On the far edge of Wai, where the Satara hills slope towards the Wai–Panchgani road, a two-acre mango orchard stands beside the boys’ hostel of Kisan Veer Mahavidyalaya.

In May, the grove fills with the fragrance of ripening fruit. Pairi lends its sharp tang to the air, Hapus brings its signature sweetness, and Lalbagh carries the comforting aroma of traditional kitchens.

But this orchard is more than a collection of mango trees.

This season, it generated nearly Rs 1 lakh for the college. More importantly, it has become a source of support for students from farming families who have faced severe hardship, helping fund education and opportunities that might otherwise have remained out of reach.

A college rooted in service

Run by Janata Shikshan Sanstha (JSS), Kisan Veer Mahavidyalaya was established in 1962 as an Arts and Commerce college and was later named after freedom fighter Abasaheb Veer.

Today, it offers courses in Arts, Commerce, Science and Computer Applications, along with postgraduate programmes in Marathi, English, Commerce and Organic Chemistry.

Around 1990, Prof Dattatray Waghchavare, then the NSS project officer, envisioned transforming a spare patch of land into something meaningful. With support from the late Prataprao Bhosale, students planted mango saplings through shramdan (voluntary labour).

What began as a plantation has since grown into one of the college’s defining features.

Birds nest in its branches, borewells sustain its roots, and the orchard now contributes the institution’s highest carbon credits.

“This orchard is........

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