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The first Brahmo Samaj was set up on 11th Magh, 1236 (BE) or 23rd January, 1830. Ever since that momentous happenning 174 years ago Brahmo Samajes were being built all over India and the most prolific period was during the era of Keshub Chandra Sen.
His apostolic zeal attracted many followers and resulted in Brahmo Samajes built across the length and breadth of India and even in Burma, now known as Myanamar.
Though Brahmo Samajes were predominantly found in Bengal. According to Miss Collet's Brahmo Year Book there were 107 Samajes in 1877, with 61 in Bengal, 4 in Bihar, 3 in Orissa, 6 in Assam, 8 in North West Province, 2 in Central India, 4 in Punjab, 10 in Western India, 2 in Sind and and 6 in South India. In 1892 the number of Samajes, according to the annual reports of the Sadharan Brahmo Samaj rose to 233, with 124 Brahmo Samajes in Bengal alone. But in 1911 we find that there are only 182. The reason for this was the lack of missionary activity and and aggravated by the progress of nationalistic and political movements all over the country. At the time of Keshub's death in 1884, the center of religious attention in Calcutta had already shifted to Ramakrishna Paramhansa of Dakshineshwar and the Ramakrishna Mission founded in 1897. Also the advent of Gandhi and the nataionalistic movements also contributed to the general decline in Brahmo movement. But there are more Brahmos outside the Brahmo Samaj than within. |
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| Report of Brahmo Samajes in India by 1872 |
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| Sl # |
Name of Samaj |
Presidency/ Province |
Year Estd. |
Sympathy |
| 1. |
Adi Brahmo Samaj |
Bengal |
1830 |
AS |
| 2. |
Akna |
Bengal |
1871 |
N |
| 3. |
Allahabad |
North West |
1865 |
AS |
| 4. |
Allahabad (2) |
North West |
1867 |
K |
| 5. |
Agra |
North West |
1871 |
K |
| 6. |
Ahmedabad |
Bombay |
1871 |
K |
| 7. |
Brahmo Samaj of India |
Bengal |
1866 |
K |
| 8. |
Baranagar |
Bengal |
1865 |
AS |
| 9. |
Bhowanipore |
Bengal |
1862 |
AS |
| 10. |
Barasat |
Bengal |
1870 |
K |
| 11. |
Behala |
Bengal |
1853 |
AS |
| 12. |
Baruipur |
Bengal |
1867 |
K |
| 13. |
Boluhati |
Bengal |
1857 |
AS |
| 14. |
Burdwan |
Bengal |
1857 |
AS |
| 15. |
Burdwan |
Bengal |
1867 |
K |
| 16. |
Baganchra |
Bengal |
1864 |
K |
| 17. |
Bogura |
Bengal |
1858 |
K |
| 18. |
Boalia (Rajshahi) |
Bengal |
1859 |
K |
| 19. |
Barisal |
Bengal |
1860 |
K |
| 20. |
Brahmanberia |
Bengal |
1863 |
N |
| 21. |
Bareilly |
Oudh |
1858 |
K |
| 22. |
Bhagalpur |
Bengal |
1863 |
K |
| 23. |
Bangalore |
Madras |
1867 |
K |
| 24. |
Berhampore |
Bengal |
1867 |
AS |
| 25. |
Blacktown (Madras city) |
Madras |
1871 |
N |
| 26. |
Bunnoo |
Punjab |
1866 |
N |
| 27. |
Cachar |
Bengal |
1864 |
N |
| 28. |
Utkal |
Orissa |
1865 |
AS |
| 29. |
Cuttack |
Orissa |
1868 |
K |
| 30. |
Chittagong |
Bengal |
1853 |
K |
| 31. |
Chinsurah |
Bengal |
1865 |
K |
| 32. |
Chunapukur (Calcutta) |
Bengal |
1869 |
K |
| 33. |
Chandernagore |
Bengal |
1860 |
AS |
| 34. |
Chandernagore |
Bengal |
1872 |
K |
| 35. |
Dacca |
Bengal |
1867 |
N |
| 36. |
Dacca (2) |
Bengal |
1871 |
K |
| 37. |
