Guntur. Estd. 20th April 1898.
The Prarthana Samaj, Guntur (Madras ).
Secretary—Mr. R. Venkat Shivadu, B. A., L. T.
Members—12 ( One of these is Anuithanic ).
Sympathisers 5 (Including Ur. Venkata Krishnaya Naidu Garu, Professor and the Snpdt. of Post Offices.,
Meetings—Generally once a week in Telugu and occasionally is English held in a room lent for the purpose.
Lay Preachers—1 Mr. V. Lakshhmniarayana and 2 Mr. K. S. Sastri of Ellore. (The former is the Minister of the Samaj.)
This is a Students’ Samaj so to speak. The elderly members have not taken any notice worth the name. The exemplary life of its minister Mr. V. Lakshminarayana is a charm that attracts men to the cause. More practical workers are needed to spread and improve the cause of Brahma Samaj here. Mr. H. C. Sarkar and Mr. V. B. Shinde have visited this place. It may be said in passing that Guntur is a centre of Social Reform in the Presidency.
Madras. Estd. on the 20th March 1864.
Southern India Brahma Samaj, 97, Anna Pillai Street, Georgetown Madras.
Secretary:—Mr. H. Balakrisna Rao, B. A., B. L:
Members:—Anusthanic Brahmas 8.
Non-anusthanics 45.
Sympathisers 75.
Meetings:—Sunday Evening Service in English, Tamil or Telugu.
Saturday evening.—Bhajan.
Ladies gathering On the last Saturday of every month when service with the lecture is conducted in Tamil and Telugu by Sreemati Alarmalu Mangamma Garu, Sreemati Manibyammal Averghal and others.
Mandir:—There is a fine pukka building with a spacious hall on the second floor, 'where the weekly services are conducted. On special occasions when the audience is unusually large the hall on the ground floor ia made use of.
Ministers:—Messrs. M. A. Jayaram Pillai, Swami Vidyananda, B. A., Swami Brahmananda, H. Balakrishna Ban B. A., B. L., S. Somasundaran Pillai, B. A., B. L.
Anniversary:—is celebrated in the month of “Magh” about the 23rd or 24th of January, when a full week is devoted for the celebration comprising of several items.
Journal:—‘‘The Theist” a monthly journal for the Propogation of liberal religion in English with Tamil,
Telugu and Malayalam supplements.
Several Tracts in Engliah, Tamil, Telugn and Malayalam are printed and distributed to the public free.
Institutions:—(1) Brahma Ragged School for poor children strength - 176 boys.
(2) Raja Ram Mohan Roy Night School for the working classes - 30 men.
(3) Maharaja Gajapatirow Night School for the working classes at Purushawakam—35 men.
(4) Brahma Orphan Asylam Press for printing and publishing theistic literature at cheap rates, established in 1888-
(5) Brahma Postal Mission for the spread of Brahma tracts.
Mangalore. (South Canara Dt.) Estd. 11th June 1870.
The Mangalore Brahma Samaj, Mangalore (South Canara).
Secretary:--Mr. K.RangaRao,Mr. Babu, B.A., Asst. Secretary.
Members— 58 men
24 women = 101 Of this number 69 are anusthaniez.
19 children
Sympathisers:-- The number of sympathisers in a large congregation like this is rather difficult to ascertain.
Meetings.—52-weekly devotional Meetings in a year and 5 other devotional Meetings exclusive of those held during the anniversary celebrations. Usually Ganarese is the Language in which the proceedings of the Meetings take place.
Mandir—There is a Mandir consecreted on the 25th May 1884. But the necessity of having a larger building is felt at every Congregational Service. A resolution wad passed in 1908 for erecting a new building and a subscription list was opened. About Rs. 1,700 have been subscribed as yet while the estimated cost is about Rs. 6,000-
Lay Preachers— (1) Ullal Raghunathaya,
(2) Kudmul Bang Rao,
(3) M. Venkatappa, B. A.
(4) M. Babu, B. A.
(5) N. Anand Rao, B. A.
Organs—No journal is conducted by the Samaj. But Mr M. Babu, B. A., edits a manuscript monthly journal in Kanarese fcr the use of the ladies of the Samaj; and Mr. Venkatappa, B. A., and Mr. Lakshman, B. A., edited for some time a manuscript monthly journal in English for the use of the Sangat.—The Kanarese Monthly is called
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* The Brahmica Bodhini ’ and the English Monthly was called ‘TheTheistic Mirror.’
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