Prarthana Samaj

The Prarthana Samaj was a reformist religious and social organization established in the 19th century in Maharashtra, India. The influence of the Brahmo Samaj was felt in other parts of India as well, especially in Western India, due to the efforts of Keshab Chandra Sen, who visited Maharashtra in 1864. The first offshoot of the Brahmo Samaj was the Paramhansa Sabha, founded in 1849 in Maharashtra. However, the organization which left a deep impact in Maharashtra was the Prarthana Samaj.

The Prarthana Samaj was founded on March 31, 1867 in Bombay by Atma Ram Pandurang, Jagannath Shankar Seth, Balshastri Jambhekar, Vishnu Shastri Bapat, and Krishna Shastri Chiplunkar. Ram Krishna Gopal Bhandarkar and Mahadev Govind Ranade (1842-1901) were the true guiding spirits of the Prarthana Samaj. The Prarthana Samaj, often referred to as 'Protestant Hinduism,' emerged as a sister organization of the Brahmo Samaj. Yet, it succeeded in maintaining its distinct identity as a Hindu organization. The Prarthana Samajists focused more on social reform as their actual work, rather than on "faith." They kept alive the great ideals of popular saints of Maharashtra like Namdev, Tukaram, and Ramdas, and encouraged society to rise above superstitions and malpractices, which were regressive rather than progressive. They emphasized the belief that God can be realised only by serving man.

The Prarthana Samajists believed in:

• A single, all-powerful, and all-loving God;
• Salvation through the worship of God;
• Denial of the ideas of karma and transmigration;
• Opposing the authority of priests and idol worship;
• Acceptance of the authority of the Vedas and the Upanishads;
• Upholding the intrinsic values of devotion to a personal God through Bhakti.

The Prarthana Samajists did not believe in a merely institutional form of religion, such as worshipping deities, making offerings, or performing rituals. For them, religion was meant to practice civic virtues like honesty, affection towards the young and old, as well as the poor, honesty in dealing with business matters and personal relationships, and equal justice for all. They linked the 'holy truths of religion' with the practical duties of life. They focused on inter-dining and inter-caste marriage, widow remarriage, night schools for the poor, setting up widow refuge homes, and missions for the depressed classes of society.

Because of their good work and neutral stance, the Prarthana Samaj movement spread to the South as well. This was also due to the efforts of Kandukuri Veeresalingam. However, its impact was more strongly felt in the Bombay Presidency, where it played a key role in the growth of nationalism.