Funds—Every member has to pay monthly one pie on every, rupee of his income. Special subscriptions are collected when occasion arises. A fund under the name of ‘Baldev Narain Mission Fund" has been formed with the aid of the legacy of Rs. 500 left by the late lamented Rev. Baldev Narain who died in Bagdad. There is another fund under the name of ‘the New Mandir Fund.’
Institution—(1) The Theistic Library (Mr. P. Laxman Librarian).
(2) The Sangat Sabha (Mr. P Ramappa, Secretary.)
(3) The Theistic Club (Mr. N. Ananda Rao, Secretary.
(4)The Sunday Class (Messrs. Babu, Lakshman and Giriappa teachers).
*(5) The Ram Mohan Roy Primary School for Girls (Mr. G. Krislina Rao, B. A., LLB, Secretary, School Committee).
*(6) “The Canara Sarvajanaik Provident Fund ” with a capital of Rs. 4,324-6-7 (Mr. U. Raghnnath Rao, Chairman).
(7) Panchama Primary School (Manager—Mr. K. Ranga Rao).
(8) ‘The Brahmica Sabha’ (Mrs. M. Seshamma, Secretary).
(9)‘The Charitable Homeopathic Dispensary, (Mr. Raghnnath Rao, Manager).
(10) “Office of the Registrar of births, deaths and marriages” (Mr.K Ranga Rao, Registrar).
*Of these institutions the Ram Mohan Rai Girls’ School had to be closed for want of funds in 1910; and the Sarvajanik Provident Fund suffered heavily on account of the failure of Messrs.* Arbuthnot & Co. of Madras who were the bankers of the Fund.
The Panoham Primary School was developed into a vigorous branch at Mangalore of the Depressed Classes Mission Society of India during the visit of Mr. V. R. Shinde to Mangalore in November 1907.
Celebrations—The Anniversary of the Samaj takes place during 'Dasara’ holidays. The chief items of the programme are (1) A whole day retreat; (2) Usha Sankritan in streets for more than 2 hours during the day ; (3) Open air addresses ; (4) Individual Prayers; (5) Ladies gathering; (6) Address to students; (7) Children’s treat; (8) Religions Conversation; (9) Charity to deserving poor ; (10) Socio-Religious Gathering; (11) Love-feast; (12) Anniversaries of ‘Brahmica Samaj' the Sangat, Sunday Class, &c.,
History. The idea of starting a Theistic Church in Mangalore was first concieved by Mr. Ullal Raghunathaya. It met with sympathetic support from his father the late Mr. Mangeshaya who was District Munsifl and, reputed to be one of the best Sanskrit scholars in the District. The father and son worked to form a fraternity for the worship of God and the propagation of theTheistic faith in the town. The late Mr. N. Arasappa who ever hankered for the social and moral elevation of his commnnity, viz., the Billawas also joined them and became their most enthusiastic co-worker. Messrs. Bharadwaj Siva Rao, Kalyanpur Raghavendra Rao,K. Santappaya.K.Narayanappaya, U. Raghavendra Rao, U. Subarao, and Pundit Parameshwaraya also joined the fraternity and did much to popularize the Theistic faith. Mr. Arasappa who was the most influential man in his commnnity worked hard to enlist tbe sympathy of his caste people and invited the Bhahma Missionaries to come to Mangalore and receive himself and 5,000 people of his(Billawa) caste into the Brahma Samaj. Revd. Bhais P. C. Mozoomdar, Amritlal Bose, and Gour Govind Roy Upadhyaya arrived in April 1870. The 5,000 people, however, who were expected to stand by the side of Mr. Arasappa deserted him when occasion arrived for practical action and consequently Mr. Arsappa and ten of his dependents alone were initiated into Brahmaism and a small Brahma Samaj was formed. The Samaj however died in its infancy and Mr. Arsappa himself died in 1876 disappointed by the people on whose sympathy he counted much. The entire cost of the Mission was borne by Mr. Arsappa who is now gratefully remembered by the Samaj as the noble soul that exerted itself at enormous sacrifice to plant the banner of Theism In this District.
On 11th June 1870 a small association was formed under the guidance of Revd. Bhais Amritlal Bose and Gour Govind Roy, with Mr. Raghunathaya as Secretary and was named the Upasana Samaj. In 1884 this Samaj built a hall for worship. since known as the Brahma Mandir, and in 1886 declared it open to the public without disctinction of caste, creed or colour. The strength of the Samaj had risen to about 80 by this time. In December 1888 organized persecution from a Brahmin community commenced in consequence of this' fearless declaration on the part of Mr. Ullal Ragbunathaya of open Universal Brotherhood as the basic principle of the Ohurch. This was followed by a catastrophe in the family of Mr. Raghunathaya that shook the Samaj to its very foundation. Umnath Rao a youth of great promise who was Mr. Raghunathaya’s only son then was struck dead by a stroke of lightening at a conversational .meeting headed by Rev. Bhai Amritlal Bose. Mr. Bose stayed here for nearly one year, worked hard to keep the Samaj alive. He built a house for the Alissionary guests of the Samaj, which stands as a memento of Mr. Bose’s memorable visit ia that year. On Mr. Bose’s departure for Calcutta, the strength of the Samaj began to decrease, so much so that in 1892 scarcely four individuals, Mr. Raghunathaya, Mr. Parameshwaraya, Mr. Nagar Ananda Rao who was a new member then and has ever since stuck to the Samaj in weal and woe and Mr. K. Ranga Rao constituted the entire Samaj. In 1893 Mr. Raghunathaya was excommnnnieated from his caste for refusing to perform the funeral ceremony and the adyathradha of his mother acogrding to idolatrous rites—an event that brought liberty to the Samaj and led to greater results in due eourse. In 1894 the Samaj established a provident institution under the name of the Canara Sarvajanik Provident fund. Two years later on Mr. M. Venkatappa, B. A., who has done much to promote the moral and spiritual culture amongst the younger members of the Samaj, joined the Samaj. In 1903 Revd. Bhai Baldeo Narain paid his memorable visit to the Samaj which led to the introduction of the rite of initiation in the Samaj, and the appointment of a Registrar of Marriages under Act III of 1872 by the local Government which is probably the first non-official appointment of the kind in the Madras Presidency. It was in'this year, the Samaj dropped its old name of Upasana Samaj and assumed the name of the Brahma Samaj. In 1904 Bhai Baldeo paid his second and last visit whioh led to the celebration of the first Brahma marriage as registered under Act III of 1872—the marriage of Mr. Raghunathaya’s daughter with a son of Mr. Parameshwaraya. The same year Revd. Pandit Sivanath Shastri arrived at this station and gave a constitution to the Samaj, and Revd.— Hema Chandra Slrkar paid his first visit and opened a Girls' School. In 1905, the Trust Deed of the Samaj was registered and Mr. Raghunathaya resigned the office of Secretary on account of old age. The Samaj at a public meeting presented an address to him acknowledging the valuable services he rendered to the cause of Theism and complimenting him as the maker of the local Samaj.
The Samaj led by the saving hand of the merciful God, and outliving untold vissioitudes and trials in the course of the last 36 long years, has come to command a congregation of 60 to 80 persons during the weekly service and has registered 3g marriages in the last two years and a half. (1906)
The history of the Samaj is the life history of Mr. Raghunathaya, of which the exigencies of space do not permit description.
