The Brahmo Samaj inspired similar or parallel movement in other parts of India. The most important of these is the Arya Samaj founded by Swami Dayananda Saraswati in 1875. He was born in 1824, in an orthodox Brahmin family of Morvi State in the Kathiawar Peninsula. He lost his faith in traditional religion while a boy of 14, took to an ascetic life, and wandered all over India. In 1875 he established Arya Samaj in Bombay. His mission proved very successful in U.P., Rajputana, Punjab, and Gujarat. The truth of the theoretical speculations of Bankim Chandra were demonstrated by Ramkrishna Paramhangsa, the greatest saint of the 19th century.
The 'Prarthana Samaj' which was inaugurated in Bombay in 1867 as the counter part of Brahmo Samaj, followed a more moderate policy in social reforms under the leadership of Mahadev Govinda Ranade. In Bengal, Hinduism was changing due to the progress of Brahmoism. The old and rotten rituals was gradually changing. Though there were some who wanted to keep up the old system with only marginal changes. The interaction between the old and the new was expressed in the letters written by Rabindranath as exchanges of letters issued between a grandson and a grand father. These letters were collected in a book, namely 'Samaj'.
In 1887, Krshnaprsanna Sen began worshipping Siva and gave it a name Krishnananda. It was heard that he delared himself as Kalki-Avtar and got many disciples. Rabindranath began to write against all such fanaticism.
Govinda Ranade
