Sadhu Kochoonju Upadesi

Who was Sadhu Kochoonju Upadesi?

Sadhu Kochoonju Upadesi was a famous Malayali Christian preacher, poet and composer. Kochoonju was a very distinctive person in appearance. He always wore a white shirt and white dothi. He was 175 cm tall and had very thin and frail body. His eyes appeared to be meditative and his forehead was frowned as though in deep eternal thought. He always carried an umbrella and his favourite Bible where ever he went. His saintly life, self-control, self-denial, and commitment for social service made him a unique person. He liked to spend time alone in meditation. Much of his time he spent in reading.

During his lifetime he was known as Kochoonju which was a contraction of the two Malayalam words Kochu and Kunju. Malayalam equivalent of a preacher is upadesi. During his missionary work in Tamil Nadu, India, they called him Sadhu meaning, holy man. Thus he came to be known as Sadhu Kochoonju upadesi.