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From Stone to Service: The Sayanna Legacy in Thane

For the people of Thane, the name “Sayanna” symbolizes a century of service and compassion. Vitthal Sayanna and his son, Diwan Bahadur Narayan Sayanna, turned colonial systems into tools for public good, shaping the city’s moral and civic life. Even today, their legacy remains a deep source of pride for Thanekars. Vitthal Sayanna (1864–1932) was a visionary man rooted in strong values. From the disciplined Padmashali community, he rose to prominence by helping build many of Mumbai’s landmark structures. As a trusted contractor for the British Public Works Department, he worked with architects like John Begg and George Wittet, contributing to the city’s early skyline. His work on the General Post Office (GPO), built between 1904 and 1913, was remarkable for its time. Following John Begg’s design, Sayanna managed the use of strong local stones to support the huge central dome inspired by the Gol Gumbaz of Bijapur. The careful construction of heavy arches showed his great skill and earned...
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Beyond the Scorecard: The Life and Legacy of Khandu Rangnekar

The history of Indian sport is often told through numbers and records. But sometimes, a person matters more than statistics. Khanderao Moreshwar “Khandu” Rangnekar was one such person. He was a national badminton champion, a Test cricketer, a senior cricket administrator, and a civic leader. Beyond sport, he also played an important role in shaping the city of Thane. Born on June 27, 1917, in Bombay, Rangnekar lived a life marked by discipline, talent, and public service. He belonged to a generation that began as amateur sportsmen under British rule and later became builders of independent India. His life brought together sport, intellect, and responsibility to society. Born into a family that had suffered the loss of five previous children, his very name was a testament to his mother’s desperate vow to the deity Khandoba at the Jejuri temple. Educated at Byramji Jeejeebhoy School and St. Xavier’s, he eventually earned a Bachelor of Arts from Elphinstone College. This liberal arts educ...
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The Life of Dattaji Tamhane: A Century of Service

Born as Dattatreya Balakrishna Tamhane on April 13, 1913, in Ratnagiri district, his life became closely tied to Thane, where he moved as a boy and lived until his death in 2014. Dattaji Tamhane lived for 102 years, witnessing India’s journey from British rule to a modern nation. A freedom fighter, socialist leader, and writer, he was admired for his simplicity, integrity, and Gandhian values, never seeking wealth or power. Dattaji’s father was a Postmaster who was transferred to Thane in 1922, when Dattaji was nine. This move shaped his life, as Thane became his home for nearly a century. Though his father worked for the British government, the family was deeply patriotic. He loved poetry and taught his children nationalist verses, including poems by Savarkar. When a police officer objected, Dattaji’s father cleverly wrote a poem praising King George V to the same tune, giving Dattaji an early lesson in the realities of life under foreign rule.  Dattaji was born on the same date—s...
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Exploring the Tourist Places of Thane District

Major Tourist Centres in Thane District: The existing tourist centres from Thane district which are spread across seven talukas are as follows: a. Ambarnath (Ambernath) Shiv Mandir: It is located 35 Km from district headquarter Thane by road. It is also accessible by railway via Ambernath Railway Station on Central Railway. The Ambarnath Shiv Mandir is among the district's most prominent religious heritage sites. Constructed around 1060 CE, it showcases intricate Hemadpanthi-style stone architecture. The partly subterranean shrine features elaborate carvings of deities, mythological motifs, and ornate pillars surrounding the sanctum. It attracts large numbers of pilgrims, particularly during Mahashivratri, and stands as an important cultural landmark with strong potential for heritage-focused tourism initiatives. b. Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary: It is located 70 Km from district headquarter Thane by road. Located in Shahapur taluka, Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary covers more than 300 sq. km ...
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Jewel of Thane: Sunandatai Patwardhan

It has been two years since Sunandatai Patwardhan's passing on January 10, 2024, yet my memories of her are as clear as ever. My association with her spanned over fifteen years. Around 2007, representing the Rotary Club of Thane Suburban and the Prabhakar Foundation, I first came into contact with her and the organization she founded — Pragati Pratishthan. Our initial collaboration began with projects like distributing bicycles to tribal children and domestic hand mills to women in the Jawhar-Mokhada region. The first major initiative we worked on together was the 2009 solar electrification project in Bhatipada. More than 30 homes in the village received solar power, positively impacting the lives of over 200 tribals. Energized by the success, we expanded the project to five or six more villages. Later, we carried out a solar drip irrigation scheme in Sakhli Pada, a piped water supply project, and many more in the next decade. A pattern emerged — Sunandatai would show us the direct...
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Master of Melody: The Ram Marathe Story

Pandit Ramchandra Marathe's artistic career spanned approximately fifty-five years and was characterized by immense versatility. He was a highly versatile vocalist and a successful singer-actor on the musical stage. Beyond his vocal excellence, he was also an excellent accompanist and a solo tabla player. He also served as a music director for musical plays and bhāvgeet. Marathe was described as fair-complexioned, tall, well-built, extremely handsome, and as possessing great dignity. Around 1968; when he was barely 44 years old, Pandit Ramchandra Purushottam Marathe chose Thane as his home, and from then on, the city became inseparably linked with his life and music. He lived in Thane till his last breath, enriching its cultural soil with his art, practice, and presence. For decades, Thane did not merely host a great musician; it quietly nurtured one of the greatest artists of his generation. Ram Marathe thus stands as a true jewel of Thane—an artist whose music elevated the city’s...
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The Birth of Railways between Mumbai and Thane

On 16 April 1853, the first railway train ran between Mumbai and Thane, marking India’s true entry into the modern industrial age. This historic journey of 21 miles did far more than connect two towns—it transformed transportation, society, and imagination across the subcontinent. Before the railway became a reality, it was surrounded by curiosity, fear, and wild speculation. Ordinary people wondered how a vehicle without bullocks or horses could move. How could a “steam engine” pull such heavy carriages? Rumours spread that human sacrifices were required to lay railway lines. Such fears reflected deep ignorance about science and technology, which was still unfamiliar to common man. At the same time, a small group of educated Indians, British officials, and businessmen viewed railways very differently. They were aware of the extraordinary success of rail transport in England and Europe and recognised its vast economic potential. Their concern was not superstition, but feasibility—wheth...
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