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Chundra Lela: From Indian Priestess To Christian Evangelist Chundra Lela: From Indian Priestess To Christian Evangelist

Chundra Lela: From Indian Priestess To Christian Evangelist

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  • Introduction (1:12)
  • Chapter 1 - Chundra’s Birth, Marriage, and Widowhood (5:34)
  • Chapter 2 - The Temple of Jagannath (5:10)
  • Chapter 3 - The Temple of Ramanath (5:20)
  • Chapter 4 - Sorrow and Suffering by The Way (8:02)
  • Chapter 5 - As A Fakir (3:55)
  • Chapter 6 - Awful Deception of Hinduism Disclosed (7:39)
  • Chapter 7 - Breaking Her Fetters (10:22)
  • Chapter 8 - Money-making and Preaching (5:50)
  • Chapter 9 - Baptizing Her Own Brother (6:59)
  • Chapter 10 - Should Women Preach and Evangelize? (5:27)
  • Chapter 11 - A Pilgrimage In Her Old Age (6:49)
  • Chapter 12 - Conversion of a Leper Girl (8:50)
  • Sketch of Author's Life - Ada Lee (4:09)
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1h 21m
1903
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Other Books About Chundra Lela

  • Chundra Lela: The Story of A Hindu Devotee and Christian Missionary by Rev. Z. F. Griffin, 1911
  • A Pilgrim of India, from Comrades In Service by Margaret Burton, pp. 25-44

Additionally, you can find a summary from Walker and Lunt, Talks on Races to Be Won and Wilmot, The Playing of the Moonbeams.


Chundra Lela: A Convert From Hinduism

“You wicked creature! It’s your sin that caused this!” These harsh words were directed at a sobbing nine-year-old girl, Chundra Lela, as her earrings were ripped from her ears and her jewels torn from her hair. Even as the daughter of a priest to the Rajah (King) of Nepal, she endured the suffering and disgrace assigned to widows in India.

Chundra Lela had been married at the age of seven to a boy of nine. When news came of his death, her future turned bleak. She knew no one would care for or love her. By the time she reached fifteen, she had read many Hindu sacred texts, all of which claimed widowhood was the result of great sin. They also offered hope—pardon could be found through a pilgrimage to four great temples located in the north, south, east, and west of the land, a journey of 3,000 miles. Desperate, she decided this was her only path to peace.

Without telling her family, she confided in two maids she trusted, asking them to join her on the pilgrimage to seek forgiveness. They agreed, and one quiet night, the three girls stole away to begin their journey.


The Pilgrimage Begins

The journey took them to the temple of Jaganath in Puri on India’s east coast. From there, they traveled south to the Ramanath temple on an island between India and Ceylon. Next, they headed west to the temple of Krishna at Dwarka. Finally, they crossed the scorching plains of northern India to the Ganges River, climbing the Himalayas to reach the temple of Vishnu at Badrinath.

The pilgrimage lasted seven years. Along the way, Chundra Lela bathed in sacred rivers, worshiped at countless shrines, and offered sacrifices to idols. However, even after fulfilling the requirements for pardon, she still felt the weight of sin and dissatisfaction.


A Life of Self-Torture and Devotion

Determined to find peace, Chundra Lela embarked on more pilgrimages. She became a Sadhu, a holy person, vowing to endure self-torture for three years. She smeared herself with ashes and sat in the scorching sun with five fires burning around her during the summer. At midnight, she stood on one foot before an idol, praying until dawn.

During the cooler months, she spent her nights submerged in a pond with water up to her neck, praying continuously. She endured this night after night, repeating the names of gods using her beads. She later said, “Nobody knows how long those nights were or how much I suffered before morning.”

Despite all her efforts, Hinduism failed to bring her peace of mind.


Chundra Lela Hears God’s Word

One day, while visiting a friend’s home, Chundra Lela noticed her reading a strange book. Curious, she asked, “What are you reading?” Her friend explained that it was the Bible, given to her by a missionary. Chundra Lela quickly obtained her own copy and began reading.

For the first time, she learned of a Savior who offered forgiveness for sins. Eager for more, she sought instruction from the missionaries and soon embraced Christianity. The same zeal she had shown in her Hindu practices, she now devoted to spreading the message of Christ.


A Christian Missionary’s Journey

Chundra Lela immediately began sharing the gospel, taking the Bible with her and preaching from house to house and street to street. She worked tirelessly, often skipping meals and rest. After two years, she decided to return to the places where she had once worshiped idols as a Sadhu. This time, she preached Christ at those same shrines.

Her Christian pilgrimage lasted several years as she traveled through Assam and Sylhet, even visiting a queen who had shown her kindness during her time as a Sadhu. In the palace, she read the Bible and preached about Jesus.


Chundra Lela’s Final Days

As she grew older, the missionaries offered to build her a house in a quiet spot outside the city. However, Chundra Lela insisted that the house be built on the roadside. She explained, “When I am too old to walk, I want to be able to crawl to the door and preach to the people as they pass by.”

Her wish was granted, and until her final days, she continued to speak to the passing crowds about Christ, the Savior who had redeemed her and brought peace to her soul.