Prarthana Samaj
- Prarthana Samaj was established in 1867 by Atmaram Pandurang in Bombay. The objectives of Prarthana Samaj came to action in 1870 when Justice M.G. Ranade and R.G. Bhandarkar joined. Sir Ramakrishna Gopal Bhandarkar and Sir Narayan Chandavarkar were also significant members of Prarthana Samaj.
- The members of Prarthana Samaj were Hindu. The objective was to reform the unacceptable Hindu rituals and beliefs by staying in Hinduism and understanding its roots of the same.
- The members of Prarthana Samaj aimed to eradicate child marriage, Sati, the dowry system, the unacceptability of widow remarriage and inter-marriage from Indian society.
- Prarthana Samaj did not accept the idol worshipping ritual of the Hindu religion. The outlook of Prarthana Samaj members differed from the Brahma Samaj. The latter had more rigid beliefs and ideologies. In contrast, the focus area of Prarthana Samaj was to reform the social structure and provide importance to prayer. And the members believed in the existence of one God.
- Prarthana Samaj accepted the religious guidance of Christianity and Buddhism just like they accepted the existence of Hinduism. They did not want to divide society into multiple castes. So, as a gesture of encouragement, the members attended communal meals where they ate food prepared by people of different religions and castes.
Role of Theosophical Society, Self-Respect Movement and Prarthana Samaj
Socio-Religious movements during the British Raj influenced the people of India for rational thinking. Such movements showed a gateway towards a society with a positive mindset. Theosophical Society, Self-respect Movement (1925), and Prarthana Samaj contributed significant roles in reforming Indian society. The general objectives of these movements were based on providing equal rights to live, especially to the backward class and unprivileged people. And such movements also focused on women’s rights. Here we will discuss the main objectives and works of the Theosophical Society, the Self-respect Movement (1925), and Prarthana Samaj.