Arya Samaj, founded by Swami Dayanand Saraswati came into being as a reformist movement in the late 19th century.
Contrary to some misconceptions, it is not a religion or a new sect in Hindu religion. It does not divide people on the basis of caste/creed/sect/religion and believes everyone has equal rights.
Swami Dayanand had brought together a number of concerned members of the society to eliminate the ills prevalent within the Hindu Society during the 19th century. The primary mission of the Arya Samaj is to eradicate Ignorance (Agyan), Indigence or Poverty (Abhav) and Injustice (Anayay) from this earth and this mission is enshrined in the ten Niyams or Principles. The four Vedas – Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sam Veda and Atharva Veda serve as the Source of Guidance.
Arya Samaj was responsible for not only eradicating Indian society of many of its evils, but for laying the foundation for the Freedom struggle. A large proportion of those who fought for our freedom were from Arya Samaj.
Today, Arya Samaj continues to remain relevant as a process of discovering ourselves through the knowledge in the Vedas. It is an invitation to recognise truth.
Arya Samaj Foundation, Chennai was established in 1914 to spread the message of Vedas and to propagate the vision of Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati. It was formed with the purpose of improving the lives of its members and general public through understanding the Vedic way of life. It empowers us through discovery of our self, our goals and how we behave with those around us. The empowerment of each individual, society, nation and world is the eventual goal.
Arya Samaj has always been active in Education because childhood is the most impressionable age for learning. Thus, Arya Samaj Central is the parent body for the DAV Group of Schools in Chennai. There are currently 10 schools with over 16,000 students in this Group.
There are 3 Arya Samaj within Arya Samaj Central. These are in Gopalapuram, Triplicane and Sowcarpet.