such schools in different parts of the City attended by about 300 working people. Under the charitable section, members of the Samaj collected during the great famine of 1876-7 money, grain and olothes with great earnestness and distributed the same in Sholapur and Kaladgi districts in which the pinch was felt at its worst. As a consequence of this relief-work the Orphanage and Foundling Asylum was foanded at Pandharpur by the well-known philanthropist Mr. Lalshankar Umiyashankar, President of the Ahmedabad Prarthana Samaj. The management of othis institution was entirely handed over to this Samaj in 1881 since which time they are being efficiently managpfe by it. The Theistic Association finally ceased to exist from October 1899 and the responsibility of conducting the remaining institutions has devolved on the Samaj. Besides this organized work the Samaj has been consistently raising its emphatic voice on the side of liberty, purity, progress and righteousness with regard to the several questions that have come to the front, since its inauguration and its several members as such and in their individual capacity have been taking active part in the various public movements.
Literature—Beyond issuing occasional pamphlets on its doctrines, the Samaj has not yet shown any special activity in this direction, proportionate to the high intellectual capacity of its several members. The hymnal of the Samaj which has now reached a very considerable size and run into the sixth edition, has to a large extent caught the popular ear like Prarthanamala of the Ahmedabad Samaj. The latest and most encouraging move in this respect is made by one of the most unassuming and energetic member, Mr. D. G. Yaidya, viz., compiling the sermons of the late Mr. Justice Ranade and Sir Dr. R. G. Bhandarkar : and with the help of another young member Mr. B. B. Keskar, he is now issuing a periodical consisting of the select sermons delivered from the pulpit of the Bombay Samaj and elsewhere. To Mr. Vaidya also belongs
the credit of having conducted the Subodha Pairica the organ of the Samaj for nearly the last 14 years. By his efforts Mr. Vaidya has not only supplied a long felt need of the Samaj but created qnite a new taste for sermon literature in the Marathi reading public.
The following figures will show the grandual progress of the Samaj from numerical point of view.
The number of members at the end of the year.
1867 ........................... 31
1870 ........................... 47
1875 ........................... 89
1880 ...........................103
1895 ...........................108
1900 ........................ 104
1905 ......................... 131
1910 ......................... 155
Besides the now existing Samajes the accounts of which regularly appear below, the following Samajes existed for some years in this presidency but are now non-existent.
Surat—The late Messrs. Bholanath Sarabhai and Waman Abaji Modak delivered lectures on Theism and a Prarthana Samaj was started in this town on the 6th of June 1878 on the lines of the Ahmedabad Prarthana Samaj- At one time there were 35 members of the Samaj.
Pandharpur—A Prarthana Samaj was started here in 1877 and was continued for more than six years. Mr. Ganesh Raghunath Karkare, the then Superintendent of the Orphanage at Pandharpur conducted services and looked after the affairs of this Samaj. There were 14 members.
Thana—At the initiative of the late Mr. C. N. Bhat the then Sub-Judge at Thana and Lieut.-Col. K. R. Kirtikar a public meeting was held in Thana on the 15th of April 1882 attended by several members of the Bombay Samaj. Dr. R. G. Bhandarkar delivered a lecture on the objects of the Samaj. As a result of this meeting a Samaj was started here on 7th July 1882. There were 12 members. The Samaj: lasted for more than three years.
Naosari—By the labours of Mr. Ramchandra Hari Shinde, Civil Engineer, Baroda State, a Samaj was conducted here for a few years. In 1904 an anniversary was celebrated in the Laxman Jagannath Hall when Mr. V. R. Shinde of Bombay delivered a lecture on Theism.
Songadh—By the help of Mr. Ramchandra Hari Shinde of Barodai another Samaj was started here on the 8th of July 1900. Mr. V. R. Shinde of Bombay visited this Samaj twice, in 1904 and 1905 and delivered lectures daring the anniversaries. There were aboat 15 members, who used to meet for divine service every Sunday in the Dhanaka Boarding School along with aboubt 100 boarders of that institution. Mr. V. B. Gogte the then Mamlatdar of Songad and Mr. Fathekhan, the Superintendent of the Dhanaka Boarding School, who were Chairman and Secretary of the Samaj respectively, conducted divine services in Gnjarati and made arrangements for the anniversaries.
2. Bombay. Estd. 24th March 1907.
The Byculla Bhajan, Samaj, Byculla.
Secretary.—Mr. #Bapuji Waval, Dagdi Chal, Morland,. Byculla.
Members.-- 40: all belonging to the Mahar Community of Bombay, one of the Depressed Classes in the Maharastra.
Meetlngs.— Divine service is held every Sunday at 12 noon in Marathi, and conducted by the leading members by turns.
Mandlr.—The members meet in rented rooms in the Improvement Trust Chal No. C. at Agripada.
Funds—Every member pays a monthly subscription of 4 annas. A separate Fand is started for a Mandir for the Samaj.
Institutions—(1) Nirashrit MahilaSamaj, i.e., Association for improvement of the women of the Depressed Classes. Sister Janabai Shinde, a Missionary of the Depressed Classes Mission Society, Bombay, assembles occasional meetings of the 'women of these classes in different parts of this city when nseful talks on domestic topics and religions readings are given.
Janabai Shinde, a Missionary of the Depressed Classes Mission Society, Bombay, assembles occasional meetings of the 'women of these classes in different parts of this city when nseful talks on domestic topics and religions readings are given.
History—This Samaj was started under the anspices of the Depresed Classes Mission, Bombay, on the 24th of March 1907 with the objects of promoting self-help and spiritual culture among the Depressed Classes by (1) social and religious reforms and spread of education. Some members of the local Prarthana Samaj occasionally oonduct services, attend their public meetings in which lectures are delivered on Education, Temperance, Sanitation and Social Reform and otherwise help this Samaj. A Fund started for a separate Mandlr now amounts to about Rs. 700 of which Rs. 650 are deposited in the Bank of Bombay in the names of the following five members of the Samaj (l) Kondaji Ramjee, President, Mr. Limbaji Vazarkar, Vice-President, Mr. Bapuji Waval. Secretary and Messrs. Kondaji, M. Wadgaoker and Maruti Sabaji Nimgaokar.