Key Points

Maharashtra Minister Chandrakant Patil, Union Minister Murlidhar Mohol, and BJP MP Medha Kulkarni were among the participants. They paid floral tribute to the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue.

"It is a very joyous moment for everyone that today the establishment of the Sangh has completed 100 years. Doctor Saheb established the organisation 100 years ago with patriotism and service to the nation," Murlidhar Mohol, Minister of State for Civil Aviation and Cooperation, told ANI.

He said that whenever a disaster strikes the country, the volunteers of the Sangh are among the first ones to come forward.

"We feel proud to be part of this 100-year journey. With a feeling of nationalism towards the country..., the work of this organisation has been going on for the last 100 years. This work initially began under adverse conditions, and today, millions of volunteers around the world, through their daily Shakhas, directly embody this spirit of patriotism and love for the nation through their work and behaviour. It is deeply humbling. Today is a moment of immense joy and satisfaction," he said.

Maharashtra Minister Chandrakant Patil said that the RSS's work of "awakening pride in our religion, culture, and nation" has been largely successful.

"The RSS was founded in 1925, before independence. It has completed 100 years. The work of awakening pride in our religion, culture, and nation in this country and around the world, and creating an organisation of those awakened by this pride, which serves as a disciplinary force in society, has been largely successful," Patil said.

"For this centenary, we should expand the Sangh's work even further... Today, on the occasion of Vijayadashami, I extend my best wishes to every citizen of Maharashtra," he added.

Meanwhile, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Thursday congratulated the RSS on completing 100 years, calling it a "golden journey of national worship" and praising its role in shaping national character and social awakening.

CM Dhami extended his best wishes to all the organisation's volunteers on the 100th anniversary, hailing the organisation as a "colossal banyan tree" that has made unparalleled contributions to nation-building. He also expressed heartfelt gratitude to the organisation and its leaders for their dedication.

In a post on X, CM Dhami wrote, "The Golden Journey of National Worship...!" A hundred years ago, the most revered Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar ji sowed the sacred seed of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, which today has grown into a colossal banyan tree. Over the past century, the Sangh has served Mother India ceaselessly through nation-building of national character, social and cultural awakening, and the nation's resurgence."

Founded in 1925 in Nagpur, Maharashtra, by Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, the RSS was established as a volunteer-based organisation with the goal of fostering cultural awareness, discipline, service, and social responsibility among citizens.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for its long-standing commitment to nation-building. He said the RSS has helped nurture and strengthen countless lives over the years.

Speaking during the centenary celebrations of RSS in the national capital, PM Modi said, "Just as human civilisations flourish along the banks of mighty rivers, similarly, hundreds of lives have blossomed and thrived along the banks and in the flow of the RSS. Since its formation, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has pursued a grand objective. That objective has been nation-building."

- ANI