Former President Ram Nath Kovind will be the chief guest at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s (RSS) annual Vijayadashami event, which also marks the organisation’s centenary at its headquarters in Nagpur.
“The Vijayadashami Utsav, organized on the occasion of the centenary celebration of the founding of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, will be held on October 2, 2025, at 7:40 am at Reshimbagh, Nagpur,” the RSS said in a statement on Friday.
The Vijayadashami event is an important date in the Sangh’s calendar as the organisation –– the ideological fount of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) –– was founded on this occasion in 1925. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat will also deliver his customary address during the event.
”Hon’ble former President of Bharat, Dr. Ram Nath Kovind ji, will be the Chief Guest, and the Pujaneeya Sarsanghchalak, Dr. Mohan Bhagwat ji will deliver the keynote address,” the statement added.
Kovind served as the President from 2017 to 2022, and he was succeeded by Droupadi Murmu.
In 2018, former President and Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee attended the RSS’s Tritya Varsha Sangh Shiksha Varg (third year training camp) in Nagpur, which set off a political controversy.
{{/usCountry}}In 2018, former President and Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee attended the RSS’s Tritya Varsha Sangh Shiksha Varg (third year training camp) in Nagpur, which set off a political controversy.
{{/usCountry}}Last year, former Isro chief K Radhakrishnan was the chief guest at the Vijayadashami event.
Bhagwat’s Vijayadashami speech is closely watched for his messaging for the ruling party. Over the years, the Sangh chief has used the event to articulate the organisation’s position on a host of ideological issues ranging from the demand for the Ram Temple in Ayodhya to the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu & Kashmir, both of which have been met.
With the Sangh celebrating its centenary, Bhagwat’s speech will be keenly watched for its text and subtext, and its message to the ruling side. During his 79th Independence Day address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the RSS for its commitment to “man making and nation building”, and described it as the world’s “largest NGO”.