“At the commencement of each session, it prescribes text books for the several classes established by it and fixes a date for the examination of such candidates as apply through their guardians, and can satisfy the members that the examination which they will undergo, will be'fairly conducted. Women of all classes and communities—Hindus Mussalmans, Christians and Brahmas residing in this District, are allowed to appear at the examination. Intending candidates study the prescribed courses at their respective homes, and at the appointed time, undergo the examination under the superintendence of their own guardians. The examination is conducted generally in January, by meansof printed questions set by examiners appointed by ther Association. The result of the examination is published in the course of a month, and prizes in the shape of books, boxes, glasses, scissors, and other such things of every day use are awarded to all successful candidates. With the exception of girls residing in the station [i. e. Barisal], no candidates present themselves at the distribution of prizes, and the prize articles are sent to them at their homes.”
“The expenses of the Association are defrayed by local subscriptions, and by an annual grant-in-aid of Rs. 100 sanctioned by Government.”
In the year (1878) all girls below the age of 12 who had facilities for education elsewhere were ruled to be excluded from this institution.
In 1877 an association was started to hold prayer-meetings among the Brahmicas twice in a month for purposes of prayer and conversation on religious and social subjects. The service, hymns and discussions, etc., were all conducted by the ladies themselves.
In April 1878 the Brahmica Samaj was slipt up into two branches. The service in the branch that commanded the sympathy of a larger number of a Brahmas were conducted by Mrs. Manorama Mozoomdar, wife of Baboo G. C. Mozoomdar the Minister of the Samaj. She is a self-made lady, and her attainments in Bengali literature are of a pretty high order. She is held in high esteem by all who know her personally and the good she is quietly doing among her own sex in Barisal is worthly of all praise. In January 1883 she came prominently into the public notice, when at the Maghotsav, she conducted the evening service of the regular Brahma Samaj. The Brahmo Public Opinion of Feb.8.1883 reports that.
“A large crowd of people was naturally attracted to witness the unusal specatacle. This is perhaps the first time that an Indian lady publicly conducted divine service and preached a sermon before a congregation of men. Her abilities of preaching have long been well-known to all who ever attended her private prayer-meetings. She is a betterpreacher than many of the preachers of the other sex, and we are glad that the way has been opened to her to make her gifts useful to her church.”
It is interesting to note that she was ordained a missionary of the Samaj in May 1881. Valuable services were rendered to the cause of Brahmoisn by a lay worker of this Samaj the late Baboo Chandi Charan Sen who started the Sunday School. He spread the Gospel of Theism far and wide. Baboo Mono Ranjan Guha acted ably as a missionary of the Samaj since 1800. Of the lay workers who have done much for the Samaj the name of Baboo Aswani Kumar Dutta may be specially mentioned. He worked as a lecturer for a few years since 1832 and ably expounded the principle of Brahmaism.
Baranagar. Dist. Howrah. Estd. 4 June 1864 The Baranagar Brahma Samaj, near Calcutta.
Founder and President:—Babu Sashipad Bannerji 210/6 Cornwallis Street, Calcutta.
Secretary:—Babu Basant Kumar Choudhari, M. A., Baranagar.
Meetings:—Sunday evening service in Bengali.
Mandir:—Qonsecrated on 19th February 1869.
Institutions:—(1) Sashipad Institute for the working men. (2) Girls' School. (3) Night School, & e.
History:—Pandit Sitanath Tatwabhusan traces the origin of the Samaj in these words “The woes of his (Babu Sashipad Banerji) town caused by drink and drunkards rent his young heart. A temperance society was established at the town on the 27th March 1864 and Mr. Bannerji became Secretary from the 2nd sitting. One day; without any previous arrangement, but as a spontaneous expression of the spirit which animated the Secretary in his temperance labours, he offered a prayer before the commencement of the proceeding. It was the first public prayer ever offered at the place, and a very fruitful one: for it was continued meeting; after meeting and soon led to the establishment of a Brahma Samaj at the village. ”Ever since its establishment, the first meeting of the samaj was held on the 4th June 1884 at the house of "Nimchundra Maitra, Mr. Bannerji officiating as the Minister, at whose house the Samaj began to be held soon after. The open avowal, however, on the part of Mr. Bannerji of Brahmanism enraged the people of his house so much that the meeting's had to be held in the house of Rai Bahadur Girishchandra Chaudhari, then a student. Thus soon the want of a separate Mandir was badly felt and the small hand led the movement earnestly. Babu Chandranath Chaudhari gave a plot of ground. Babu Nimchandra Maitra a brick merchant, provided all the bricks and surki required and Babu Sambhunath Mullick a good pecuniary contribution. The Brahma Mandir was duly congecrated by the Minister Mr. Bannerji on the morning of the 19th Sunday February 1869, amid great, enthusiasm of local and Calcutta friend. Brahmanand Keshub Chandra conducted service in the evening in the Mandir.
The Baranagar Brahma Samaj holds an important place in the history of the Theistic movement of Bengal; for in several lines of social reform and educational work they have shown a new path for the country to follow. What they have done for the cause of female education will be seen from the following extracts from the above mentioned book. The young women of the country had been left almost absolutely beyond the sphere of the operations either of the Female Juvenile Education Society, or the Bethune School. Girls were then, as now, married at a very early age, and after their marriage their education practically came to an end. For the prevailing system of zenana seclusion made it impossible for a married girl, however young she might be, to go to any public school, while no means had as yet been devised by their parents or husband to foster and develop the good seed that they might have received at school. If anybody stood in need of education, it was these young wives and widows,—wives to be lit companions to their educated husbands, and widows to find a pure, ennobling and healthy occupation to lighten the miseries of their pitiful situation. It was left to Babu Sashipada Bannerji to lead the way in Bengal to both these reforms. While many were willing to secure the benefits of some sort of book education for their wives, few indeed know how to set about their work. The difficulties in their way were great and many, and the opportunities were few. The publication of the report of the good work that Babu Sashipada Bannerji was quietly doing in his own family and his native town, however, threw, as it were, a new light on the subject, and people in most distant parts of the province commenced to follow his methods and imitate his example. The Deputy Inspector of Schools, Bagura, thus noticed this new feature in the work of female education in his own district in his report for the year 1866-67:-