- Centenary year to run from October 2, 2025, to Vijayadashami 2026.
- Former President Ram Nath Kovind to be chief guest; RSS chief Dr. Mohan Bhagwat to address the gathering.
- Focus on five themes: environmental protection, social harmony, self-reliance, family awakening, and civic duty.
- Massive outreach planned: home visits, Hindu conferences, intellectual meets, and social harmony events.
GG News Bureau
Nagpur, 23rd Sept: The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) will commence its centenary celebrations on October 2, 2025, coinciding with Vijayadashami, and continue until Vijayadashami 2026. The opening ceremony will take place at Reshimbagh Ground in Nagpur in the presence of former President Ram Nath Kovind, who will be the chief guest, and Sarsanghchalak Dr. Mohan Bhagwat, who will deliver the keynote address.
Announcing the programme at a press conference, RSS Akhil Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh Sunil Ambekar said the centenary will focus on Panch Parivartan—environmental conservation, social equality, self-reliant economy, family awakening, and civic responsibility. A series of large-scale initiatives, including home-contact campaigns, Hindu conferences, intellectual conclaves, and social harmony meetings, will be organised across the country.
Ambekar traced the organisation’s journey from its inception in 1925, when Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar founded the RSS with 17 associates, to its current strength of over 83,000 shakhas and 32,000 weekly meetings. He highlighted the significance of Vijayadashami as a festival of courage and awakening, noting the steady growth of RSS branches across India, even in remote regions.
The Vijayadashami Utsav will begin at 7:40 a.m. on October 2 with traditional rituals, weapon worship, a parade, yoga demonstrations, and martial arts displays. Notable guests from India and abroad—including Lt. Gen. Rana Pratap Kalita (retd), K.V. Karthik of Deccan Industries, and Sanjiv Bajaj of Bajaj Finserv—have been invited, along with delegates from Ghana, South Africa, Indonesia, Thailand, the UK, and the USA.
As part of the centenary activities, a grand Path Sanchalan (march) will be held on September 27, 2025. For the first time, three separate processions will start from Kasturchand Park, Yashwant Stadium, and the Amravati Road Hockey Ground, converging at Variety Square, Sitabuldi, where Dr. Bhagwat will review the parade.
Additional dialogue sessions are planned in Bengaluru (November 7–8), Kolkata (December 21), and Mumbai (February 7–8, 2026). Special Vijayadashami events will also be organised in Manipur and other regions, reflecting the growing participation and enthusiasm among volunteers nationwide.
