>Marcocapelle at 10:01, 24 May 2021

2021-05-24T10:01:01Z

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{{Short description|Religious person}}
{{Infobox Hindu leader
| name = Binapani Thakur
| religion = [[Hinduism]]
| birth_date = 21 September 1920
| birth_place = Jabdakathi, [[Barishal District|Barishal]], [[Bengal Presidency]], [[British Raj|British India]] (present day [[Bangladesh]])
| birth_name = Binapani Devi<ref name="News18"/>
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2019|3|5|1918|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Kolkata]], [[West Bengal]], [[India]]
| nationality = [[Indian people|Indian]]
| guru = [[Harichand Thakur]]
| disciples =
| philosophy = ''Swayam Dikshiti''
| founder = [[Thakurnagar]]
| literary_works =
| influenced =
| signature =
| honors = [[Banga Bibhushan]] (2018)
| image = Thakurnagar Matua Mahasangha and Thakur Bari Temple 08.jpg
}}
'''Boro Maa''' ({{lang-bn|বড়মা}}, 21 September 1920 — 5 March 2019) was a matriarch of the [[Matua Mahasangha]], a Hindu religious reformation movement. Her original name was '''Binapani Devi Thakur'''; the name "Boro Maa" translates to "elder mother", an epithet for universal mother of Matua Community. She along with her husband [[Pramatha Ranjan Thakur]] established the community's new capital at [[Thakurnagar]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=বীণাপাণি দেবীর কপি ভার্সন ২|url=https://eisamay.indiatimes.com/west-bengal-news/kolkata-news/binapani-devis-copy-version-2/articleshow/68277292.cms|access-date=2021-04-11|website=EI Samay|language=bn}}</ref>

==Career==
Boro Maa was born in 1920 in Jabdakathi village, [[Barishal District]], [[Bengal Presidency]]. In 1933, she married [[Pramatha Ranjan Thakur]], a great-grandson of [[Harichand Thakur]], the founder of [[Matua Mahasangha]].<ref name="News18">{{cite web |title=মাতৃহারা হলেন মতুয়ারা, জেনে নিন বড়মার জীবনকথা | trans-title = Matua community loses their mother, know more about Boro Maa's life |url=https://bengali.news18.com/news/kolkata/obituary-of-matua-boroma-281218.html |publisher=News18 |accessdate=8 March 2019 |language=bn |date=5 March 2019}}</ref>

In 1947, India became independent and the province of Bengal was [[partition of Bengal (1947)|partitioned]] into Muslim majority [[East Bengal]] (which became a part of Pakistan and later became [[Bangladesh]]) and Hindu majority [[West Bengal]] (which became a state of India). In the following year, Boro Maa along with her family and a large number of Matuas migrated to West Bengal. Along with her husband, she created a refugee colony at [[Thakurnagar]] for the displaced Matuas.<ref name="News18"/>

In 1990, Boro Maa's husband died. She became the chief adviser and matriarch of the community. In the following years, she spread the teachings of Harichand Thakur across India.<ref name="News18"/><ref name="CN">{{cite web |title=বড়মার জন্মদিনে ঐক্যের বার্তা |trans-title=Message of unity in Boro Maa's birthday |url=http://calcuttanews.tv/cm-mamata-banerjee-gives-message-of-unity-in-chief-of-the-matua-mahasangha-binapani-devis-birthday-in-thakur-nagar/ |publisher=Calcutta News |accessdate=8 March 2019 |language=bn |date=15 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190509180402/http://calcuttanews.tv/cm-mamata-banerjee-gives-message-of-unity-in-chief-of-the-matua-mahasangha-binapani-devis-birthday-in-thakur-nagar/ |archive-date=9 May 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

On 15 March 2010, Boro Maa appointed [[Mamata Banerjee]] (the then future [[Chief Minister of West Bengal]]) as the chief patron of the community.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mahasabha boost for Mamata Chief patron of group once wooed by Left |url=https://m.telegraphindia.com/states/west-bengal/mahasabha-boost-for-mamata-chief-patron-of-group-once-wooed-by-left/cid/544726 |work=[[The Telegraph (India)|The Telegraph]] |accessdate=8 March 2019 |date=15 March 2010}}</ref> In November 2018, she was awarded [[Banga Bibhushan]], the highest civilian award of West Bengal.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kundu |first1=Indrajit |title=Mamata woos Hindu refugees in West Bengal, announces slew of sops |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/west-bengal/story/mamata-woos-hindu-refugees-in-west-bengal-announces-slew-of-sops-1389352-2018-11-15 |work=[[India Today]] |accessdate=8 March 2019 |date=15 November 2018}}</ref>

On 5 March 2019, Boro Maa died at [[Kolkata]].<ref>{{cite web |title=মতুয়া সম্প্রদায়ের বড়মা বীণাপাণি আর নেই | trans-title = Matua community's Boro Maa is no more |url=http://www.ittefaq.com.bd/worldnews/34325/মতুয়া-সম্প্রদায়ের-বড়মা-বীণাপাণি-আর-নেই |work=[[The Daily Ittefaq]] |accessdate=8 March 2019 |language=bn |date=5 March 2019}}</ref> Her funeral was held with full state honours on 7 March and a gun salute was given to her by the state government.<ref>{{cite web |title=Boro Ma last rites held with full state honours |url=http://www.asianage.com/metros/kolkata/080319/boro-ma-last-rites-held-with-full-state-honours.html |work=[[The Asian Age]] |accessdate=8 March 2019 |date=8 March 2019}}</ref> Upon her death, her daughter-in-law [[Mamata Bala Thakur]] was appointed pro tem adviser of the community.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kolkata: Legacy of Binapani Devi holds key to electoral gains in several districts |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/kolkata/legacy-of-binapani-devi-holds-key-to-electoral-gains-in-several-districts-5616596/ |work=[[The Indian Express]] |accessdate=8 March 2019 |date=8 March 2019}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Boro Maa's elder son [[Kapil Krishna Thakur]] represented [[Bangaon (Lok Sabha constituency)|Bongaon constituency]] in [[Lok Sabha|Indian parliament]] in 2014 as a candidate of [[All India Trinamool Congress|Trinamool Congress]].<ref>{{cite web |title=RIP Kapil Krishna Thakur – Trinamool MP and Matua scion |url=http://aitcofficial.org/aitc/rip-kapil-krishna-thakur-trinamool-mp-and-matua-scion/ |publisher=Trinamool Congress |accessdate=8 March 2019 |date=13 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190509191543/http://aitcofficial.org/aitc/rip-kapil-krishna-thakur-trinamool-mp-and-matua-scion/ |archive-date=9 May 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref> After his death, his wife [[Mamata Bala Thakur]] was elected. Boro Maa's younger son [[Manjul Krishna Thakur]] defected to the [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] in 2015. Her grandson Sri [[Shantanu Thakur]] has been elected as Member of Parliament for BJP from Bongaon Constituency in 2019
<ref>{{cite web |title=Last Rites of Matua Matriarch Binapani Devi Held With Full State Honours, Gun Salute |url=https://www.news18.com/news/india/last-rites-of-matua-matriarch-binapani-devi-held-with-full-state-honours-gun-salute-2059793.html |publisher=News18 |accessdate=8 March 2019 |date=7 March 2018}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Hindu reform movements}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Maa, Boro}}
[[Category:1920 births]]
[[Category:2019 deaths]]
[[Category:Bengali Hindu saints]]
[[Category:Matua people]]
[[Category:People from Barisal District]]
[[Category:Indian centenarians]]

Boro Maa - Revision history

>Marcocapelle at 10:01, 24 May 2021