A performance at Brahmo Samaj in Ranchi on Sunday. Picture by Hardeep Singh

Ranchi, Feb. 13: In a study in contrast, far from the bustle and glamour of the National Games, a small group gathered at the Brahmo Samaj premises at Tharpakna here this morning to celebrate the 182nd Maghotsab.

Rendition of soul-stirring Brahmo sangeet created a calm ambience for upasana. Those attending it were reminded of Brahmo teachings that preach worshipping of Parameswar, the one and only God.

Tapobrata Brahmacharya, who specially came from Calcutta for the purpose, conducted the upasana.

Noteworthy performances included Brahmo sangeet such as Tumi amar antosthaler khabar rakho by Shampa Bhattacharya and Kon alote praner pradeep jwaliye by Ujjwal Banerjee. Others such as Subir Lahiri and Julia Aditya also sang on the occasion.

Later in the afternoon, the group moved to scenic Tagore Hill for shantibachan, a concluding ceremony under a kusum tree behind Shanti Dham, the house on the hillock where Jyotirindra Nath Tagore used to meditate during his stay at Ranchi.

Interestingly, despite the dwindling number of Brahmos, a small group of people, comprising mostly Hindus, gather to celebrate Maghotsab every year, which commemorates founding of the Samaj premises on Chitpur Road, Calcutta, by a group of social reformers led by Raja Ram Mohun Roy on 23 January 1830. The date corresponds to 11 Magh in the Indian calendar, which explains the name Maghotsab (Magh festival).

Ranchi was a prominent centre of Brahmos besides Hazaribagh and Giridih, in what is now the state of Jharkhand. The local Samaj premises was built 142 years ago. During the early part of the last century the Samaj had a good number of visitors from the Tagore family, including music composer and theatre personality Jyotirindranath Tagore, the first Indian Civil Service member Satyendra Nath Tagore and Nobel laureate poet and thinker Rabindranath.

“We are just five Brahmo families left here now. With children leaving the city for studies or jobs, the Samaj hardly has 11-12 members,” said Diptiman Bose, great-grandson of Amrit Lal Bose, a prominent Brahmo leader.

Besides two important festivals, Bhadrotsab and Maghotsab, the Samaj does not have many activities worth mentioning. Even weekly prayers are not held regularly, and when they are, Hindus mostly attend them. Baidurya Sengupta, the present secretary of the Samaj, said: “We depend on them (Hindus) to run the Samaj.”