It's a music tradition that's believed to have divine origins. The lyrics of traditional Carnatic music compositions are usually devotional or philosophical in nature, drawing on Hindu religious tenets and now Christian choir groups too are setting their hymns to classical ragas and talas.

The words may not be so different from the hymns sung at prayer services, but rather than standing behind the priest and singing to the organ, these choir singers sit cross-legged on the floor as a traditional Carnatic ensemble, complete with violin, harmonium and mridangam. They even wear pattu pavadais, silk saris and jasmine flowers. And the trinity they sing praise to are the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Limsas, a choir based in Purasawalkam that sings at religious congregations across the city, starts its kutcheri' with a small prayer and the traditional sa pa sa'. Beulah Santhi, the choir teacher, teaches people aged between four and 40 Tamil kritis, all in the name of Jesus, written by various composers. They have a book of 400 Christian kritis in Tamil set to different ragas, which clearly mentions the raga and tala in which the songs should be sung.

Santhi, a music teacher in a private school in Vepery, came to Chennai from Nagercoil in 1990 and started the Limsas choir in 2000, after parents and students requested her to teach them Christian songs set to Carnatic music. "Many of these songs were written 50 or 60 years ago, but no one has been singing them," says Santhi, who is a graduate in Carnatic music from Sathguru Sangeetha Vidyalaya, Madurai. "Most choirs tend to follow the western style of singing."

Santhi teaches her students the basics of Carnatic music from Janta Varisai' to gitam, just like any other teacher. But instead of Sri Gananatha', the first gitam for a Carnatic music student, the children are taught a song praising Jesus in the same raga and tala. Class begins with Santhi tuning the harmonium to set the scale and asking the children to identify the raga. The 30 students begin the song with tala and swaras, as in any other Carnatic kirtana. The choir has a tight schedule in November and December during Christmas and New Year.

Community leaders and members have responded positively to the music, say Santhi, and enjoy it though not all of them understand it. There is surprise in some circles too. Musician and composer Paul Augustine says, "Singing choir songs in different ragas is rather new. Though the audience doesn't dislike the concept, they find it hard to sing along as they do with a regular choir." He says his music group has at least two songs in an album of eight set in the Carnatic style.