K. B. Hedgewar - Early Life

Early Life

Dr. Hedgewar was born on April 1, 1889 in Nagpur. He was born on the auspicious day of Gudi Padwa, which is the Hindu New Year's Day. He hailed from a family of Brahmins. His forefathers had migrated from Kandkurti in Bodhan taluka of Nizamabad near the border of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh where three rivers of Central India namely the Godavari, Vanjara and Haridra meet. They had migrated to Nagpur in the early nineteenth century to escape Muslim persecution at Kandkurti. His parents were Baliram pant Hedgewar and Revatibai. His father was an orthodox priest and the family lived in dire poverty.

When Keshav was thirteen years old, both his parents succumbed to the epidemic of plague. He had to suffer great hardships on account of being orphaned but never did he seek any help from others as he had a lot of self-respect. Often even when he was hungry, he would not approach his friends for food. Despite travails, his attention to his studies was never affected. His elder brothers Mahadev pant and Sitaram pant ensured that he was provided with good education.

When he was studying in Neel City High School in Nagpur, he was rusticated for singing "Vande Mataram" in violation of the circular issued by the then British government. As a result he had to pursue his high school studies at the Rashtriya Vidyalaya in Yavatmal and later in Pune. After matriculating, he was sent to Kolkata by Dr. B. S. Moonje in 1910 to pursue his medical studies. After passing the L.M.&S. Examination from the National Medical College in June 1914, he completed one year apprenticeship and returned to Nagpur in 1915 as a doctor.