My Father Prof. Sharadchandra V. Joag was the President of Pune PrarthanaSamaj from 1988 to 1997.
Being the youngest son of the Late Prin. V. K. Joag, founder of Wadia College, Pune and one ofthe mainstays of Pune PrarthanaSamaj, he received the ‘samskars’ of Brahmo faith right in his childhood. His commitment to these principles remained unshakable till he breathed his last.
His first love was music. He studied classical music under the renowned performer and teacher Pt. Vinayakbuva Patwardhan. He completed ‘Sangeet Alankar’ and was on the panel of Mumbai Akashwani for many years. After completing his Masters in English from Wadia College, he joined Government service as a Lecturer in English.
Before the formation of Maharashtra State in 1960, the then Bombay Province covered Bombay, Gujrat, Parts of Maharashtra and Karnataka. He, therefore, got transferred to places like Dharwad in Karnataka and Visnagar in Gujrat, besides Bombay.He got transferred to Nagpur in 1960 and stayed there till his retirement in 1979. He really enjoyed his stint in Nagpur Mahavidyalaya(then Morris College) and was very popular with the students.
Though he worked at many places in his life, Pune always had a special place in his heart. We always came to Pune in summer holidays and he looked forward to settle in Pune post retirement.
He was a voracious reader and truly enjoyed reading English as well as Marathi literature. Pune’s active cultural scene gave him ample opportunities to enjoy theatre, literary meets and above all classical music concerts.
One of the important parts of his post retirement life was his association with Pune PrarthanaSamaj. Though he was a mild mannered, simple and unassuming person, his commitment to the principles of PrarthanaSamaj was unwavering and uncompromising. On a few occasions, he had gone to the Samaj for Sunday Prayer and conducted the Service alone with no audience present. Being an accomplished singer, he would sing Bhajans during the ‘Upasana’. He would often get emotional, singing the soul stirring words of saints like Tukaram and Dnyandev and tears would roll down his cheeks. His Upasanas usually contained passages from literature, both Marathi and English. He used to compose music for many abhangs and sing during Upasanas. He also worked on the editorial committee for the 9th edition of the book ‘Prarthana Sangeet’ published by Bombay PrarthanaSamaj in 1995.
The 1991 Brahmo Conference was held in Pune under his Chairmanship (of the reception committee). He also conducted prayers on special occasions such as naming ceremonies, memorial services, etc.
Sharadchandra V. Joag will be remembered for his simple living and high thinking and his commitment to the Principles of PrarthanaSamaj.

– Abhijit Sharadchandra Joag