Arya Samaj: Foundation, Principles, Leaders & Shuddhi Movement

Arya Samaj is a monotheistic hindu reform movement which strictly emphasizes on vedic principles and social reform. It was founded by Swami Dayanand Sarawati in Bombay on 10th April 1875. However, it was particularly influenced in Punjab and Northern India. It rejected Idol worship, untouchability, child marriage, hereditary caste hierarchy but supported women’s education, widow remarriage, and inter caste marriages. It established Dayanand Anglo-Vedic (DAV) institutions at many places in India.

Arya Samaj is a social reform movement which is guided by 10 principles. It accepted one formless, omniscient, and merciful God for worship. It considered the Vedas as the true knowledge and promoted their reading, listening, and preaching. It urged people to accept truth and reject falsehood. One should act as per the dharma and promote the physical, spiritual, and social welfare of all humanity.

It focuses on justice, equality, rational inquiry, and learning. Arya samaj rejected idolatry, practice of blind faith and rituals, untouchability and other social evils prevailing in the society which violate the dignity of human beings.

It was a re-conversion and social reform movement of Arya Samaj. It brought the hindu converted people back to Hinduism from other religions such as Christianity and Islam using purification and vedic rituals. The shuddhi movement became famous in northern India during the early 20th century with Swami Shraddhananda as its important leader. It became a means to strengthen the hindu society, challenge the exclusion of caste and integrate the re-converted people. However, the movement later became a source of communal controversy in colonial India.

The Arya Samaj temple is a place for vedic worship, learning, community service and social ceremonial gatherings. The temple does not perform idol or image worship rather practice rituals like yajna or havan. The offerings are made into a sacred fire with the chanting of vedic mantras such as the gayatri mantra.

The arya samaj mandir conducts satsang, bhajans, programmes related to learning and education including the social service activities. The marriage rituals according to the Arya Samaj emphasises on simplicity, mutual consent, and equality. Their focus is on one formless god, ethical conduct, learning and welfare of the society.