Our History
About fifty-five years ago, around 1967-68, Ramakrishna Japtiwale, Madhukar Page, Sri Vishwanath Naik (father of present member Sunil Naik), Vijay Bakshi, and the Gaud Saraswat bandhavas came together to initiate a small social forum for Saraswat Samaj members and families in and around Sangli, the city of Lord Ganesha.
Inspired by the great thinker and writer Sumati Keshtramade’s thought, they aimed to create a cohesive community. However, this initial attempt faced some challenges and disruptions.
The proverb "Five fingers are not all the same, but when they come together, they form a fist ready to face any conflict" aptly describes our journey. In 1997, Shri Wagle, Mr. Lad, Mr. V. Gholba, Anjali Samant, Dr. Prabhu, and Mr. Bedekar revived this initiative and formally registered the Saraswat Samaj Vikas Mandal. Their vision was to promote social, physical, intellectual, mental, and spiritual growth among our members, thus rekindling the spirit of unity within the community.
To achieve these ideals, we organized meetings, camps, discussions on a range of subjects, cultural programs, and performance events. We sought to engage members of all ages by recognizing senior citizens and students who have demonstrated exceptional knowledge. Public hearings, religious discourses, and lectures by Ayurvedacharyas were conducted to enhance health awareness and knowledge of Ayurveda and home practices. Celebrations of national and religious holidays, including Kojagiri Poornima, Tilgul Samarambh, and August 25th, were initiated. Annual Snehasamelan events encouraged the fraternity's elites to showcase their talents.
Members also participated in civic duties such as blood donations during national holidays on August 15 and January 26. Women's initiatives, including scooter rallies and Satyanarayana poojas, as well as flag hoisting and blood donation drives, were enthusiastically conducted on the occasion of Amrut Mahotsavi Independence Day. The younger generation upheld their social responsibilities with great zeal.
Currently, one of our main goals is to facilitate suitable matrimonial alliances among our community members. To this end, the tradition of arranging bride and groom meet-ups annually was established. We encourage the wise members of our community to provide accurate information to assist in this endeavour. The Sangli Saraswat Vikas Mandal actively participated in the 2016 Saraswat Snehasamelan in Goa, showcasing our commitment to unity.
The Board is dedicated to implementing innovative ideas in line with modern times. We are making efforts to include other sub-castes such as Kudaldeshkar, Bardeshkar, and Bhalavalikar in our Mandal. We maintain close cooperation and idea-sharing with other Saraswat Samaj district-level boards in Kolhapur, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, and Satara. Our Mandal is currently running numerous initiatives to unite and uphold the spirit of mutual cooperation.