Tag: Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj

  • Maharashtra awaits UNESCO tag for 14 ‘Maratha Military Architecture’ forts

    By IANS

    MUMBAI: As the country celebrates the 350th anniversary of the coronation of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Maharashtra eagerly awaits the UNESCO World Heritage tag for a series of 14 Maratha forts, dotting the lush green Western Ghats and the picturesque coastal Konkan region of the state.

    Since 2012, the Western Ghats have already a UNESCO World Heritage site, a long, green, hilly tract extending from south Gujarat to North Kerala with the major portions falling in Maharashtra and Karnataka.

    Experts are now rooting for 14 forts – symbolising “Maratha Military Architecture” – which have already made it to UNESCO’s tentative list since April 2021, and now await a formal nod as a World Heritage site.

    They are the forts at Raigad (the capital of the Maratha Empire), Shivneri, Rajgad, Torna, Lohagad (all Pune), Salher, Ankai-Tankai, Mulher (all Nashik), Rangana (Kolhapur), Alibaug, Padmadurg, Khanderi (Raigad), Sindhudurg (Sindhudurg district), and the Suvarnadurg (Ratnagiri), some dotting the 720-km long coastline, offshore or in the Western Ghats, most still tall and imposing.

    Andhra Pradesh Government Heritage Committee Member Bhujang Bobade, who is the founder of the Heritage Foundation at Jalgaon (Maharashtra), said after these forts get the final UNESCO green signal, it will accord a halo of respect, give a huge boost to domestic and international tourism, pave the way for their proper conservation efforts, provide a fillip to the local economy and generate revenues for the state.

    The Arabian Sea coastline, and the Western Ghats as well as the Sahyadri range extending upto Marathwada, were the perfect setting for guerrilla warfare tactics. In the medieval period, Arabs, Turks, Europeans, and Africans appeared in the Konkan region and proceeded to the hinterlands.

    At that time Shivaji Maharaj, who was later crowned as the Chhatrapati, established Swarajya (self-rule) and held out against the mighty Mughal Empire – which was extending from modern-day Uzbekistan to Bengal and controlled around 20 per cent of the contemporary global economy.

    Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb was struggling to annex the southern Indian kingdoms to extend his rule to peninsular India, but it was the Maratha Kingdom that resisted his bulldozing march down south.

    This was attributed to the best use of the hilly terrain, constructing forts on plain lands, hills and the long sea coasts that arrested the advent of the Mughal Empire.

    In 1674, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj founded the Maratha Empire, and within 75 years after his death (1680), it had covered one-third of the Indian Subcontinent, deploying guerrilla warfare with the best political and territorial results.

    The Marathas even succeeded in keeping the later-day British Empire at bay, but after they were overpowered through various Anglo-Maratha wars (including the Bhima-Koregaon battle), the Britishers managed to plant their flag over the region, plus the Portuguese and French in tiny pockets.

    Bobade said that these Maratha Forts are of immense significance in the political, military and architectural history of the region, where it was a continuous ongoing activity.

    The Directorate of Archaeology and the Maharashtra government had finalised the list of 14 unique Maratha Forts which are now on UNESCO’s tentative list.

    Bobade explained that after going through the entire process, UNESCO declares them as a World Heritage, and normally this takes a minimum of five years, unless “influence” is used by India on the global stage to expedite it.

    Through the Heritage Foundation, Bobade has trained over 98,000 people from 42 countries in heritage-related short-term certificate courses in 40 fields at affordable rates, ranging from 1 week to 1 year in duration, which open up lucrative career options in this field and are recognised by various universities.

    “I am creating a future workforce with specific courses on various aspects of art, architecture, heritage, conservation, music, dance, museums, drawings, paintings, etc., most of which are not available anywhere in the country and outside, thus empowering the learners to explore different careers,” said Bobade. 

    MUMBAI: As the country celebrates the 350th anniversary of the coronation of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Maharashtra eagerly awaits the UNESCO World Heritage tag for a series of 14 Maratha forts, dotting the lush green Western Ghats and the picturesque coastal Konkan region of the state.

    Since 2012, the Western Ghats have already a UNESCO World Heritage site, a long, green, hilly tract extending from south Gujarat to North Kerala with the major portions falling in Maharashtra and Karnataka.

    Experts are now rooting for 14 forts – symbolising “Maratha Military Architecture” – which have already made it to UNESCO’s tentative list since April 2021, and now await a formal nod as a World Heritage site.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    They are the forts at Raigad (the capital of the Maratha Empire), Shivneri, Rajgad, Torna, Lohagad (all Pune), Salher, Ankai-Tankai, Mulher (all Nashik), Rangana (Kolhapur), Alibaug, Padmadurg, Khanderi (Raigad), Sindhudurg (Sindhudurg district), and the Suvarnadurg (Ratnagiri), some dotting the 720-km long coastline, offshore or in the Western Ghats, most still tall and imposing.

    Andhra Pradesh Government Heritage Committee Member Bhujang Bobade, who is the founder of the Heritage Foundation at Jalgaon (Maharashtra), said after these forts get the final UNESCO green signal, it will accord a halo of respect, give a huge boost to domestic and international tourism, pave the way for their proper conservation efforts, provide a fillip to the local economy and generate revenues for the state.

