Canon C.D. Gnanamani came to the Anglican Diocese of West Malaysia in 1923 after having served in Madras for nearly four years. He might have been the first Indian theologian in Malaysia aside from being a priest, musician and scholar.

Canon Gnanamani’s grandfather, Vachiramani Christian Ubathesiar (1835-1910), was a wealthy landlord and Hindu priest from Brahmanavilai, Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu. He became a Christian after hearing the story of Joseph from an English missionary and was forced to leave his village due to his conversion. He settled in Jaffna (now Sri Lanka) as a Tamil teacher and gospel worker. He returned to his village in his old age and was buried there, his tomb being the only Christian witness in the village. Vachiramani had five boys and three girls. His eldest son, Rev C.P. Gnanamani, was a Tamil scholar and teacher and his epic Tamil grammar book written in 1885 was gazetted as a text book in schools. Rev C.P. Gnanamani’s eldest son was  Rev Canon C.D. Gnanamani who was a great scholar in Tamil Literature. Rev P.S. Peter, who was also an excellent Tamil poet, became a member of this family by marrying the daughter of Vachiramani Ubathesiar. These three poets and lyric writers have together contributed over 750 lyrics and other poetic works.

Canon Gnanamani served in Selangor from 1929-1930. He lamented that there was no Tamil church then in Kuala Lumpur despite the presence of about 800 Tamils. The great thirst for worship brought Tamils in full force to the combined services at St. Mary's, Kuala Lumpur.

In 1932, he became the priest-in-charge of Christ Church, Singapore and served until 1938. He designed the architectural features of the church building by combining Asian elements with traditional Gothic designs.

During his training for the priesthood, he came under the influence of Bishop V. S. Azariah of Dornakal who was a great believer in giving expression to Christianity through the medium of what might be broadly termed Indian culture, particularly in the realm of worship. Canon Gnanamani’s father was a great exponent of worship and witness though the medium of the Indian form of music.

It is therefore not surprising that from the very early days of ministry in this diocese, he was keen on using more and more Tamil lyrics and chants in the services conducted by him and began to compose them himself when he could not find suitable ones to use. Unfortunately, his keenness for Tamil lyrics and chants did not receive the support he expected from his parishioners. Moreover, they wrongly thought that he was keen on Tamil lyrics and chants because he himself had composed most of them. But in all the parishes where he served, there was always a strong minority who fully appreciated him and gave him the necessary support and encouragement.

His literary ability in the Tamil language coupled with his deep study of scripture also led him to write several books as aids for study and devotion. His book entitled The Law from Mount Sinai dealing with the 10 Commandments is worthy of mention. His books received commendations from the bishops of Singapore, Tirunelveli, Colombo and Dornakal but, to his great disappointment, they did not catch on in this diocese either among the clergy or laity.

His training for the priesthood in the Diocese of Dornakal and the missionary zeal of the Anglicans in Tirunelveli helped him to realise fully that the true vocation of every Christian, whether minister or layman, was not only worship, but also witness. He was very fond of referring to himself as a Tamil missionary priest, the emphasis being on missionary rather than on priest. He was always ready to give up his parish work if necessary and become a preacher of the gospel among the non-Christian Indians in Malaya. Anglican Bishop John Wilson, realising the possibilities in this field of work, would have made him a diocesan missionary but for the intervention of World War II.

Canon Gnanamani was appointed to Bahau and supported financially by St Andrew's Cathedral, Singapore. During World War II, he had the opportunity of ministering to the Anglican community at the Bahau Settlement started by the Japanese authorities with the assistance of the Roman Catholic Bishop in Singapore. This settlement was meant mostly for the Eurasians in Singapore and the Europeans living in rural parts of Malaya. The Roman Catholic Bishop was anxious to have an Anglican priest to minister to the Anglicans among them, evidence of the willingness of Christians of diverse denominations to work together for the glory of God during their common tribulation. 

A Norwegian whom the writer met in Saigon told the writer how much he and many other internees had valued Canon Gnanamani’s services and ministrations at Bahau during the period when Gnanamani worked from Gemas and, like his priests, ran many uncomfortable gauntlets.

In 1950, in recognition of his long and meritorious service in the diocese, he was made an honorary canon of St Andrew's Cathedral by Bishop Henry Wolfe Baines.

His two fundamental directives to all Christians were: "Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness" and "Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature".

Canon Gnanamani was one of the veterans of the diocese. Most men of his age would have considered retirement years ago but Gnanamami was tough. Whether on his bicycle or his favorite and faithful motorcycle, he was steadfast in his ministry and looked forward to serving the Lord as long as he had strength.

In Kedah and Province Wellesley (now Seberang Perai), as well as in the south where he worked for many years, some would say that his ministry was stubborn as well as steadfast. Canon Gnanamani was something of a radical in two ways.

First, he championed the use of Indian words and music in church services. He not only wrote the lyrics for hymns but also catechetical papers and books, which were issued with the approval of bishops in India as well as Singapore. He saw it as an important and indispensable task if Christianity were to penetrate beneath the surface of Indian culture in Malaya.

Secondly, the same motive animated his acceptance of office in the local Indian Congress Party committee and his attempt to win his countrymen for Christ through sharing their legitimate political activities. 

In the face of difficulties and opposition, he consistently championed unpopular opinions on matters of importance and stood courageously for the truth as he saw it.

To have done this while carrying out his duties as a priest over wide areas of the diocese for many years won him the affection of people. 

He also authored a number of English and Tamil publications. The litany prepared by him was approved by Bishop Robert Basil. In 1927, he wrote a study guide for the Old Testament and Theology in English. His Tamil publications included The Catechism (20 cents a copy), Three Hours Good Friday meditation services (10 cents a copy), Story of John the Baptist (50 cents a copy), and The Book of Selected Lyrics and Church Canticles.