Joining local Christians in paying tribute to the life of Rev Hermann Moegling was his children and great grand children who came down to Mangalore, Karnataka to take part in the German missionary's bicentenary birth celebration.

Some sixteen Germans, descendants of Rev Moegling, arrived from Frankfurt to join in the 200th birth anniversary of the Protestant missioner who devoted attention to education and vocational training opportunities.

Rev Moegling (1811-1881) arrived in the city of Mangalore in 1836 and was involved in the missionary works of Basel Mission.

Known for his immense contribution in Kannada literature, Moegling published the first Kannada newspaper titled 'Mangalooru Samachara'. He also translated Kannada literature into German.

Thursday's bicentenary celebration, organised by the Karnataka Christian Educational Society, saw Moegling's descendants Monika Landgraf, Peter Landgraf, Wilfried Landgraf, and Jorn Ponade, besides a number of well-wishers from Germany.

Peter Kaundinya, grandson of Ananda Rao Kaundinya, a Brahmin convert and first Indian to be trained as a missionary by the Basel Mission, was also present on the occasion.

Dr BM Hegde, the former vice chancellor of Manipal University, was the chief guest at the event. Hedge said Moegling was a true symbol of secularism, and respected others' religion while loving his own.

A German book "Eine Reise in Die Religionen" and its English translation "A Journey Into Religions" was released by Dr Hegde.