Founded in Bombay in 1849, Paramahansa Mandali promoted equality, rationalism, women’s rights and challenged rigid caste-based social and religious practices.

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• Paramahansa Mandali was established in Bombay in 1849 by progressive reformers including Dadoba Pandurang and Durgaram Mehtaji as a secret society.
• The organization emerged as an important socio-religious reform movement that challenged caste discrimination and orthodox Hindu social practices in nineteenth-century India.
• Paramahansa Mandali promoted belief in one formless God while rejecting idol worship, ritualism and superstitious religious customs prevalent during that period.
• Dadoba Pandurang explained the movement’s principles in “Dharma Vivechan” emphasizing rational thinking, equality, morality and freedom of spiritual thought.
• The reform group organized inter-caste community gatherings and shared meals to break rigid caste barriers and promote social unity among people.
• Paramahansa Mandali strongly supported women’s education, widow remarriage and opposed child marriage to improve women’s social and educational status.
• The movement encouraged scientific reasoning and humanistic values instead of blind religious orthodoxy and rigid traditional social structures.
• Paramahansa Mandali later influenced major reform organizations including Prarthana Samaj and Satyashodhak Samaj in western India.