The Prarthana Samaj was founded in 1867 in Bombay with the aim of refining the Hindu religion through the light of modern knowledge. The famous scholars associated with this movement were R.G Bhandarkar and Justice Mahadev Gobind Ranade.The Samaj was greatly influenced by the Brahmo Samaj and it preached the worship of one-God. It also tried to free the Hindu society from the clutches of orthodoxy and priestly dominance.