Nagpur

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is the modern 'Akshay Vat' of the immortal culture of India, which is constantly energising the nation.

He praised the RSS' selfless service in various spheres and its role in nation-building, social service, and cultural preservation.

“Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is the modern Akshay Vat of the immortal culture of India; this Akshay Vat is continuously energizing Indian culture and the consciousness of our nation,” he said duirng his address after laying the foundation stone of Madhav Netralaya Premium Centre, a new extension building of Madhav Netralaya Eye Institute & Research Centre.

"The ideas that were seeded a hundred years back are now before the world like a ‘Vat Vriksh’. Principles and ideologies give it height, and the lakhs and crores of swayamsevaks are its branches. RSS is not just any banyan tree; it is the modern ‘Akshay Vat Vriksh’ of India’s immortal culture," the PM said.

He posted some pictures opf his visit on X:

Visiting Smruti Mandir in Nagpur is a very special experience.

Making today’s visit even more special is the fact that it has happened on Varsha Pratipada, which is also the Jayanti of Param Pujya Doctor Sahab.

Countless people like me derive inspiration and strength from the… pic.twitter.com/6LzgECjwvI

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 30, 2025

“We have taken the life mantra of commitment to duty, guided by the principles of Dev to Desh and Ram to Rashtra. We continue to perform our duties. That is why no matter how big or small the work is, no matter what the field is, the volunteers of the Sangh (RSS) work selflessly. Our body is meant for charity, for service and when this service becomes part of our sanskaar, then service itself becomes sadhna. This sadhna is the life breath of every volunteer,” he remarked.

“This service, sanskar, this sadhna, this life breath is inspiring every volunteer for penance and austerity from generation to generation. This service, 'sadhna' keeps every volunteer constantly moving; it never lets them get tired or stop,” said the prime minister.

“If we look at the history of our country, we see hundreds of years of slavery, so many attacks, so many cruel attempts to destroy the social structure of India, but the consciousness of India never ended, its flame kept burning. Even during the most difficult times, new social movements kept taking place in India to keep consciousness awakened,” he said.

“We all know the example of the Bhakti movement. In that difficult period of the medieval period, our saints gave new energy to our national consciousness with the ideas of devotion. Today, in this holy pilgrimage of Sangh service in Nagpur, we are witnessing the expansion of service of a pious resolution. We have just heard in the Kul Geet of Madhav Netralaya that this is a wonderful school of spirituality, knowledge and pride. This service temple is dedicated to humanity; there is a temple in every particle,” said the prime minister.

He said that Madhav Netralaya is an institution that has been serving millions of people following the ideals of Pujya Guruji Madhavrao Sadashivrao Golwalkar (the second Sarsanghchalak of RSS) for many decades.

PM Modi’s move to praise the work of RSS and its swayamsevaks in nation building comes at a time when the RSS recently announced that it would celebrate its centenary year by organising several events for 12 months - from the Vijayadasami Day.

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Earlier in the day, PM Modi visited Dr Hedgewar Smruti Mandir in Nagpur and paid floral tributes at memorials dedicated to RSS founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar and second sarsanghchalak (chief) M. S. Golwalkar.