Page:The Autobiography of Maharshi Devendranath Tagore.djvu/66

18 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF the prevailing idolatry was to his mind a consummation more devoutly to be wished than mere change of social institution or usage. How strongly he felt this may be gathered from his writings. In a paper called My Twenty-five Tears Experience of The Brâhma-Samaj he says: The practice of taking the Brâhmic Covenant was instituted on the 7th Pausha, Shaka 1765 (1843). On that day I took the covenant before Ramchandra Vidyavagish, the Acharya of the Samaj. From that time I used to travel out every year, when the Durga Puja was celebrated at my house. During my travels, how often have I prayed to my God with tears in my eyes for the day when idolatrous ceremonies would be abolished from our house, and the adoration of the Infinite commence in their stead. Some time after Keshab with his disciples had severed his connection with the parent Samaj, he determined to convene a meeting for the purpose of considering the best means for cementing his party into a compact religious association. This meeting was held in November 1866, at the Metropolitan College House in Chitpur Road. The meeting was numerously attended. It was opened by divine service, which included some hymns, and, the recital of Scriptural texts, extracted from the writings of Christians, Hindus, Mohammedans, Parsees, and Chinese. This extraordinary innovation was introduced to show the universal and catholic character of the proposed church, as will appear from the