Johann Ernst Hanxleden | |
|---|---|
 Arnos Pathiri | |
| Born | 1681 Ostercappeln, Lower Saxony, Germany |
| Died | 1732 (aged 50–51) |
| Resting place | Pazhuvil |
| Other names | Arnos Pathiri |
| Occupation(s) | Jesuit priest, missionary, poet, grammarian, lexicographer, philologist |
| Notable work |
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Johann Ernst Hanxleden (1681–1732), also known as Arnos Pathiri, was a German Jesuit priest and missionary, best known for his contributions as a Malayalam and Sanskrit poet, grammarian, lexicographer, and philologist. He lived in India for most of his life and became a scholar of Sanskrit and Malayalam languages before authoring Puthen Pana, a poem on the life of Jesus Christ, Malayalam–Portuguese Dictionary, the first dictionary in Malayalam as well as two linguistic treatises, Malayalavyaakaranam and Sidharoopam.
Arnos Pathiri lived in St. Francis Xavier Forane Church, Velur and is said to have written Puthen Pana, a poem which deals with the life of Jesus Christ. He also established Pazhayangadi Church, which is a church under St. Francis Xavier Forane Church, Velur. He is also very prominent in Pazhuvil.
One theory suggests that Arnos Pathiri escaped from St. Francis Xavier Forane Church, Velur due to some locals who were trying to kill him. A woman worker in a toddy shop overheard and reported this to Arnos, leading him to escape from the church and go to Pazhuvil, where he eventually died.