Aizawl, Jan 11 (PTI) Mizoram on Monday observed Missionary Day to commemorate the 127th anniversary of the arrival of two Welsh missionaries in the state in 1894.

All government offices and some business establishments remained closed as the administration declared a public holiday.

Though worship service could not be held due to COVID-19 restrictions, some people offered prayers at the memorial stones of Welsh missionaries Reverend J H Lorrain and F W Savidge, fondly called by Mizos as 'Pu Buanga' and 'Sap Upa' respectively, at McDonald Hills in Aizawl.

The missionaries had set foot on the banks of Tlawng River near Sairang village in the then Lushai Hills on January 11, 1894.

Gradually, all Mizos converted to Christianity under their influence.

They created the Lushai (Mizo)-English dictionary and established the Presbyterian Church in north Mizoram and Baptist Church in the southern part of the state.

They also spread education by creating Mizo alphabets using the Roman script.

The Baptist Church of Mizoram (BCM) began observing Missionary Day from 1971 onwards, while the Presbyterian Church, the largest denomination in the state, began observing it from 1974.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)