Dehradun |
North West |
1867 |
K |
| 38. |
Dinajpore |
Bengal |
1867 |
K |
| 39. |
Etwa |
North West |
1871 |
K |
| 40. |
Faridpur |
Bengal |
1857 |
K |
| 41. |
Ghazipur |
North West |
1871 |
K |
| 42. |
Gaya |
Bihar |
1866 |
K |
| 43. |
Gournagar |
Bengal |
1860 |
K |
| 44. |
Gauhati |
Assam |
1870 |
K |
| 45. |
Goalpara |
Assam |
1870 |
K |
| 46. |
Harinavi |
Bengal |
1868 |
K |
| 47. |
Hazaribag |
Bihar |
1869 |
K |
| 48. |
Howrah |
Bengal |
1864 |
K |
| 49. |
Jamalpur |
Bihar |
1867 |
N |
| 50. |
Jabbalpur |
Central Province |
1867 |
N |
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| Sl # |
Name of Samaj |
Presidency/ Province |
Year Estd. |
Sympathy |
| 51. |
Kaligacha |
Bengal |
1867 |
K |
| 52. |
Kalighat |
Bengal |
1869 |
K |
| 53. |
Kalna |
Bengal |
1868 |
AS |
| 54. |
Kanpur |
North West |
1865 |
N |
| 55. |
Karachi |
Bombay |
1869 |
K |
| 56. |
Kishoregunge |
Bengal |
1869 |
K |
| 57. |
Konnagar |
Bengal |
1863 |
N |
| 58. |
Krishnanagar |
Bengal |
1844 |
K |
| 59. |
Kumarkhali |
Bengal |
1849 |
K |
| 60. |
Kusthia |
Bengal |
1869 |
N |
| 61. |
Lucknow |
Oudh |
1868 |
K |
| 62. |
Lahore |
Punjab |
1863 |
K |
| 63. |
Mandarah |
Bengal |
1871 |
-- |
| 64. |
Monghyr |
Bihar |
1867 |
K |
| 65. |
Milapoor (Madras) |
Madras |
1870 |
K |
| 66. |
Midnapore |
Bengal |
1846 |
AS |
| 67. |
Meerut |
Bengal |
1871 |
K |
| 68. |
Mymesnsingh |
Bengal |
1853 |
K |
| 69. |
Malapara |
Bengal |
1870 |
AS |
| 70. |
Mangalore |
Madras |
1870 |
AS |
| 71. |
Nowgaon |
Assam |
1870 |
K |
| 72. |
Osmanpur |
Bengal |
1870 |
K |
| 73. |
Prarthana Samaj |
Bombay |
1867 |
K |
| 74. |
Puddapukur |
Bengal |
1871 |
K |
| 75. |
Puttakoti |
Madras |
1865 |
-- |
| 76. |
Patna |
Bihar |
1867 |
N |
| 77. |
Pune |
Bombay |
1870 |
N |
| 78. |
Pratyahik Samaj- Calcutta |
Bengal |
1871 |
N |
| 79. |
Rajmahal |
Bengal |
1868 |
K |
| 80. |
Rawalpandi |
Punjab |
1867 |
K |
| 81. |
Ratnagiri |
Bombay |
1869 |
K |
| 82. |
Rangpur |
Bengal |
1864 |
K |
| 83. |
Salem |
Madras |
1866 |
-- |
| 84. |
Sindh |
Bombay |
1869 |
K |
| 85. |
Sinduriapatty |
Bengal |
1865 |
K |
| 86. |
Serampore |
Bengal |
1862 |
N |
| 87. |
Santipur |
Bengal |
1863 |
K |
| 88. |
Shyambazar |
Bengal |
1864 |
N |
| 89. |
Sultangacha |
Bengal |
1863 |
K |
| 90. |
Sankharitollah |
Bengal |
1868 |
K |
| 91. |
Sylhet |
Bengal |
1863 |
K |
| 92. |
Shibsagar |
Assam |
1866 |
K |
| 93. |
Selidah |
Bengal |
1867 |
K |
| 94. |
South India Brahmo Samaj |
Madras |
1864 |
K |
| 95. |
Serajgunge |
Bengal |
1870 |
K |
| 96. |
Sat Sungat |
Punjab |
1871 |
K |
| 97. |
Taki |
Bengal |
1869 |
N |
| 98. |
Tipperah |
Bengal |
1862 |
N |
| 99. |
Tundla |
North West |
1869 |
K |
| 100. |
Tezpur |
Assam |
1870 |
-- |
| 101. |
Tharvetuvo |
Burma |
1871 |
-- |
| 102. |
Udunalapeti |
Madras |
1864 |
-- |
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KEY: AS = affiliated to Adi Samaj; K = Followers of Keshub; N = Neutral
SOURCE: Report of the Brahmo Mission Office, Brahmo Samaj of India, 1873
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| The following is a list of other Brahmo Samajes that were subsequently opened in other parts of the country, excluding those mentioned above and were in operation at the turn of the century.
