Hedgewar was born on 1 April 1889 in a
Marathi Deshastha Brahmin[3][4][5] family in
Nagpur. His parents were Baliram Pant Hedgewar and Revati. His father was an orthodox priest and they were a family of modest means. When Keshav was thirteen, both his parents succumbed to the epidemic of
plague.[6] His elder brothers Mahadev Pant, and Sitaram Pant ensured that he received a good education.
[citation needed]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.
[7]:40 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
B. S. Moonje (National President of the
Hindu Mahasabha) in 1910 to pursue his medical studies.
[8][9] After passing the L.M.S. Examination from the National Medical College in June 1914, he completed a yearlong apprenticeship and returned to Nagpur in 1915 as a doctor.
K. B. Hedgewar