The (OSE) was an international organization based at Benares (Varanasi), India, from . It was established by the leadership of the Theosophical Society at Adyar, Chennai, in order to prepare the world for the arrival of a messianic entity, the so-called World Teacher or Maitreya. The OSE acquired members worldwide as it expanded in many countries; a third of its diverse membership was unaffiliated with the Theosophical Society. The precursor of the OSE was the (, also at Benares) and the successor was the (, based at Ommen, the Netherlands). The precursor organization was formed after leading Theosophists discovered a likely candidate for the new messiah in the thenadolescent Jiddu Krishnamurti , a South Indian Brahmin who was installed as Head of the Order. Almost two decades later Krishnamurti rejected the messianic role, repudiated the Order's mission, and in 1929 disbanded the OSE's successor. The founding and activities of these organizations, as well as the largely unexpected dissolution of the OSE's successor, garnered widespread media attention and public interest. They also led to crises in the Theosophical Society and to schisms in Theosophy.