Nidhiry Mani Kathanar

Nidhiry Mani Kathanar

Mar Emmanuel Nidhiri(1842–1904)) (Malayalam:മാര്‍ ഇമ്മാനുവേല്‍ നിധീരിക്കൽ or നിധീരിക്കൽ മാണിക്കത്തനാർ) was a colossus in the history of the Syrian Malabar Nasrani church in Kerala. He led the community against a fearless fight against the European hegemony over the Nasrani Christians. He was the undisputed leader acceptable to the factions in Kerala church.He was the second Vicar General of Syro Malabar Catholic Church.

This Christian priest was the founder of the Nazranee Deepika, which was the forerunner of today's Deepika, and was instrumental in the founding of yet another newspaper, the Malayala Manorama, in the company of Keralavarma Valiakoi Thampuran, a polyglot who was at ease in 18 languages and was the moving spirit behind the Malayalee Memorial — one of the first steps in the social transformation of Kerala — and a key figure in the opening up of his community to English education.

A genius of many parts, Manikathanar was an almost incredible blend: a genial and intrepid leader, a powerful orator, a moving preacher, an outstanding administrator, a seminal journalist, an invincible lawyer, a pioneer historian, a far-sighted educationist, a versatile linguist, a talented writer, a gifted poet and hymnographer, and a holy priest. He was qualified by Eugene Cardinal Tisserant as "a very zealous and learned priest. In 1969, as a tribute to his contribution to Malayalam literature, the Kerala Literary Academy unveiled his portrait in the Academy Hall at Trichur.