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| Report of Brahmo Samajes in India by 1892 |
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| Sl # |
Name of Samaj |
Presidency / Province |
Year Estd. |
| 1. |
Ahmednagar PS |
Bombay |
1871 |
| 2. |
Amarpur |
Bengal |
1884 |
| 3. |
Amragiri |
Bengal |
1882 |
| 4. |
Arrah |
Bihar |
1882 |
| 5. |
Bagerhat |
Bengal |
1883 |
| 6. |
Bagnan |
Bengal |
1879 |
| 7. |
Baguri |
Bengal |
1888 |
| 8. |
Bahirgarh Satya Dharma Pracharini Sabha |
Bengal |
1883 |
| 9. |
Bajrayogini |
Bengal |
1887 |
| 10. |
Balasore ND |
Orissa |
1865 |
| 11. |
Balasore SBS |
Orissa |
1884 |
| 12. |
Banda |
North West |
1863 |
| 13. |
Banda PS |
North West |
1877 |
| 14. |
Bankura |
Bengal |
1881 |
| 15. |
Bapatla PS |
Madras |
1890 |
| 16. |
Barisa |
Bengal |
1882 |
| 17. |
Barisal |
Bengal |
1861 |
| 18. |
Baroda PS |
Bombay |
1883 |
| 19. |
Bangalore (Regimental Samaj) |
Madras |
1871 |
| 20. |
Bangalore Cant. PS |
Madras |
1879 |
| 21. |
Benares Cant. |
North West |
1883 |
| 22. |
Bezwada |
Madras |
1886 |
| 23. |
Bhavnagar |
Madras |
1876 |
| 24. |
Bhowanipore Prarthana Samaj |
Bengal |
1877 |
| 25. |
Bolpur |
Bengal |
1884 |
| 26. |
Broach PS |
Bombay |
1876 |
| 27. |
Chaibasa |
Bengal |
1891 |
| 28. |
Cooch Behar |
Bengal |
1872 |
| 29. |
Cooch Behar North |
Bengal |
1888 |
| 30. |
Chengalpalyem |
Madras |
1887 |
| 31. |
Chengutia |
Bengal |
1880 |
| 32. |
Chicacole PS |
Madras |
|
| 33. |
Coimbatore |
Madras |
1881 |
| 34. |
Darbhanga |
Bihar |
1869 |
| 35. |
Darjeeling |
Bengal |
1877 |
| 36. |
Deviganj |
Bengal |
1881 |
| 37. |
Dharampur |
Bengal |
1872 |
| 38. |
Dhenkanal |
Orissa |
1887 |
| 39. |
Dibrugarh |
Assam |
1887 |
| 40. |
Dumraon |
Bihar |
1880 |
| 41. |
Feni |
Bengal |
1884 |
| 42. |
Giridih |
Bihar |
1874 |
| 43. |
Garbetta |
Bengal |
1887 |
| 44. |
Gorabazar |
Bengal |
1881 |
| 45. |
Golaghat |
North West |
1886 |
| 46. |
Ghazipur SBS |
North West |
1872 |
| 47. |
Ghurni |
Bengal |
1880 |
| 48. |
Goori |
Bengal |
1879 |
| 49. |
Goori Student's Samaj |
Bengal |
1883 |
| 50. |
Gorabazar |
Bengal |
1881 |
| 51. |
Gourifa |
Bengal |
1875 |
| 52. |
Gwalior |
North West |
1872 |
| 53. |
Howrah SBS |
Bengal |
1892 |
| 54. |
Haldibari |
Bengal |
|
| 55. |
Hooghly |
Bengal |
1870 |
| 56. |
Hyderabad |
Sind |
1869 |
| 57. |
Indore |
Central |
1880 |
| 58. |
Jalpaiguri |
Bengal |
1870 |
| 59. |
Jasir |
Assam |
1889 |
| 60. |
Jhansi |
North West |
1879 |
| 61. |
Jhinaidaha |
Bengal |
1876 |
| 62. |
Kaira PS |
Bombay |
1875 |
| 63. |
Kakina |
Bengal |
1870 |
| 64. |
Kaliagunj |
Bengal |
1883 |
| 65. |
Kanpur |
North West |
1865 |
| 67. |
Karatia |
Bengal |
1888 |
| 68. |
Katihar (Purnea) |
Bengal |
1891 |
| 69. |
Khagole |
Bengal |
1884 |
| 70. |
Khalipur |
Bengal |
1886 |
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| Sl # |
Name of Samaj |
Presidency / Province |
