Life Story
Full Name: Munganda Shantharao
Birthplace: Tummalapalli village, Amalapuram Taluka, East Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh
Parents: Munganda Narasayya and Manikyamma
Year of Birth: Around 1956
Salvation Experience: Accepted Jesus Christ as Saviour at the age of 7
Divine Vision: At a young age, he saw angels in the sky writing the Word of God.
Personal Testimony
Munganda Shantharao was born in Tummalapalli village, East Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh, to Narasayya and Manikyamma, who were members of the C.S.I. Church. He was the fifth child among seven children. From his childhood, he attended Sunday School and learned about Jesus. At the age of seven, he accepted Christ as his personal Saviour.
One day, young Shantharao saw a heavenly vision — angels were writing the Word of God in the sky. Later, while studying in 10th standard (around 1972), he saw a bright divine light inside his classroom.
In 1975, while studying at the Manna Bible Institute, he was inspired by the life story of Purushotham Choudary, a man of God. This deeply touched his heart, and he decided to dedicate his life completely to serving God. Remembering his childhood vision, he made a special vow: to write the Word of God on walls and pillars everywhere, so that all people could read and come to know Christ.
He began by writing verses in his own village and nearby areas using paint and brushes. After completing his Bible training in 1978, he joined the Full Gospel Church of India at Machilipatnam and was sent as a pastor to Nagayalanka, in the Diviseema region (covering Avanigadda, Nagayalanka, and Koduru).
As he preached the Gospel in surrounding villages, he also continued writing Bible verses on walls. He decided to travel across the entire state of Andhra Pradesh by bicycle, trusting only in God’s provision.
Many times, he had no food or place to sleep. Once, when a pastor refused to give him shelter, he slept on a school veranda, hungry. Yet, he woke up the next morning and continued his work joyfully, painting Bible verses again.
When he was extremely hungry one day in Prakasam district, he prayed, “Lord, please give me something to eat.” While he was still writing a verse on the wall, a woman saw him, spoke kindly, took him home, and served him a meal.
Every day before beginning his work, he would pray for food, shelter, and paint. Miraculously, God always provided through unknown people. He experienced God’s care in every small detail of his ministry.
Later, he continued his Gospel mission in Kadapa, where a believer working in a government job gave him money to support his ministry. With that help, Shantharao travelled through many towns, writing God’s Word on walls and pillars.
He travelled throughout Andhra Pradesh, covering all major towns and villages by bicycle. Then, with a strong desire to continue his mission, he moved on to Maharashtra.
There, he faced many oppositions. A newspaper once published a warning saying that anyone writing Bible verses on walls would be arrested. Because of that threat, he moved to Madhya Pradesh and then continued his journey to Bhopal, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Goa, Dadar-Haveli, Karnataka, Odisha, West Bengal, Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir, Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Arunachal Pradesh.
In every state, he would first learn how to write the local language by copying verses letter by letter onto paper, and then he would paint those same verses on walls. He wrote verses in Telugu, Hindi, English, and many other Indian languages — on bridges, pipelines, government buildings, and electric poles.
Because he wrote on government property, he faced legal issues and public opposition. To continue safely, he made a shirt printed with Bible verses on both front and back, and wore it while travelling.
In Haryana, some young men attacked him with bicycles, injuring him badly. Yet, with God’s healing and strength, he recovered and continued his journey.
He faced hunger, sickness, and rejection but never gave up. When he reached Madras (Chennai), he fell ill due to lack of food. A Christian nurse who noticed the verses he had written came to meet him, cared for him, gave him food and medicine, and regularly helped him.
Even when he had nothing but two boiled potatoes to eat, he kept writing God’s Word on walls across the city. His only goal was to make sure everyone could read the Word of God wherever they went.
After travelling across all of India, writing thousands of verses on walls, pillars, and bridges, Munganda Shantharao continued this divine calling until his last breath. He remained faithful to the end and finally entered into the presence of the Lord, completing a life fully dedicated to the service of God.
🕊️ Munganda Shantharao’s life stands as a shining example of faith, sacrifice, and tireless devotion — a man who literally covered India with the Word of God.