Malvan. Dist. Ratnagiri. Estd. Novr. 1911.
Malvan Prayer Meeting, Malvan.
Secretary.—Mr. Sitaiam Gundoba Keni?
Meeting.—On every Sunday Divine Service is held in Marathi at the residence of Mr- Bhandarkar.
History.—Mr. V. B. Shinde on his way back from Mangalore visited this place in November 1911 and delivered two lectures and performed a Kirtan in Marathi. At a meeting held atthehouse of Mr. Bhandarkar, L.C.E., retired Engineer,some 8 or 10 gentlemen decided to open a small Theistic Prayer Meeting. Mr. Atmaram Sadashiv Kelkar, member of tile Bombay Prarthana Samaj, took the most active part in organizing this body. Mr. Bhandarkar became the first President and Mr. Keni the 1st Secretary.
Manmad. (Dist. Nasik) Estd. 20th May 1903.
The Manmad Prayer Meeting, Manmad P. O. (Nasik Dt.)
Secretary—Mr. Manilal Uttamehand Shah. Commission Agent, Manmad.
Members—11.
Sympathisers—10.
Meetings—One in a week in Marathi or Hindi.
Mr. Mr. Mohansihna Motisinha was a regular reader of the Subodha Patrika. at Amraoti and with the aid of theistic literature supplied by the Brahma Postal Mission of Bombay he became an advocate of theism. He soon gathered a circle of friends in Manmad who shared his views and faith, and these began to assemble for divine service and their regular Meeting was named the Prayer Meeting.
Poona. 1st December 1870.
The Poona Prarthana Samaj, Budhwar Peth, Poona City.
Secretaries—Mr. Mahadeo D. Lotlikar.
Mr. Narayen Ganesh Virkar, B.A.,LL.B.
Members—120.
Meetings—(1) Divine service once a week on Sanday Mornings.
(2) Young Men’s Gathering on every Tuesday evening.
(3) Tukaram Society Meetings onoe a week (on Friday evenings).
Generally the meetings are conducted in Marathi.
Mandlr—The Samaj has a spacious Mandir, near Pasodya Maruti, Budhwar Peth.
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* Since Mr. Mohansing had to remove to Belgaum in 1910 this Meeting was discontinued and will be reopened after his return:--3 March 1912; V.R.S.
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Lay-preachers
1. Sir Ramkrishna G. Bhandarkar.
2. Rao Bahadur K. B. Marathe.
3. Mr. G. B Kotkar.
4. Mr. G. Anjerlekar and others.
Funds—No fixed rule for subscription. About 6 Rs. a month
is collected and sent to Bombay Samaj towards the help of the Mission Fund.
Celebration—The anniversary of the Samaj takes plaoe in April; and the day on which the present new Mandir .was opened is observed as principal day.
Lectures in English and Marathi, Kirtan and a religious Excurshion, &c;t are the general items of the programme. This Samaj annually publishes the following pamphlets.
(a) The Book of Anniversary hymns.
(b) A pamphlet for use on the day of Kirtan daring the anniversary.
History:—The first attempt for a Theistic movement in this city might be said to date from 1862. Bat then the movers had to face enormous odds. The cause of reform was served by an association called ‘‘The Friendly meeting” before the visit of Keshub Chundra Sen to Bombay which helped the promoters a good deal. In 1870 the late Mr. Waman Abaji Modak on his way to Bombay from Ratnagiri visited Poona and delivered a lecture at the Vishrambag on "the Necessity of Religion” whioh roused the above promoters to a great enthusiasm and the following gentlemen met at the hoase of Mr. Keshav Pandurang Godbole and resolved to start a Prarthana Samaj:—Messrs. Vishvanath Shastri Kelkar, Ramchandra Dinkar Paranjpe, Ganpat Bhaskar Kotkar, Vishwanath Sadashiv Deodhar, Rajaram Balkrishna Sewak, Babaji Raghnnath Waiwade, Gopal Raoji Mule, Gunapatgir Rutangir, Keshava Pandurang Godbole and two others. The first Theistio service was conducted on the first Sunday of December 1870 which was since observed as the Foundation Day of the Samaj till the opening of the New Mandir in 1909- The objeots and principles of the Samaj were laid down on the lines of the Bombay Prarthana Samaj.
The Old Mandir For some years after the opening of the Samaj the members used to meet for worship and other parpcaes in private houses. In 1872 when Swami Dayanand Saraswati who afterwards founded the Arya Samaj, came to, lecture in Poona at the invitation of the members of this Samaj, they felt very badly the need of a Mandir of their own. Mainly with the efforts of the late Mr. Justice M. G. Ranade tho plot of ground on which the present Mandir stands was parchased on 23 November 1877 for Rs 817, and a building of a temporary character was raised and opened on May 1878. The total expenditure for the land and building was Rs. 2,903—8—0 of which Rs. 2,279—8—0 were raised by subscriptions and the deficit of Rs. 624 was made good by the then Secretary Mr. Chintaman Sakharam Chitnis. In honour of the completion of this building a six-monthly celebration called मित्रमेळा,i.e., Friendly Gathering used to be held till *1895-96.
The new Mandlr. Even at the time when the above Mandir was built the members had intended to have a larger and a more permanent Hall; but this had some how to be postponed until 1907 when mainly with the earnest efforts and liberal contributions of the venerable Dr. (now Sir) R. G. Bhandarkar and Rao Bahadur K. B. Marathe the movement for building the present new Mandir was set on foot. The foundation stone was laid on the 6th of July 1907 and the Mandir was completed and opened under the name Shri Hari Mandir on the 11th April 1909. Mr. Ganesh Sakharam Khare a member of the Samaj besides his own contribution to the fund of Rs. 400 offered his services free as an Engineer for a larger part of the time while the Mandir was built. Since the opening of this, the 11th of April is observed as the principal day of the Anniversary of the Samaj which is now held in April instead of December as before.
Misslonarles. Mr. Shivram Narayen Gokhale who was appointed Missionary by this Samaj in 1898 is still working as such. As to the late Mr. Motl Bulasa. Mr. V. R. Shinde and Dr. V. A. Sukhatankar, mention about whom is made on pages 134—135 above, it may he only said here that they all originally belonged to and were aotive members of this Samaj.