How Bishnupriya Manipuri Kalyan Samiti, Mumbai Came into Existence

Rebati Mohan Sinha

It so happened, one day my father, swargio Behari Sinha, a centurion (100 years 3 months) who was in Mumbai  for eye operation, enquired, whether there was any leipham near my resident in Mazagao, Mumbai. I said, 'there is  a Saibaba Mandir behind our house, where an Artee is always being performed in the evening, every day.' He said 'amar gaang'r ousade leipham'te nei'. On reply, I said ''yes, there is and I shall take you there.' Then, again he enquired whether we, Bishnupriya Manipuri Mumbaitees, celebrate Birth Anniversary of Srilo Bhubaneswar Sadhuthakur, where I said 'No, because there are no Bishnupriya Manipuri villages in Mumbai'. Then he said, in Silchar town there are few villages, why not in this very big town,Mumbai? You must celebrate even you are less in numbers.

Next day morning, I rang up to  Guru Devendra Sinha in Andheri, Mumbai, to apprise him of our father-son discussion and requested him to attend a meeting where we could discuss on forming a social organisation. On the day, there was very limited people gathered in the meeting, we decided to go ahead with an ad hoc  committee to perform the forthcoming Birth Anniversary of Bhubaneswar Sadhu Thakur. 

In due course of time i.e., Millennium year 2000, a meeting had been arranged in my resident where a decision was taken to send a request to Sevait Shri Jogendralal Debabarma of Radha Gobindo Mandir, Nabadwip to send Guru Rakhaldas Babaji to perform the ritual. He had assured and told me to go ahead with the program. At the mean time we have approached Juhu ISKCON to arrange for a Kirtan Mandali and Bhagabat Geeta Paathok, which they agreed. 

On the day of celebration, Guru Rakhaldas Babaji arrived from Nabadwip and later the keertan Mondoli from Juhu also arrived. Balya bhog artee was performed in the morning, followed by Geeta paath. In the afternoon main bhog was offered to deities, followed by Artee. Prasad vitaran and in the evening, there was a cultural program, organised by Guru Devendra Sinha, the younger brother of Guru Bipin Sinha. 

Bhoomi Pujan, where Sevait of Radha Gobindo Mandir, Guntola road, Nabdwip, Sri Mairang Singha Debabarma, sitting on the ground, performing the ritual. The attendees were, from right Guru Devendra Sinha, Mrs Suchitra Sinha,Rebati Mohan Sinha, Col. Nani Kumar Sinha, Mrs Sarma, Mrs Lalita Sinha, Mr Ranju Sinha, Bisweswar Sarma, Ramusena Sinha, Bipul Sarma, Babul Sinha and Rajkumar (partly seen with sunglass)

For two years, we had celebrated birth anniversary of Sadhu Thakur with Bishnupriya Manipuris of Pune and Gujarat. Late Rupagosai and Shri Dharini Sinha were part of our Udjapon Committee from Pune. In that millennium year 2000, the Bishnupriya Manipuri population in Pune was around 250, where as the attendees in the utsav used to be less than 20. Then I requested these Pune Committee members to start anniversary celebration at Pune, which they agreed to start from 2002. Since then Pune celebrating Bhubaneswar Sadhu Thakur  birth anniversary every year. Even in the year 2008, we had celebrated the first Akhil Bharatiya Sri Sri Bhubaneswar Sadhu Thakur janmo'mahutsav on the occasion of foundation stone laying ceremony of Sri Sri Bhubaneswar Sadhu Thakur International sevashram, where devotees from all over India, assembled, namely Sri Mairang Singha Debabarma, Nabadwip, Kajal Kanti Sinha, from Delhi, Shri Jogendra Sinha from Silchar, Col. Nani Kumar Sinha from Pune.

Guru Devendra Sinha and Padmashree Darshana Jhaveri from Mumbai, Bishweshwar Sharma from Guwahati. "Sri Sri Bhubaneswar Sadhu Thakur International Sevashram" where artists, researchers from all over India could come and conduct research and hold discussions on art& culture and then come out with something that will really help not only Bishnupriya Manipuri of Metro Cities but also all community.