In 1910, a house in Nagpur fell into disrepair, with a leaking roof and grass sprouting through the cracks, although some repairs allowed for continued use.Fifteen years laters, at this house — the ancestral home of Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar — the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) was officially founded on Vijayadashami, 27 September 1925,The house, where Dr Hedgewar was born on April 1, 1889, had once fallen into a dilapidated state and was on the brink of collapse.According to a book by NH Palkar, the Hedgewar family had lived in this house for nearly 150 years, ever since his grandfather Narhar Shastri moved from Kandakurti in Andhra Pradesh to Nagpur. The house reflected the family’s modest means.After the death of his parents in the plague, young Keshav and his brother Sitaram often went hungry, wore torn clothes, and survived on Sitaram’s small earnings as a priest.To ease their situation, part of the house was rented out. The book notes that despite its humble state, the house was a hub of activity.It contained an akhada (traditional gymnasium), maintained by Hedgewar’s elder brother Mahadev Shastri, who trained neighborhood youths there.Story continues below this adIn the years following Dr Hedgewar’s return from Kolkata, it also became a center of revolutionary discussions with associates like Bhauji Kavre. Later, it hosted RSS meetings, including the first declaration of 1925.Early gatherings such as rajakiya varga (political classes) and festivals were also organised here. The house was not untouched by turmoil.During communal riots in 1927, it was targeted, with stones and burning torches hurled at its roof. Yet it remained the symbolic and practical center of Hedgewar’s life – his birthplace, his residence, a site of struggle, and the cradle of the RSS.Seventeen people were present when he made the historic yet simple declaration in 1925: “We are starting the Sangh from today.”Story continues below this adThe gathering then shifted to his sitting room (baithakkhana) to plan the organisation’s first activities.In 1998, the Hedgewar Smarak Samiti purchased it from the family of Dr Hedgewar’s niece, who had been residing there but planned to move. After restoration, the house was opened to the public in 2000.But is it the same old house? Not exactly.The original structure was demolished and rebuilt, replicating its earlier form in every detail.According to officials of the Hedgewar Smarak Samiti, over 1.5 lakh pictures of the house were taken to recreate the exact structure.Story continues below this ad“Detailed measurements, down to the millimeter, were taken before dismantling it. Even the distance of a coat-hanger hook from the floor was measured so it could be fixed in the exact same spot. Nothing was shifted – the wooden slab (paat) where he ate and the clay stoves (chuli) in the kitchen were all recreated precisely,” Shriniwas Warnekar (66), the civil engineer who oversaw the project, told The Indian Express.As one enters, a small puja ghar housing the family deity lies to the left. A passage leads to the room where Dr Hedgewar was born. Beyond this is the kitchen, preserved with the spot where he used to sit for meals.The first floor, with its long room, witnessed the formation of the RSS.A board here lists the 17 names of those who attended the first meeting, including Vishwanath Kelkar, Bhauji Kaware, D. L. V. Paranjape, Raghunath Bande, Bhaiyyaji Dani, Bapu Bhedi, Anna Vaidya, Krishnarao Moharil, Narhar Palekar, Dadarao Paramarth, Annaji Gaikwad, Deoghare, Bapurao Telang, Tatya Telang, Balasaheb Aathlye, Balaji Huddar, and Anna Sohoni.Story continues below this adThe room also houses Hedgewar’s books, now torn and fragile.And as the families surrounding the house decided to sell their properties, Hedgewar Smarak Samiti purchased it to preserve the house as a monument. The backyard well was preserved exactly as it was, “not a single stone was moved,” Warnekar said.He recalled a family anecdote: a gold ring once fell into this well, and Hedgewar and his brother emptied it overnight with two buckets to retrieve it.The restoration process was painstaking.Initial detailing alone took over two months, since once a section was demolished, photos couldn’t capture exact placements. The entire work lasted more than 1.5 years, with an engineer permanently posted on-site to guide workers. “Straight construction is easy, but rebuilding uneven, crooked features is difficult. That’s why the engineer stood there with a tape measure every day,” Warnekar explained.Finding the right roof tiles (kawelu) was another challenge.Story continues below this ad“We searched extensively, driving nearly 900 km across Madhya Pradesh, before finally finding them in Jabalpur. Usable old tiles and materials were retained. Detailed drawings were prepared by architect AB Dongre (85), assisted by architect Ajay Thombre,” Warnekar added.The restored house has also been strengthened from within, though this is invisible from the outside.Steel reinforcements were epoxy-coated to prevent rust, bamboo was treated, and wood was carefully seasoned. Some mud walls were replaced with brick for safety, with joinery made to resemble lime, though actually white cement. A Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC) slab was added under the flooring.“There is no difference between the old house and the new one — that is the specialty of this work. The reconstruction was necessary, as one wall was so dilapidated it could have collapsed at any moment. Even today, if you sit here quietly, you can feel strong positive vibes,” Warnekar said.