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 A worldwide organisation, believing in the brotherhood of man. was
founded on 17th November 1875 at New York and christened 'The Theosophical Society'.
Started by Madame H.P.Blavatsky, a clairvoyant from Russia and Colonel H.S.Olcott, a
retired US Army officer, the Society imposed no beliefs on its members, who were united in
the common objective of searching for the truth and the desire to learn about the meaning
and purpose of existence.
The movement looked at every religion as an expression of
Divine Wisdom and preferred its study rather than its condemnation and encouraged its
practice rather than its proselytisation. It offered a philosophy which made life
intelligible and proved that there was a divine order in a seemingly chaotic cosmos.
 Anyone who was willing to study, reflect, be tolerant and work
perseveringly for common human good was welcomed as a member, and still are. The three
declared objectives of the Society are: to form a nucleus of the Universal Brotherhood of
Humanity, without distinction of race, creed, sex, caste or colour; to encourage the study
of Comparative Religion, Philosophy and Science and to investigate the unexplained laws of
Nature and the powers latent in man. Members are united by these objectives and their wish
to promote harmony and understanding at all levels among people of all religious opinions.
In fact even today one can see on the Headquarters Hall the theosophical motto:
"There is no Religion higher than the truth".
This international Society is organized into smaller
National Societies that enroll its members into largely autonomous branches called Lodges.
The movement has now expanded to about 50 countries with members coming from different
religions, races and walks of life. The international headquarters of the Society was
shifted to Bombay in 1879 and then to Madras in 1882. The new site was a 28 acre wooded
land, called the 'Huddleston Gardens', on the south bank of the Adyar River and has come
to be the permanent headquarters.
 The campus is a nature-lover's delight with its various gardens and
wooded areas which are a haven for a number of migratory birds, including the pink
flamingo and other forms of wild life like lizards, snakes, jackals, wild cats, mongooses
and hares. Apart from various woods there is an avenue of mahogany trees called
'Founder's Avenue' with trees planted with soil and seeds brought from around the world.
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A number of
colourful gardens are also found around the estate - like the Blavatsky Gardens, Olcott
Gardens, Besant Gardens and the Damodar Gardens. The 'Garden of Remembrance' is a hallowed
spot on the campus where the ashes of prominent members of the Society are buried,
including those of Dr. Annie Besant.
The campus also hosts a spectacular botanical wonder,
popularly referred to as the 'Aala Maram' or the 'Great Banyan Tree', a 450 year old tree
that spreads out in an enormous canopy of leafy branches that throw down hundreds of
aerial roots. This tree, one of the oldest in India, has a canopy circumference of 251.65
metres, roots at a height of 12.2 metres and an area of 4,670 square metres.
A number of smaller shrines of the various religions dot
the estate that is in keeping with the theosophical theme of the 'unity of all religions'.
The shrines include The Buddhist Shrine, Church of St. Michael and all Angels, The
Zoroastrian Temple, The Sikh Shrine among others.
The Theosophical Society also runs a number of welfare
activities on their estates like 'The Olcott Memorial School', which caters to the
educational needs of poor and deprived children. The school runs a craft centre that
teaches vocational skills like carpentry, plumbing, screen printing, gardening, home craft and
tailoring.  The 'H.P.Blavatsky Hostel' offers free boarding and lodging to students of the
Olcott School while the 'Social Welfare Centre' runs a free creche for 200 infants of poor
working mothers in the neighbourhood and pre-primary education to children between 3 to 5
years. The 'Animal Welfare Centre' which also houses the Blue Cross runs a dispensary for
animals with hospital facilities. The centre also runs an awareness campaign to reduce
cruelty to animals and inspire compassion towards animals. The 'Theosophical Order of
Service' founded by Dr. Annie Besant in 1908 is a worldwide effort that holds healing
services, provides free medicines and medical aid, helps prisoners, visits the sick and
does animal welfare work.
The Society's campus is a unique place of natural beauty
and an island of serenity in an otherwise disturbing environment that is a metropolis.
Visitors almost invariably experience a feeling of deep tranquillity and purity. The
present President, Mrs. Radha Burnier, says: " Adyar, has proved to be a true asrama,
for within it there has always existed the presence, example and instruction to dissipate
doubt and fear. Its atmosphere gives stability to those inner movements in the individual
that takes him nearer to the realisation of peace and freedom. There is something of the
atmosphere of the Eternal in its tranquillity."
Rajat C Kumar
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