Pune, ; Eminent citizens from Pune and various walks of life gathered on Friday to pay heartfelt tributes to veteran Congress leader, former Union Minister of State for Railways, former Member of Parliament from Pune, and former President of the Indian Olympic Association, Suresh Kalmadi. The condolence meeting turned emotional fondly recalled memories of the multifaceted leader.
Suresh Kalmadi (81), who played a pivotal role in shaping Pune’s political, social, cultural, sports and industrial landscape, passed away on Tuesday. The condolence meeting was organised by the Kalmadi family at the Poona Club on Bund Garden Road.
Tributes were paid in the presence of Kalmadi’s wife Meera Kalmadi, son Sumir, daughter-in-law Nandita, and daughters Sonali and Payal, who were consoled by the dignitaries in attendance.
Special arrangements were made in a marquee set up on the Poona Club lawns. A photograph of Suresh Kalmadi was placed on a flower-decorated dais, where attendees offered floral tributes and paid their respects. The entire venue was filled with the fragrance of incense sticks, creating a serene and solemn atmosphere.
A large screen displayed photographs chronicling Kalmadi’s life journey — from his childhood and youth to his days at the National Defence Academy (NDA), service in the Indian Air Force, political career, and his contributions to events such as the Pune Festival, Pune International Film Festival, major sports events and cultural initiatives. The visuals presented a comprehensive portrait of his remarkable life and legacy.
Kalmadi’s towering contributions drew a distinguished gathering from the political, social, industrial, cultural, sports, educational, health and economic sectors. All recalled his visionary initiatives that transformed Pune, including innovative urban projects, the Pune Festival, Pune International Film Festival, Shaniwar Wada Dance Festival and Pune Vyaspith, all of which continue to define the city’s cultural identity.
A renowned sports administrator, Kalmadi took the Pune Marathon to international stature. Sports personalities fondly remembered his leadership in organising the Commonwealth Youth Games in Pune and the Commonwealth Games in Delhi with grandeur.
The atmosphere turned devotional as bhajans such as Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram, Sur Niragas Ho, Shivnandan He Shubhnayaka, Jai Guru Omkara, Jai Jai Durge Maa, Narayan Narayan Jai Gopal Hare, Hare Rama Hare Krishna, Sundar Te Dhyan and Mogra Phulala were rendered. The devotional performances featured Sarita Kumthekar and Sayali Chitodkar (vocals), Shlok Mokalkar (guitar), Shivanand Vairagkar (tabla), Omkar Dangmali (keyboard), Abhay Oak (flute), with Vivek Bhagwat as coordinator.
Expressing his emotions, Sumir Kalmadi said, “My father is no longer with us today, but many of his friends and associates are present here. Over the past few days, Kalmadi House has been filled with visitors — friends, well-wishers and admirers. His passing feels like the end of an era. During this difficult time, people stood by us, and we are deeply grateful.”
Dignitaries Present
Among those present were Maharashtra Congress President Harshvardhan Sapkal, MP Rajani Patil, former Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat, industrialists Arun Firodia and Baba Kalyani, former MLA and senior Congress leader Mohan Joshi, Maharashtra Congress Treasurer Adv. Abhay Chhajed, former Deputy Mayor Dr Satish Desai, senior advocate S.K. Jain, former AFI Secretary Lalit Bhanot, Ashok Sahota, Kushal Hegde, Narendra Batra, Sanjiv Mehta, Michel Poonawalla, Lalit Mohan, Subhash Sanas, Prashant Firodia, Vitthal Sheth Maniyar, Ajay Shirke, Kumar and Nalini Gera, Prakash Mhaske, Rickshaw Panchayat leader Nitin Pawar, social activists Yuvraj Shah, Sangeeta Tiwari, Sadanand Shetty, Suresh Pingale, Govindrao Kulkarni, Rajiv Sathe, Balasaheb Amarale, and Saurabh .Amarale
