Bahman Pestonji Wadia or Bomanji Pestonji Wadia (''BP Wadia'', ''B.P. Wadia'' or ''BPW'') (* 8 October 1881 in

Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

; † 20 August 1958 in

Bangalore Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until 1 November 2014), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the southern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kar ...

, India) was an Indian theosophist and labour activist. In 1903 he joined the Theosophical Society in

and moved to Madras in 1908 to be part of

Theosophical Society Adyar The Theosophical Society was founded by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky and others in 1875. The designation 'Adyar' is sometimes added to the name to make it clear that this is the Theosophical Society headquartered there, after the American se ...

. He worked for the journal

The Theosophist ''The Theosophist'' is the monthly journal of the international Theosophical Society based in Adyar, India. It was founded in India in 1879 by Helena Blavatsky, who was also its editor. The journal is still being published till date. For the ye ...

. He become part of

United Lodge of Theosophists The United Lodge of Theosophists or ULT is an informal and wholly voluntary association of students of Theosophy. It was founded in 1909, mainly through the efforts of Robert Crosbie. The first parent lodge of the ULT was started in Los Angeles b ...

(ULT).Olav Hammer, Mikael Rothstein. ''Handbook of the Theosophical Current''. Brill Publishing, 2013 (pp. 83). On 13 April 1918, along with V. Kalyanasundaram Mudaliar, Wadia founded the Madras Labour Union, one of India's first organised labour unions. He became president of the ''Madras Textile Workers' Union'' and engaged himself for workers' rights. In 1919 he visited the ULT in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

and was very impressed. When he returned to Adyar in 1919, he tried to work for a change of direction in the TS Adyar, based on the ideals of the ULT, but did not succeed. He became disappointed and left the TS Adyar to work for the ULT in Los Angeles. In 1923 he founded several lodges on the east coast of the States. In 1925 he founded a lodge in the UK. In 1928 a lodge was founded in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, in 1929 in Mumbai. Other lodges of the ULT were founded in the States, Europe and India. In 1930 he began publishing the journal '' The Aryan Path''. In 1928 he married Sophia Camacho (1901-1986). In 1945 he founded The Indian Institute of World Culture (IIWC) in

. A street in

, ''B.P. Wadia Road'', is named after him.

Notes

Works

* ''Growth through service''. The Theosophical association of New York, New York 1922 * ''Problems of national and international politics''. Theosophical association of New York, New York 1922 * ''Studies in "The secret doctrine“''. Theosophy Co. (India), Bombay 1963 * ''The building of the home''. Indian Institute of World Culture, Bangalore 1959 * ''The inner ruler''. Theosophical association of New York, New York 1922 * ''Theosophy and new thought''. The Cosmopolitan press, Bombay 1907 * ''Thus have I heard, leading articles from "The Aryan path“''. Indian Institute of World Culture, Bangalore 1959

External links

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Biography and texts
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United Lodge of Theosophists India
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wadia, B. P. Wadia, Bahman Pestonji Wadia, Bahman Pestonji Trade unionists from Maharashtra 1881 births 1958 deaths Politicians from Mumbai 20th-century Indian politicians Wadia family