Agartala: Very few in Tripura would have ever heard of them. But since 1990, a sect of Tripura’s indigenous Bru community has been preaching the name of lord Ram in the hilly areas. For a certain period of time, they had to act as a secret society and work in close circles but as the situation improved in the later years they established as many as 29 temples across the state, and three temples are also functional in Assam’s Bru inhabited areas.
Satya Sanatan Ram Mandali is what they call themselves. As the rituals of ‘Pran Pratistha’ in Ayodhya are all set to be completed on January 22, six members of the Mandali have been invited to remain present at the temple.
Speaking exclusively to EastMojo, a member of the Mandali, Jatindra Reang, said, “We have been working in Tripura since 1990. Our first temple was set up in Dhalai district’s Ganaram Chowdhury Para. Our founder is the revered Guru Muniram Reang. He is also accompanying us on our journey to Ayodhya. Six members of our Mandali have embarked on the journey to witness the historic moment.”
On being asked about the journey of their sect, he said, “This has been a long battle. For a decade or so, we could not work actively following the foundation of our first temple in the Dhalai district. Till 2001, we worked like a secret society for the raging insurgency in the hilly areas. After the law and order situation somewhat stumbled back to normalcy in 2001, we started working actively. But, due to our commitment and devotion to lord Ram, we now have more than 2,000 active volunteers who are preaching the name of lord Ram in their areas.”
Elaborating further on their main activities, Reang said, “Our main activities are spreading the teachings of Sanatan Dharma. We have raised awareness within the Bru society against animal sacrifice. We try to sensitize people against intoxication. We keep telling our Samajpatis about drafting a constitution for our society that will keep us connected in one single thread.”
Meanwhile, ahead of their departure for the Ram temple, the members of Mandali performed a special Bhajan at Seva Dham.
Former Deputy Chief Minister of Tripura, Jishnu Dev Varma, and Minister of Transport and Tourism, Sushanta Chowdhury, were present at the special occasion.
Dear Reader,
Every day, our team at EastMojo travels through rain, rough roads, and remote hills to bring you stories that matter – stories from your town, your people, your Northeast.
We do this because we believe in truthful, independent journalism. No big corporate backing, no government pressure – just honest reporting by local journalists who live and breathe the same air you do.
But to keep doing this work, we need you. Your small contribution helps us pay our reporters fairly, reach places others ignore, and keep asking the tough questions.
If you believe the Northeast deserves its own fearless voice, stand with us.
Support independent journalism. Be a Member.
Thank you,
Karma Paljor
Editor-in-Chief, eastmojo.com
In a brief social media post, Dev Varma shared a gist of the Satya Sanatan Ram Mandali’s activities in Tripura.
“Pujya Muniram Reang is the chief Sant of Satya Sanatan Ram Mandali. A Sanatani Ram Bhakt Sect among the Bru community of Tripura, who have been practising their own rites and rituals since time immemorial. They also have a hierarchy of six sants and preach the values of Sri Ram and abstinence from all intoxicative substances. They will be present in Ayodhya for the Pranpratistha on 22nd January 2024,” he wrote.
ALSO READ | Five Northeast states gave Rs 8 crore for Ram Mandir. This state gave the highest