A tradition not restricted to Maharashtrian ethnicity, but one that encompasses wider aspects like physical education and personality development, all under the canopy of social togetherness. Telling how the Mandal came into being, Ramesh Damle, secretary, says, ``The Maharashtriya Mandal is the brainchild of my father Captain Shivrampant Damle. In the early 1900s, the concept of physical education was restricted to the talim that men would visit to build muscles. It was a uni-dimensional way of looking at it - there was no place for overall health development or a fit mind in such a thought process. And of course, women were at a distance, in those days.''

But Shivrampant did not think that way. He wished that people share his view of physical education as a science, that women come out to enroll themselves for classes that would cater to their fitness, and that this entire exercise would actually result in mobilising different forces of society together. This was the entire idea behind such a mandal, where people would get together, work at their fitness together and form a cohesive group too.

``What made my father work toward such an activity was also his conclusion after serving in the army. He saw very few Maharashtrians there, and they often lacked on the fitness front. Which is why the land he received as a grant from the government in recognition of his military service was given over to establishing this organisation,'' explains Damle.

And in 1924, the Maharashtriya Mandal started functioning. Four years later it was registered. But it was not easy to get people to enroll here and the senior Damle would actually go door to door, urging people to come out in the evenings to exercise. A school was also opened on the same premises, and his dream of a college of physical education got concrete form as late as in 1977, when the Chandrashekhar Agashe College of Physical Education opened doors for a bachelor's, master's and an M.Phil in the subject.

What started with a four-anna contribution has grown to become a well-established institution, in every sense of the word, in the city. Today, under the aegis of the Maharashtriya Mandal, a host of activities are conducted. Be it the primary and secondary schools or the college, or the club kind of activities that include coaching classes for swimming, badminton, wrestling, gymnastics, football, volleyball, athletics.

Along with these are also some off-beat activities like lezim and malkhamb. These training sessions are offered for a month, but students can take up sessions on a more intense level, depending upon their interest. ``Our students have performed at programmes like the 1982 Asian Games and Bhartiyam,'' says Vidya Kulkarni, a director with the Mandal. There are even bandmaster courses for those who would like to play band music at sports festivals, and also for those who would like to teach malkhamb.

While these regular activities continue all year long, the vacation sees some specific programmes like personality development camps (which is into its 17th year now). ``The aim is not just to run classes that function solely for a commercial purpose. We still charge fees like five rupees for some of the courses,'' says Kulkarni.

During her schooling at the Renuka Swaroop school, she attended these extra-curricular activities at the Maharashtriya Mandal. ``Those sessions were as important in my growing up years as was the school. In fact, my personality really developed because of the free atmosphere at the mandal. It really made me the person I am today,'' she says, her expression telling it all. ``I work at the Jnana Prabodhini, Nigdi, but come here every weekend - the atmosphere here sees me gear up for another week of work,'' she laughs.

And just like Kulkarni, there are many such individuals out in the city - Maharashtriya Mandal alumni, so to say, who network to form a strong group that is dedicated to keeping the tradition of the organisation alive and strong.