Mahadev Gobind Ranade, along with Dr. Atmaram Pandurang, reorganized Paramhansa Mandali under the guidance of Keshub Chandra Sen and founded the Prarthana Samaj in 1867. It was primarily a Social Reform and Social Work Movement. It believed that the true love of God lay in the service of its children without any social or religious distinctions.
The only religious component of the Samaj was faith in a single, all-powerful, and loving God (i.e. monotheism). It did not reject Vedas or Upanishads. However, it paid more emphasis on Bhakti (devotion). A paper named Subodh Patrika was started in order to spread the teaching of the society. Night schools and reading rooms were opened for the benefit of the working class. Orphanages were opened and schools for girls were started.
Some prominent Prarthana Samajists like Ramkrishna Gopal Bhandarkar, Narayan Ganesh Chandavarkar, Gopal Ganesh Agarkar, KT Telang, etc contributed to the overall development of the society.
OBJECTIVES OF THE PRARTHANA SAMAJ
The main objectives of the Prarthana Samaj were as follows
- Disapproval of the caste system.
- Raising the age of marriage for both males and females.
- Widow remarriage.
- Women’s education.
Activities of the Prarthana Samaj spread to South India, through the efforts of great Telugu reformer Kandukuri Veeresalingam (father of modern Telugu Literature). In Punjab, the Dayal Singh Trust (DST) sought to implant Brahmo ideas by the opening of Dayal Singh College (DSC) at Lahore in 1910.