Gadkari at RSS Centenary Vijayadashami in Nagpur
Synopsis
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari attended the RSS Vijayadashami Utsav 2026 at Reshimbag, Nagpur, sharing moments from the centenary-year celebration and tagging Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis.
Key Takeaways
Nitin Gadkari attended the RSS Vijayadashami Utsav 2026 at Reshimbag, Nagpur on 20 October 2026 .
The event falls in the RSS centenary year , marking 100 years since the organisation's founding on 27 September 1925 in Nagpur.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was also tagged, indicating senior BJP presence at the gathering.
The annual Vijayadashami programme at Reshimbag is the RSS's most prominent public event each year, combining a shakha parade with a major address.
Gadkari's attendance reflects the enduring organisational proximity between the BJP and the RSS, particularly visible during centenary celebrations.
A century of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh — and Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari was among those marking the milestone at the organisation's annual Vijayadashami Utsav on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, at its spiritual and administrative heartland in Reshimbag, Nagpur.
Posting glimpses from the event, Gadkari wrote on X: 'संघ शताब्दी वर्ष!' — 'Sangh Centenary Year!' — and tagged the RSS's official handle along with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, signalling the gathering of the BJP's senior leadership at what is arguably the most symbolically charged annual event in the RSS calendar.One Hundred Years at Reshimbag
The RSS was founded on 27 September 1925 in Nagpur by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, making 2025–26 its centenary year. Reshimbag — the sprawling ground in Nagpur that has hosted the RSS's signature Vijayadashami parade for decades — is not merely a venue; it is the physical centre of the Sangh's public identity. The festival of Dussehra, which marks the victory of good over evil in Hindu tradition, is the date the RSS has long chosen for its grand annual address and shakha parade, a tradition stretching back to the organisation's earliest years.
The centenary amplifies what is already the RSS's most visible moment of the year. Senior leaders addressing tens of thousands of uniformed swayamsevaks, policy resolutions for the year ahead, and the presence of the BJP's top names have made the Nagpur Vijayadashami a fixture in India's political-cultural calendar.
BJP's Senior Presence, Gadkari's Home Ground
Gadkari's attendance carries a particular weight: Nagpur is his city — his Lok Sabha constituency, his political base, and the city where the RSS was born. His presence at Reshimbag is as much a homecoming as it is an organisational gesture. The co-tagging of Devendra Fadnavis, Maharashtra's Chief Minister and himself a product of the Nagpur RSS milieu, underscores how tightly the state's BJP leadership remains woven into the Sangh's ceremonial life.
Attendance by Union ministers at the Vijayadashami programme is a recurring feature of the BJP era — a visible expression of the ideological proximity between the party in power and the organisation that serves as its parent body.
With the centenary year providing the backdrop, the 2026 Utsav carries a historic charge that ordinary anniversaries do not. A hundred years of shakhas, a hundred years of the Nagpur headquarter, a hundred years of the distinctive saffron-and-black uniform on display at Reshimbag — that is the weight behind a single social-media post from the minister's feed today.
Point of View
In the same city where both have deep roots. Gadkari's conspicuous presence — in his own constituency, at the founding city of the Sangh — is a reminder that the RSS-BJP relationship is not merely ideological but deeply personal and geographic for this generation of leaders. The centenary year also gives the Sangh an opportunity to cement its narrative as a civilisational force beyond electoral politics. Watch for any resolutions or programmatic announcements from the 2026 Utsav that senior BJP figures may subsequently amplify in public policy discourse.
NationPress
20 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the RSS Vijayadashami Utsav and why is it significant?
The RSS Vijayadashami Utsav is the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's annual flagship public event held on the Hindu festival of Dussehra at Reshimbag, Nagpur. It features a shakha parade of uniformed volunteers and a major address by the Sarsanghchalak, making it the most symbolically important event in the RSS calendar.
Why is 2026 the RSS centenary year?
The RSS was founded on 27 September 1925 in Nagpur by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, making 2025–26 its centenary. The organisation has been marking the milestone with major public events throughout the year.
Where is the RSS headquarters located?
The RSS headquarters, known as the Hedgewar Bhawan and its associated Mahal area, is located in Nagpur, Maharashtra — the same city where the organisation was founded in 1925.
What is Reshimbag in Nagpur?
Reshimbag is a locality in Nagpur that serves as the primary venue for major RSS public functions, including the annual Vijayadashami parade and gathering that draws tens of thousands of swayamsevaks.
Why was Devendra Fadnavis tagged in Nitin Gadkari's post about the RSS event?
Devendra Fadnavis, the Chief Minister of Maharashtra and himself a senior BJP leader from Nagpur's RSS milieu, was present at the Vijayadashami Utsav. Gadkari tagged him to reflect the joint participation of Maharashtra's top BJP leadership at the centenary celebrations.
