Faridpur. Estd. 1887. Christmas Day
The Faridpur Brahma Samaj.
Faridpur Dt., E. B., S. Ry.
Secretary.—1 Babu Govind Chandra Dutta, 31, Mirzapore St., Calcutta.
2 Babu Sasi Bhushan Mitra, Asst. Secretary, Faridpur, E. B. S. Ry.
Members.—10 (Out of these 3 men, 2 women and 3 children belong to two anusthanic families.
Another family (anusthanic) consisting of one man, one woman and five children live here, though unconnected with the Samaj. They belong to the New Dispensation Church. There are five more anusthanic members on the roll but they live elsewhere.
Sympathisers:—10.
Meetings:—Divine Service is held every Sunday evening in Bengali. In occasional meetings addresses are delivered in English.
Mandir: — The Samaj has a nice building of its own. There are several trustees of the Mandir.
Minister: — Babu Sasi Bhushan Mitra.
Funds:—Subscriptions are payable every month. There is no fixed rate. The Samaj has got 22 shares in the local Loan Co., Ld. which yield from Rs. 60 to 70 a year as interest. There is another fund in the hands of the Secretary collected from the subscriptions of the members of the Samaj.
Institutions:—The Samaj has a collection of English and Bengali books in the form of a small library.
Anniversary:—Though the foundation day of the Samaj is the Christmas Day yet as most of the people leave for the vacation, the Anniversary is now observed on the Sunday after the Good Friday. On the occasion of the Utsavs the poor, about 200, are fed. Nagar Sankirtan, street preaching, and an address in English and Bengali form the chief part of the programme.
History:—The Faridpur Brahma Samaj was founded in 1857 by the late Babu Chand Mohan Maitra, father of Babu Heramba Chandra Maitra, M. A., Principal City College, Calcutta. It was first located in a thatched house. At that time there was scarcely any anusthanic Brahma in the locality. The thatched house having been burnt down by fire a plot of land was purchased near Jessore Road. After many attempts a pucca building at a cost of Rs. 3,000, raised by public donations was constructed. All credit is due to Babu Bhushan Mohan Sen, B. A., who constructed the Mandir under his supervision and who was for about 25 years the life and soul of the Samaj. Since 1897 a constitutional body has been conducting the affairs of the Samaj. The Samaj was affiliated to the Sadharan Brahma Samaj, Calcutta, in 1901.
Gaya. Est. 1866.
The Gaya Prarthana Samaj.
Mandir:—The Samaj has a Mandir.
The Upasana Samaj, Gaya.
Gaya. Estd. 1881,
Secretary: —Dr. Chandinath Chatterji, Homeopathic Practitioner, Gaya.
Giridih. Dt. Hazaribagh Estd. 6th Sept. 1874. The Giridih Brahma Samaj, Giridih.
Secretary:—Babu Tincouree Bose, Giridih.
Members.—16. 8 men, 4 Women, 4 boys. Anusthanic Brahmas 10.
Sympathisers:- 6.
Meetings:—The service is held once a week in Bengali.
Mandir:—A small Mandir has been standing in Baramasia, a small village adjoining Giridih on a small piece of land granted rent free by the then Zemindar of Panchamba. This was consecrated on 12th December 1882.
Funds:—Regarding subscription there is no hard and fast rule but it is collected from willing donors every month.
History:—During the year 1874, when Brahmanand Keshub Chunder Sen first paid a visit on his mission tour to Hazaribagh, a Brahma Samaj was opened in Panchamba, 4 miles west of Giridih, on the 22nd Aswin, corresponding to 6th September 1874. At that time Panchamba was the Sub-Divisional Head quarters of Hazaribagh. The congregational worship of the newly started Samaj used to be held in the local school house. Soon after the members felt the want of having a new building for themselves. But the plan was not carried out immediately as about that time a proposal was made for removing the Sub-Divisional Court from Panchamba to Giridih, in which case almost all the members would be shifting to that place. When the proposed change took place, the members of the Samaj built the building at Baramasia.