Devasahayam: The First Martyr For Jesus Christ In Travancore

Travancore was the first and foremost among the princely states of India to receive the message of Jesus Christ. According to tradition, St. Thomas the Apostle came to India in 52 A.D. He made many conversions along the west coast of India. It had to the beginning of the Christian Community in India from the early Christian era. He attained martyrdom in 72 A.D. At Calamina in St. Thomas mount, Madras. He was the first to be sacrificed for the sake of Christ in India. During the close of the second century A.D. The Gospel reached the people of southern most part of India, Travancore. Emperor Constantine deputed Theophilus to India in 354 A.D. To preach the Gospel. During this time the persecution of Christians in Persia seemed to have brought many Christian refugees to Malabar coast and after their arrival it strengthened the Christian community there. During the 4th century A.D. Thomas of Cana, a merchant from West Asia came to Malabar and converted many people. During the 6th century A.D. Theodore, a monk, visited India and reported the existence of a church and a few Christian groups at Mylapore and the monastery of St. Thomas in India. Joannes De Maringoly, Papal Legate who visited Malabar in 1348 has given evidence of the existence of a Latin Church at Quilon. Hosten noted many settlements from Karachi to Cape Comorin and from Cape Comorin to Mylapore. The Portuguese were the first European power to establish their power in India. Under the Portuguese, Christians experienced several changes in their general life and religion. Vas-co-da-gama reached Calicut on May 17, 1498. His arrival marked a new epoch in the history of Christianity in India. Many Syrian Catholics were brought into the Roman Catholic fold and made India, the most Catholic country in the East. Between 1535 to 1537 a group of Paravas were converted to Christianity by the Portuguese. In 1544 a group of fishermen were converted to Christian religion. St. Francis Xavier came to India in the year 1542. He is known as the second Apostle of India. He laid the foundation of Latin Christianity in Travancore. He could make many conversions. He is said to have baptized 30,000 people in South India. Roman Congregation of the propagation of Faith formed a Nemom Mission in 1622. The conversion of the Nairs was given much priority. As a result, several Nairs followed Christian faith particularly around Nemom about 8 k.m. South of Trivandrum. Ettuvitu pillaimars, the feudal chiefs began to persecute the Christians of the Nemom Mission. Martyr Devasahayam, belonged to the Nair community and was executed during the reign of Marthandavarma (1729-1758). It is an important chapter in the History of Christianity in South India in general, and of Travancore in particular.

Sustainable Management of Spotted Bollworms, Earias Vittella Fabricius and Earias Insulana Boisduval , Lepidoptera: Noctuidae on Okra, Abelmoschus Esculentus L. in Punjab, Pakistan

The studies were conducted to determine the resistant/susceptible responses based on fruit and shoot infestation (%) in various okra genotypes against Earias vittella (Fab.) and E. insulana (Boisd.) under field conditions during 2006 and 2007. From the preliminary screening trial during 2006, among 30 genotypes of okra Parbani kranti (18.93%), Pusa sawani (17.89%), and Ikra-1 (17.32%) appeared as susceptible while Diksha (8.17%) and Sabz pari (8.36%) appeared as resistant based on fruit infestation were selected for final screening trial during 2007. Almost similar results were observed regarding shoot infestation caused by Earias spp. in different genotypes of okra during 2006. Maximum fruit infestation during 2007 was 19.73 followed by 18.49 percent on Parbani kranti and minimum (10.46 percent) was observed on Diksha, whereas maximum shoot infestation was on Parbani kranti (35.43) and minimum was found on Diksha (12.74 percent). On an average basis of both years’ studies, the maximum HPSI based on fruit infestation was recorded to be 16 percent each on Parbani kranti and the genotype Diksha was proved to be comparatively resistant with minimum HPSI i.e., 7 percent. The genotype Diksha were again found to be resistant based on shoot infestation with minimum HPSI i.e. 6 percent while maximum HPSI (15 percent) was observed each in Parbani kranti, Pusa sawai and Ikra-1, (15 %) and appeared as comparatively resistant and susceptible genotypes, respectively. All the weather factors showed significant correlation with the fruit infestation during both year studies as well as on average basis except minimum temperature during 2006 which had non significant effect on the fruit infestation fluctuation. Maximum temperature, minimum temperature and average temperatures showed positive effect whereas relative humidity and rainfall exerted negative correlation on the fruit infestation during 2006 and 2007 separately as well as on cumulative basis. Multiple Linear Regression Models revealed that maximum temperature was the most important factor which contributed maximum for fruit and shoot infestation i.e. 60.50 and 53.20% for average of both the study years, respectively. The impact of all the factors on an average of both the study years when computed together was found to be 67.00 and 55.50%, for fruit and shoot infestation, respectively. Amongst various physio-morphic plant characters, ten fruit weight, fruit yield per plant and fruit length showed negative and significant correlation with the fruit infestationcaused by Earias spp. on okra, whereas hair density on midrib, hair length on vein, hair density on lamina and thickness of leaf lamina exerted positive and significant correlation on the fruit infestation. Plant height, number of primary branches, leaf moisture, hair length on midrib, hair density on vein, hair length on lamina, hair density and length on fruits, leaf area and fruit weight showed non significant correlation with the fruit infestation. Amongst chemical plant characters, crude protein, nitrogen, total lipids, reducing sugars, non reducing sugars, cellulose, lignin, NDF, total minerals, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and copper had significant and positive correlation with the fruit infestation whereas manganese and zinc contents in the fruits of okra showed negative and significant correlation with the fruit infestation. Hemi cellulose and ADF showed non significant correlation with the fruit infestation. Multivariate linear regression models revealed that hair density on midrib was the most important physical character which showed significantly negative impact and contributed 42.7 % role in the fluctuation of fruit infestation followed by ten fruit weight, fruit yield per plant, hair density on lamina, hair length on vein and hair length on lamina with 31.4, 15.5, 0.8, 0.5, and 0.1 % contribution, respectively. The 100 R 2 values were observed to be 91.0 when the effect of all the physio-morphic plant characters analyzed together. Crude protein was the most important character which showed positive and significant impact in the fluctuation of fruit infestation and contributed 79.9% role followed by reducing sugars with 12.6 % role in fluctuation of fruit infestation caused by Earias spp. on okra. Various practices viz. release of Trichogramma, weeding/hoeing, neem extract, hand picking and spray of Tracer for the control of Earias spp. were applied singly and in their possible combinations in the research areas of PARS, UAF and ERI, Faisalabad during 2007 on a resistant genotype of Okra (Diksha). All the treatments showed significant difference with one another on fruit and shoot infestation caused by Earias spp. on okra. Hand picking and spray of Tracer was found to be the most effective resulted in minimum fruit infestation i.e. 7.87% followed by the spray of Tracer only with 8.37% fruit infestation as against 25.46% in control treatment. Spray of Tracer showed minimum shoot infestation i.e. 11.26% followed by T11 (hand picking + spray of Tracer) with 12.52% shoot infestation. Application of hand picking + neem extract and Tracer resulted in maximum increase in yield over control i.e. 56.61 kg/ha and found to be the most benefited to the farmers with actual CBR of 1:20.28.