Durgaram Mehta

Durgaram Manchharam Dave (1809–1876), popularly known as Durgaram Mehta or Durgaram Mehtaji, was a Gujarati social reformer, essayist, diarist and teacher from British India. Along with his companions, he founded the Manav Dharma Sabha, the first reform association in Gujarat, at Surat in 1844, and pioneered social reform activities in the region. He was the first to use autobiographical writing in Gujarati literature by keeping minutes of the transactions of the Manav Dharma Sabha with his comments and views.

Early life Durgaram was born in Vadnagara Nagar Brahmin family on 25 December 1809 in Surat. His mother, Nanigauri, died when he was eleven, and thereafter he was brought up by his aunt.

At the age of twelve, he was employed by a firm on a very low salary. Though he was fond of reading books, there were not many easily available. He accompanied his aunt to Bombay in 1825 and studied for six months in a government Gujarati School free of charge and was found capable to handle a school. Hence In 1826, he returned to Surat and opened a Gujarati school on behalf of government, at Haripura on 13 September, on a monthly salary of 20 rupees. In 1827, he was sent to Olpad near Surat to open a new school. Durgaram died in 1876.

Manav Dharma Sabha

Durgaram believed that among the Hindus there are many sects and sampradayas and this state prevented them from believing in one God. He therefore desired that some effort must be made to make people see the truth and with this in mind, he thought of founding an association in his native town of Surat.

He also wrote a book on science named Vijnan Nu Pustak.