Year Estd. |
| 71. |
Khatura |
Bengal |
1869 |
| 72. |
Kheda PS |
Bombay |
1876 |
| 73. |
Kidderpore |
Bengal |
1875 |
| 74. |
Kolhapur |
Bombay |
1875 |
| 75. |
Kulberia |
Bengal |
1888 |
| 76. |
Kurigram |
Bengal |
1880 |
| 77. |
Lait Kynsew |
Assam |
1891 |
| 78. |
Madras - Thousand Lights |
Madras |
1888 |
| 79. |
Maheshpur |
Bengal |
1879 |
| 80. |
Majilpur |
Bengal |
1881 |
| 81. |
Maldah |
Bengal |
1875 |
| 82. |
Mangalgunj |
Bengal |
1878 |
| 83. |
Manikdaha |
Bengal |
1881 |
| 84. |
Masulipatnam |
Madras |
1882 |
| 85. |
Matihari |
Punjab |
1875 |
| 86. |
Mawrynkhong |
Bengal |
1889 |
| 87. |
Moodially |
Bengal |
1873 |
| 88. |
Mousmai (Cherraponji) |
Assam |
1889 |
| 89. |
Mowkhar |
Assam |
1886 |
| 90. |
Multan |
Punjab |
1875 |
| 91. |
Munshiganj |
Bengal |
1876 |
| 92. |
Muradnagar |
Bengal |
1881 |
| 93. |
Muzaffarpur PS |
Bihar |
1883 |
| 94. |
Nadiad PS |
Bombay |
1878 |
| 95. |
Nalhati |
Bengal |
1888 |
| 96. |
Naraingunj |
Bengal |
1881 |
| 97. |
Natore |
Bengal |
|
| 98. |
Navagram |
Orissa |
1886 |
| 99. |
Navasari PS |
Bombay |
1878 |
| 100. |
Nibadhai |
Bengal |
1887 |
| 101. |
Nilphamari |
Bengal |
1885 |
| 102. |
Nimta |
Bengal |
|
| 103. |
Nongrim |
Assam |
1890 |
| 104. |
Pabna |
Bengal |
1867 |
105. |
Pachumla |
Bengal |
1874 |
| 106. |
Pahowa Dharma Sabha |
Punjab |
1884 |
| 107. |
Pandharpur PS |
Bombay |
1874 |
| 108. |
Peddapuram |
Madras |
1896 |
| 109. |
Pherozepur |
Bengal |
1878 |
| 110. |
Phulbari |
Bengal |
|
| 111. |
Purbapara |
Bengal |
1888 |
| 112. |
Quetta SBS |
Sind |
1883 |
| 113. |
Rajamundry PS |
Assam |
1879 |
| 114. |
Rajkot |
Bombay |
1873 |
| 115. |
Rampurhat |
Bengal |
1874 |
| 116. |
Ranchi |
Bihar |
1879 |
| 117. |
Rangoon |
Burma |
1880 |
| 118. |
Rangoon (2) |
Burma |
1883 |
| 119. |
Rangoon (3) |
Burma |
1884 |
| 120. |
Rasapagla |
Bengal |
1882 |
| 121. |
Rashpur |
Bengal |
1887 |
| 122. |
Ratlam |
Central |
1887 |
| 123. |
Shillong |
Assam |
1875 |
| 124. |
Saidpur |
Bengal |
1878 |
| 125. |
Satara |
Bombay |
1874 |
| 126. |
Sibpur |
Bengal |
1882 |
| 127. |
Simla Hills ND |
Punjab |
1875 |
| 128. |
Sojitra PS |
Bombay |
1878 |
| 129. |
South Suburban |
Bengal |
1878 |
| 130. |
Sukkur |
Sind |
1883 |
| 131. |
Surat |
Bombay |
1875 |
| 132. |
Sylhet Student's Samaj |
Bengal |
1879 |
| 133. |
Tangail |
Bengal |
1887 |
| 134. |
Tezpur |
Assam |
1870 |
| 135. |
Thana PS |
Bombay |
1881 |
| 136. |
Tilli |
Bengal |
1889 |
| 137. |
Tindharia |
Bengal |
1886 |
| 138. |
Ujjain |
Central |
1889 |
| 139. |
Velpur |
Madras |
1883 |
| 140. |
Wandiwash |
Madras |
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KEY: PS = Prarthana Samaj; ND = New Dispensation; SBS = Sadharan Brahmo Samaj
SOURCE: Annual Report of the Sadharan Brahmo Samaj, 1892 and History of the Brahmo Samaj by Sivnath Shastri.
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