THE Guyana Central Arya Samaj will be hosting a ‘grand march’ today to honor the centennial anniversary of the organisation in Guyana.
This announcement was made by President of the Arya Samaj Federation in New York, Dr. Vishnu Bandhu, and Missionary of the Arya Samaj, Dr. Satish Prakash, at a recent press conference held at NACCIE’s boardroom in Kingston.
According to Dr. Prakash, all leaders from the various national, political and religious bodies in Guyana are invited to participate in the event, which will start at 9:00 hrs at the Botanical Gardens on Vlissingen Road and will move to the headquarters of the Arya Samaj in Prashad Nagar.
“It is a united event and we are calling on all Guyanese to join in the march to advocate for nation building,” Dr. Prakash advocated, adding, “Come in your bus loads and bring your banners.”
Dr. Prakash and Dr. Bandhu have both been in the country since June 30 to participate in the celebrations and to sensitize persons to the role of the organisation in the country.
As Missionary of the Arya Samaj, meaning ‘Society of Noble People’, Dr. Prakash has been training young people to become better human beings in society; and already, 135 men and women have graduated from the Arya Samaj youth camp.
A Pandit’s training programme was also completed in July with 55 graduates emerging.
In addition to these activities, Dr. Bandhu revealed that there are plans underway to construct a monument in the Promenade Gardens, to mark  the anniversary.
The project will be funded by the United Arya Samaj Federation in New York.
“No date has been set yet, but it should be completed by the end of this year,” he said.
In addition, a publication titled, ‘A path to All Humanity’ will be released to coincide with the anniversary commemoration
Then  a brief history of the Arya Samaj was related by Dr. Prakash.
He pointed out that in 1921, the first Arya Samaj was formed and the movement continued to gain impetus as more people started to appreciate the Vedic teachings.
The teachings of Swami Dayanand reached Guyana in the early 1900s, but it was the arrival of missionary, Bhai Parmanand, in 1910, that led to the growth of Arya Samaj throughout the colony.
The arrival of a second Vedic missionary, Pandit Mehta Jaimini, in 1929, led to centralized control and organisation of the Arya Samaj.
Other missionaries arrived in 1935, and in 1936 Pandit Bhaskaranand arrived and remained in Guyana for ten years, organising the various Samajs.
The American Aryan League, the parent body for all the Arya Samajs in the country, was established in 1937 and registered under the friendly societies ordinance in 1938.
Arya Samaj doctrine rejects the idea of caste system and the exclusive role of Brahmins as religious leaders.
“The teachings do not target Hindus alone, but it targets Muslims, Christians, and anyone else in the world that is nobly inclined,” Prakash stated.
He continued, “We are asking all religious bodies to join in the march and support the Arya Samaj in their celebrations.”