Golwalkar was born on February 19, 1906, in a teacher's family in Maharashtra's Vidarbha area. He studied in a missionary school and knew the Bible almost by heart. He studied geology from Benaras Hindu University, where RSS leader Bhaiyaji Dani convinced him to join the university's RSS shakha.
Golwalkar travelled to Chennai (then Madras) for research but he abandoned it due to lack of funds. Though he went back to Nagpur, a restless Golwalkar left home and landed up at the Sargachi ashram of Swami Akhandananda, a direct disciple of Ramakrisha Paramhans. Swami Akhandananda gave Golwalkar sanyas but asked him to dedicate himself in the service of society.
Golawalkar joined the RSS in 1934 as a karyavah (secretary) in the Tulasibagh Sanghasakha, in Nagpur. He left the organisation to earn a degree in law, practiced for a while and went to Sargachi in West Bengal.
He rejoined the RSS in 1938, and in July 1940 became the sarsanghchalak. His rapid rise was due to Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, founder of the RSS. Hedgewar noticed Golwalkar in the RSS's BHU branch.
There were many other RSS leaders senior to Golwalkar like Appa Joshi. But in 1939, at a closed-door, eight-day RSS conclave Golwalkar spoke on many issues concerning India, its people and the future of Hindus. An impressed Hedgewar nominated Golwalkar as his inheritor.
When angry Appa Joshi supporters asked him why he was surrendering his right to be the inheritor of the top post, Joshi said, 'I am Dr Hedgewar’s right-hand man; Guruji is his heart.'
Such was the shock within conservative RSS circles at Golwalkar’s sudden rise that for some time in many cities there were two RSS shakhas -- one run by Golwalkar's followers and another by Dr Hedgewar's.
Somehow, by his words and deeds, Golwalkar won over the angry section of the RSS.
Image: Golwalkar and other RSS leaders at a signature campaign against cow slaughter.
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