BRAHMO RITES.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1879, 13 October 1913, Page 2

BRAHMO RITES.

"Brahmo rites," with which Princess Indira of Baroda was married at a London rogistry office rocently, illustrate an important chapter in tho development of modern India/writes a correspondent in tho Manchester "Guardian." Tho Brahmo Somaj is a modem reformed Indian sect which .resembles British Unitarianism. Indeed, it has a closo friendly association with tho Unitarian body, and Unitarian ministers often go over to India to preach beforo its inemr bers. It is, in fact, the . Theistic Church of India, and it was very largely tho 1 creation of Keshub Chunder Sen, the groat Bengali religious and social reformer, who visited England in 1870. On his return'to India lie set to work to effect certain greatly-needed changes among tho reformed Hindu community of which ho was tho leader and prophet. One of these had reference to tho anomalous position of tho reformed Hindus under tho la.w, and ho succeeded in getting placed upon tho Statute Book tho famous Brahmo Marriage Act of 1872, which was piloted through the Viceroy's Council by no less an authority than Sir Henry Maine, at that time a member of tho Viceroy's Cabinet. This Aot legalised tho marriages of those members of the Hindu community who had separated themselves from orthodoxy while . not becoming associated with either tho Moslom or tho Christian faith. In tho ordinary course of things it would merely have effected a needed reform in legal procedure, but as a matter of historic fact it led to/a serious .social catastrophe. . Six years aftor tho Act was passed tho fathor of Prince Jitendra, tho Maharajah of Kooch Behar (a friend of King Edward), was married to tho eldost daughter of Keshub Chunder Sen. An essential provision of the new Marriage Act was tha.t tho brido should not bo under fourteen years of ago. Keshub's daughter was a littlo younger, and tho persistence of the religious leader in tho course which ho (urgeS on by the Government of Bengal) had set before himself precipitated a schism in his church. Thero are many students of modern social and religious movements in who date the comparative powbrlossnoss of tho Bralimo Somaj and tho social influences connected with it to the unwisdom of the British Government and tho Brahmo loader thirty-five years ago.

That bright and vivacious Viennese actress, Miss Grace Palotta, now a member of the Royal Comic Opera Company, is a great admirer of Madamo Clara Butt; Sho states that the great singer's Gorman (in which language she sings a great number of songs) is absolutely impeccable. "I must have heard 'Tho Erl King' sting a thousand times',' 1 said Miss Palotta on Saturday niglit, "but I have neve rheard it so wonderfully sung as it wa ( s to-night-. It was boautiful —1 never want to iiear it sung by anyono else!"

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