Avinas Chandra Bannerji
Babu Avinas Chandra Bannerji or Bannerjee was a Bengali member in the early days of the Theosophical Society. According to Mr. Jinarājadāsa, he was a physician from Allahabad (Prayag) who attended Helena Petrovna Blavatsky during an episode of rheumatic fever.[1] He may have also been a vakil, or pleader, because his name appears for respondents in legal cases.
Involvement with Theosophical Society
In his commentary about Letter 40 in Letters from the Masters of the Wisdom, Second Series, Mr. Jinarajadasa wrote: Mr. Jinarājadāsa commented:
From the Master Hilarion, received June 6, 1883. Colonel Olcott writes in that date in his Diary: “Had nice test this a.m. Couldn’t decide whether to accept invitations to Colombo or Allahabad first. Put Avinas Ch. Bannerji’s letter in shrine, locked door, instantly reopened it and got the written orders of Maha Sahib through Hilarion in French. Done while I stood there and not half a minute had elapsed.” The Master H. was in Bombay on February 19, 1881, when He visited both Founders: Colonel Olcott thus writes in his Diary: “Hilarion is here en route for Tibet and has been looking over, in, and through the situation. Finds B — something morally awful. Views on India, Bombay, the T.S. in Bombay, Ceylon (—), England and Europe, Christianity and other subjects highly interesting.”[2]