Prathyaksha Raksha Daiva Sabha
Prathyaksha Raksha Daiva Sabha (PRDS, "God's Church of Visible Salvation") was a religious protest movement founded in 1909 by Poikayil Yohannan in Kerala, India. [1] The PRDS has its head office located at Eraviperoor, Pathanamthitta. The PRDS rejected both Christianity and Hinduism, and preached that God would send an incarnation to liberate the slaves.[2]
Inception
Poikayil Yohannan, on seeing discrimination prevailing against the Depressed class in the Christian Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church, left Marthoma Church and started the new organization - PRDS. He himself was renamed as Poykayil Sree Kumara Devan.[citation needed]
He even made efforts to convince his Hindu and Christian Brothers to become members of PRDS. He convinced many fellow Dalits to leave superstitious beliefs, and to stop practicing black magic and sacrificing the animals. He taught the members of his faith to observe cleanliness and lead a life of high moral standard.He evolved a common prayer in the name of the incarnate God. His followers prayed in separate prayer halls.[citation needed]
Poikayil Yohannaan bought approximately 125 acres of land in different parts of Travancore for the use of PRDS. There was 7.5 acres of land at Eraviperoor. 5.5 acres at Madappally, Changanacherry and 13.5 at Neyyattinkara in Trivandrum district.[citation needed]
References
Further reading
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