Jalpaiguri. Estd. 1872.
The Northern Bengal Brahma Samaj, Jalpaiguri.
Secretary.—1 Dr. P. K. Acharya, M. A., M. B. (residing in Calcutta). 2 Munshi Jalaluddin Mia (Acting Secretary).
Members. - 25; 6 Men, 5 Women, 14 Children. 6 Men are Anusthanic.
Sympathisers.—15.
Meetings.—Once a week divine service is held in Bengali.
Mandir.—There is a place of worship owned by the Samaj. It was opened on 26th March 1872.
Lay Preachers. — 1 Munshi Jalaluddin Mia. 2
Dr. P. Chatterjee. 3 Babu Hari Mohan Chakravarti.
Funds.—Payment of subscriptions is optional. There is no mission fund. There is a building fund which, after the deduction of all expenditure on the head, now amounts to Rs. 100.
Note.—(The Secretary says the Samaj was established in 1872 while Collet’s Brahma Year Book of 1879 gives the date as 1869.
Kakina. Dt. Rangpur. Estd. 12th Magh. 1869 A.D. The Kakina Brahma Samaj, Kakina (Rangpur).
Secretary.—Babu Goura Lal Roy, Kakina, Rangpur (Bengal).
Members.—44; 16 Men, 7 Women, 21 Children. None Anusthanic,
Sympathisers.—10.
Meetings.—Service is conducted in Bengali once a week.
Minister.—Babu Goura Lal Roy.
Mandir.—The Samaj has got its Mandir.
Funds.—The Samij has some landed property, a gift of Raja Mohini Ranjan Roy Chaudhri of Kakina, in shape of Joth yielding an income of about Rs. 250/- a year.
Celebrations.—The Maghostav and the Bhadrostav are usually observed by the Samaj. Also Anniversary of the death of Raja Ram Mohan Roy is generally celebrated. One of the special features of Utsavs is the distribution of rice and clothes to the deserving poor.
The Samaj has a collection of English and Bengali religions literature.
Khantura. Estd. 19th June 1878.
The Khantura Brahma Samaj.
Secretary.—Babu Kshetra Mohan Dutt, 12/2, Sitaram Ghos's Street, Calcutta.
Regarding the Samaj Babu Kshetra Mohan Dutt from Calcutta, writes.—
“A Brahma Samaj was founded by me in my native village, Khantura, 36 miles from Calcutta, near Goberdanga (Bengal Central Railway Station). The consecration of the Mandir took place on the 19th June 1878 under the ministry of Babu Keshub Chunder Sen.
Prayer Meeting was held every Sunday and a few Brahmas and sympathies occasionally attended. The Anniversary of the Samaj was celebrated every year in the month of June, when many Brahmas from Calcutta and other places used to come and a great agitation was created in the surrounding villages by Sankirtans and open-air addresses, &c. By the mercy of God a nephew of mine became Brahma and joined me. He was a great help to me. He established an Indigo Factory jointly with me with the object of securing an income from it to be devoted solely to the purpose of the Samaj. After a few years we were able to establish a Mission Fund from the income of this factory. An institution named ‘Manglalaya’ was established, in which were situated a library, Reading Room, Lecture Hall and rooms for the residence of Brahmas. There was a charitable institution called ‘Daridralaya’. Besides, scholarships were given regularly to the boys, girls and to Night School pupils.
It was a very progressive and prospering Samaj for ten or twelve years. The wife of my nephew being a widow of a Hindu family and not being educated, disliked our Brahma Samaj movement and began to put me in great trouble and expense by bringing law suits against me in connection with the estate of my nephew. Some time ago she took forcible possession of the ‘Mangalalaya' and stopped thereby the work of the institution. Just in 1903 she closed the doors of the Brahma Mandir. Prayer meetings have since then been disallowed to be held there.
Means are now being taken to compel her to give up the ‘Mandir’ bat we are not yet successful.
Thus the Khantura Brahma Samaj once so flourishing is now in such a deplorable condition.
Khasi Hills:—
(I) Cherrapoonjee. — Established 1890.
Head Quarters of the Khasi Hills Mission. N. & A. Mawblei Brahma Samaj, Cherrapoonjee.
Secretary:—U. Jube Singh, Brahma Mission Compound, Cherrapoonjee.
Members:—40 men and women, 21 children. Anusthanic.
Sympathisers:—4 families consisting of 12 adults and 8, children who are called by the Khasis Nongphyrsong or probationers. The Khasis do not recognise non-anusthanics as Brahmas.
Meetings:—8 meetings every week—devotional, conversational, etc., are conducted in the Khasi language.
Mandir:—There is a Mandir which needs extension. It was consecrated, on 28th November 1892; destroyed by earth-quake in 1897 and rebuilt in 1899.
Missionary:—Baboo Nilmani Chakrabarti.
Assistant:—Babu Umes Chendra Chowdhari.
Ministers:—1. U. Surjomoni Roy. Mission Worker.
2. U. Joy Krishno Lay Ministers.
3. U. Ruson Sinh Lay Ministers.
Funds:—Each member pays 1 pice per week.
Institutions:—1 A small School.
2 Homeopathic Dispensary.
3 Women’s Association.
4 Young Women’s Debating Society.
5 Young Men’s Debating Society.
There is a small colony of 8 Brahma families in the Mission compound.
Secretary:—U. Pyrkhal.