorean Catholic priest, the Mangalorean Catholics requested the Holy See to establish Mangalore as a separate Vicariate to ward off the differences. Conceding to their request, Pope Gregory XVI established Mangalore as a separate Vicariate on 17 February 1845 under the Carmelites. During the regime of Carmelites, the Mangalorean Catholics constantly sent memorandums to the Holy See to send Jesuits to Mangalore to start institutions for higher education. The Roman Catholic Church studied the situation and handed over the Mangalore mission to the Italian Jesuit of Naples, who reached Mangalore on 31 December 1878. The Italian Jesuits played an important role in education, health, and social welfare of the community and built the St. Aloysius College in 1880, St Aloysius Chapel in 1884, and many other institutions and churches. On 25 January 1887, Pope Leo XIII established the Diocese of Mangalore, which is considered to be an important landmark in the community's history. In 1901, Mangalorean Catholics accounted for 76,000 of the total 84,103 Christians in South Canara. During the later 20th century, they started migrating to other parts of India, especially Bombay and Bangalore. During the 1970s, coastal communication increased between Bombay and Mangalore, after introduction of ships by the London based trade firm Shepherd. These ships facilitated the entry of Mangalorean Catholics to Bombay. Events related to Mangalorean Catholics that took place in Mangalore, and made national headlines were the attacks on Christian churches in September 2008.

Migration of Mangalorean Catholics from Goa

In 1510, the Portuguese wrested Goa from the Sultan of Bijapur ande finally established themselves in Goa. By 1544, they conquered the districts of Bardez and Salcette in Goa. In 1534, the Archdiocese of Goa was established. Soon missionaries of the newly founded Society of Jesus were sent to Goa, which lead to conversion of many locals to Christianity. In 1542, Francis Xavier, co-founder of the Society of Jesus, arrived in Goa. He observed that the newly converted Christians were practicing their old customs and traditions. He requested John III of Portugal in 1545 to install an Inquisition in Goa. The Inquisition converted a sizeable population of Goa to Christianity.

Many of the Goan ancestors of the present Mangalorean Catholics fled Goa because of the Goa Inquisition introduced by the Portuguese in 1560. King Sebastian of Portugal decreed that every trace of Indian customs be eradicated through the Inquisition. But many Christians of Goa were attached to some of their ancient Indian customs and refused to abandon them. Those who refused to comply with the rules laid down by the Inquisition were forced to leave Goa and to settle outside the Portuguese dominion. About 7,000 of them (mostly Saraswat Brahmins) fled Goa. Most migrated to South Canara in what is called the "First Wave of Migration".

The Christians who left Goa were skilled cultivators who abandoned their irrigated fields in Goa to achieve freedom. At the time of migration, Canara was ruled by the Bednore King Shivappa Naik (1540–60). He evinced great interest in the development of agriculture in his empire and welcomed these farmers to his fertile lands. They were also recruited into the armies of the Bednore dynasty. This was confirmed by Francis Buchanan, a Scottish physician, when he visited Canara in 1801. In his book, A Journey from Madras through the Countries of Mysore, Canara and Malabar (1807), he stated that "80,000 Christians came and settled in South Canara at the invitation of the King of Bednore." Later, this was identified as a probable mistake and should have read "8,000". However even this figure included the second emigration of Christians from Goa. Under the provisional treaties between the Portuguese and the Bednore rulers, the Christians were allowed to build churches and help the growth of Christianity in South Canara. The arrival of the British and the Dutch halted the activity of the Portuguese and gradually the Portuguese were unable to send the required number of missionaries to Mangalore. In 1568, the Church of Nossa Senhora do Rosário de Mangalore (Our Lady of the Rosary of Mangalore) was erected by the Portuguese at Bolar in Mangalore. The Churches of Nossa Senhora de Mercês de Velala (Our Lady of Mercy of Ullal) and São Francisco de Assis (St. Francis of Assisi) at Farangipet were also erected by the Portuguese during the same time in South Canara. These three churches were highlighted by the Italian traveller Pietro Della Valle, who visited Mangalore in 1623.

The Milagres Church, one of the oldest churches in South Canara, was built in 1680

The Sultan of Bijapur attacked Goa in 1571 and ended Portuguese influence in the region. The Bijapur sultans were especially known for their loathing of Christianity. Fearing persecution, many Catholics from Goa migrated to South Canara. This migration is referred as the "Second Wave of Migration". The Milagres Church, one of the oldest churches in South Canara, was built in 1680. The attacks of the Maratha Empire on Goa, during the mid 16th century, was also a cause of migration. In 1664, Shivaji, the founder of the Maratha empire, attacked Kudal, a town north of Goa, and began his campaign for Goa. After Shivaji's death on 3 April 1680, his son Sambhaji ascended to the throne. The onslaught of Sambahji, along the northern territories of Goa drove nearly all the Christians from their homelands, and most of them migrated to South Canara. This migration is referred as the "Third Wave of Migration". From the Bardez district of Goa, Jesuit priests estimated that 12,000 Christians migrated to the South of Goa between 1710-1712. A Goa Government report of 1747 recorded that around 5,000 Christians fled to South Canara from the Bardez and Tiswadi districts of Goa during the invasion of the Marathas. It was estimated that during the Maratha raids on Goa, about 60,000 Christians migrated to South Canara. During the later years, the migration slowed because of the Maratha-Mughal wars, which kept Sambhaji busy, and some 10,000 Christians returned to Goa. According to Historian Alan Machado Prabhu, the author of Sarasvati's Children: A History of the Mangalorean Christians (1999), the Mangalorean Catholics numbered about 58,000 by 1765

Who are MangaloreanCatholics

Mangalorean Catholics are Roman Catholics from Mangalore and now spread all over the globe. They are Konkani people and speak the Konkani language. Portuguese shipping arrived in Mangalore in 1526, and Catholic missionary activities began around 1534, when Canara was placed under the ecclesiastic jurisdiction of the Bishop of Goa.

