Nagpur, Sept 27: The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) completed 100 years on Saturday, marking a century since its founding by Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar and 17 associates on Vijayadashami, September 27, 1925.
A year-long nationwide programme will celebrate the centenary of the organisation, now India’s largest cultural body with over 83,000 shakhas and lakhs of volunteers.
The RSS traces its origins to Hedgewar Wada at Mahal in Nagpur, where Hedgewar envisioned fostering unity, discipline, and character-building among Hindus. After deliberations in 1926, the name Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh was finalised through voting, defeating alternatives such as Jaripatka Mandal and Bharatodharak Mandal.
The first shakha outside Nagpur was established in Wardha in February 1926, marking the beginning of the organisation’s gradual expansion across India. To ensure leadership was not personality-driven, the saffron flag was adopted as the ‘Guru’ of the Sangh, and the practice of offering Guru Dakshina began in 1927.
Hedgewar, who became the first Sarsanghchalak in 1929, had earlier been associated with the Congress and participated in the non-cooperation and Jungle Satyagraha movements, leading to his imprisonment. His vision emphasized physical training, discipline, service, and national character-building, laying the foundation for the RSS’s century-long journey.