Most of the ancestors of Mangalorean Catholics were Goan Catholics, who had migrated to South Canara from Goa, a state north of Canara, between 1560 and 1763 during the Goa Inquisition and the Portuguese-Maratha wars. Gradually they learned the languages of South Canara but retained Konkani as their mother tongue.

In time, they referred to themselves as Mangalorean Catholics to distinguish themselves from their ancestors from Goa. The most disconsolate memory in the community's history was a 15-year captivity imposed by Tipu Sultan, the de facto ruler of Mysore, from 24 February 1784 to 4 May 1799 at Seringapatam. After the defeat of Tipu Sultan, the community resettled in South Canara, and gradually prospered under the British.

The culture of Mangalorean Catholics is a blend of Mangalorean and Goan cultures. After migration, they adopted the local Mangalorean culture but retained many of their Goan customs and traditions. The Mangalorean Catholic diaspora is scattered across the globe, with emigrant communities in the Arab states of the Persian Gulf and the Anglosphere.

The main vertue of the ancestors of Mangalorean Catholics are they are strong supporters of their Konkani language, their Konkani Culture and their Roman Catholic Christian religion. They fought for their Konkani Language and their Konkani culture during the inquisition imposed upon them in Goa. This made them to leave every thing, migrate to Canara and start their life again.

They also fought for their Roman Catholic Christian religion during the rule of Tippu Sultan. Tippu took 80,000 of them (95% of the population) into captivity on 24-Feb 1784. Thousands of people were martyred during this time for the sake of religion. Few of them got converted to Islam to save themseves from the tortures. Only 15,000 of them returned when Tippu died in a battle in 1789 and the captivity ended. 

They are prime contributors and supporters for Konkani Literature. They love to read literature in their own mother tongue Konkani. They use Kannada script for Konkani. They have ventured in all fields of Literature. There are handful of literary giants in their community who have published more than 50 novels individually. 

Prominent among them are V J P Saldanha popularly known as Khodap. Mr. VJP is a historical novelist. He has written a series of Historical Novels on the history of Mangalorean Catholics migrating from Goa to Mangalore. Every volume runs into thousand of pages. The individual volumes of this novel are 1. Saiba Bhogos, 2.Purvoz Pradeshant 3. Vanjelache Vater 4. Ya tori Mangalapuri 5. Jivo Va Mello. His volumes of novels on the Tippus Captivity of Mangalorean Catholics are 1. Devache Kurpen 2. Sardarachi Sinol 3. Belthangadicho Balthazar (Note: List incomplete). 

Another important novelist is Jochim Santan Alvaris who started the revelution on Konkani Novels in Kannada script through his first Novel "Anjel" in the year 1950. He is also know for his detective novels in which he builds up a character called John Lobo who later on trains inspctor delima. There are more than 60 Konkani novels to his credit. Jerry Kulshekar is another Novelist who has written more than 50 novels. He is known for writing on village life of the people of Ghat section. Other popular novelists are A. T. Lobo, Gabbu Urva, Victor Ridrigues, Edwin J. F. DSouza and others. The list of Mangalorean Konkani novelist may also cross 100 numbers. Popular Konkani Poet is Cha Fra Decosta.

There are very popular Konkani Weeklies published in Kannada script of Konkani. These weeklies have vast number of readers. Some popular weeklies published today are Raknno Konkani Weekly, Kutam Konkani Weekly, Mithr Konkani Weekly, Divo Konkani Weekly and Dirvem Konkani Weekly. There are few fortnightlies too. There are about 20 periodical published as on Monthly basis. Bimonthlies, Quaterlies, Half yearly reserch magazines too exist in Kannada script of Konkani published by Mangaloean Catholics. There are about 100 regional periodicals published at parish level by Mangalorean Catholics. All of them are in Kannada script of Konkani. They periodicals are found in news stalls of Dakshina Kannada, Udipi, Karwar, Chickmagalur, Shimogga and Kasargod Districts. They are also found in the news stalls of Major cities like Bangalore, Pune, Mumbai, New Delhi etc. They are also awailable in in the news stalls of Gulf and other countries.

They are great Organisers. They have formed associations all over the globe. Every one of them celebrate their Konkani Cultural feast called Monti Fest that makes them united.

The have significant contribution towards liteature(Konkani Language), religion, education, health, social service, theatre and music. There are more than 25 bishops placed in India and abroad from this community. There are very large number of priests and nuns from Mangalorean Catholics.