    The Arabian Sea coastline, and the Western Ghats as well as the Sahyadri range extending upto Marathwada, were the perfect setting for guerrilla warfare tactics. In the medieval period, Arabs, Turks, Europeans, and Africans appeared in the Konkan region and proceeded to the hinterlands.

    At that time Shivaji Maharaj, who was later crowned as the Chhatrapati, established Swarajya (self-rule) and held out against the mighty Mughal Empire – which was extending from modern-day Uzbekistan to Bengal and controlled around 20 per cent of the contemporary global economy.

    Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb was struggling to annex the southern Indian kingdoms to extend his rule to peninsular India, but it was the Maratha Kingdom that resisted his bulldozing march down south.

    This was attributed to the best use of the hilly terrain, constructing forts on plain lands, hills and the long sea coasts that arrested the advent of the Mughal Empire.

    In 1674, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj founded the Maratha Empire, and within 75 years after his death (1680), it had covered one-third of the Indian Subcontinent, deploying guerrilla warfare with the best political and territorial results.

    The Marathas even succeeded in keeping the later-day British Empire at bay, but after they were overpowered through various Anglo-Maratha wars (including the Bhima-Koregaon battle), the Britishers managed to plant their flag over the region, plus the Portuguese and French in tiny pockets.

    Bobade said that these Maratha Forts are of immense significance in the political, military and architectural history of the region, where it was a continuous ongoing activity.

    The Directorate of Archaeology and the Maharashtra government had finalised the list of 14 unique Maratha Forts which are now on UNESCO’s tentative list.

    Bobade explained that after going through the entire process, UNESCO declares them as a World Heritage, and normally this takes a minimum of five years, unless “influence” is used by India on the global stage to expedite it.

    Through the Heritage Foundation, Bobade has trained over 98,000 people from 42 countries in heritage-related short-term certificate courses in 40 fields at affordable rates, ranging from 1 week to 1 year in duration, which open up lucrative career options in this field and are recognised by various universities.

    “I am creating a future workforce with specific courses on various aspects of art, architecture, heritage, conservation, music, dance, museums, drawings, paintings, etc., most of which are not available anywhere in the country and outside, thus empowering the learners to explore different careers,” said Bobade.
     

  • Pune bandh: Shops closed to protest comments against Shivaji Maharaj, others

    By PTI

    PUNE: Most shops and businesses remained closed in Pune city on Tuesday morning in response to a call for `bandh’ (shut-down) given by opposition parties to protest comments against Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and other iconic leaders of the state.

    While the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in Maharashtra has not supported the bandh call, its Rajya Sabha member Udayanraje Bhosale, a descendant of Shivaji Maharaj, joined a silent march organized by the protesters.

    The march began at Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj’s statue and would end at the Lal Mahal in the city. Shiv Sena leader Sushma Andhare also participated in the march.

    The Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), Sambhaji Brigade and some other outfits are supporting the bandh.

    The bandh call was originally given to protest Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari’s controversial statement at a public function where he described Shivaji Maharaj, the founder of the Maratha empire, as an “icon of olden times”.

    Last week state minister and BJP leader Chandrakant Patil’s statement that Dr B R Ambedkar and social reformer Mahatma Jyotiba Phule “begged” to people for money to start educational institutions instead of seeking government aid was also perceived as insulting and drew protests.

    Earlier, BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi’s statement that Shivaji Maharaj had `apologised’ to Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb had evoked angry reactions in the state.

    The Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) in Pune also remained closed on Tuesday. A local traders’ body has extended support to the bandh by keeping the shops closed till 3 pm.

    Officials of the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal said that most of its buses were plying on the roads. Only 10 per cent of buses were pulled off the roads, an official said.

    PUNE: Most shops and businesses remained closed in Pune city on Tuesday morning in response to a call for `bandh’ (shut-down) given by opposition parties to protest comments against Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and other iconic leaders of the state.

    While the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in Maharashtra has not supported the bandh call, its Rajya Sabha member Udayanraje Bhosale, a descendant of Shivaji Maharaj, joined a silent march organized by the protesters.

    The march began at Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj’s statue and would end at the Lal Mahal in the city. Shiv Sena leader Sushma Andhare also participated in the march.

    The Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), Sambhaji Brigade and some other outfits are supporting the bandh.

    The bandh call was originally given to protest Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari’s controversial statement at a public function where he described Shivaji Maharaj, the founder of the Maratha empire, as an “icon of olden times”.

    Last week state minister and BJP leader Chandrakant Patil’s statement that Dr B R Ambedkar and social reformer Mahatma Jyotiba Phule “begged” to people for money to start educational institutions instead of seeking government aid was also perceived as insulting and drew protests.

    Earlier, BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi’s statement that Shivaji Maharaj had `apologised’ to Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb had evoked angry reactions in the state.

    The Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) in Pune also remained closed on Tuesday. A local traders’ body has extended support to the bandh by keeping the shops closed till 3 pm.

    Officials of the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal said that most of its buses were plying on the roads. Only 10 per cent of buses were pulled off the roads, an official said.

  • Governor Koshyari’s remark on Shivaji creates stir in Maharashtra

    Express News Service

    MUMBAI:  Maharashtra’s Opposition on Sunday demanded that Bhagat Singh Koshyari step down as the state’s governor over his remark that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is an idol of “olden times”. Attending a function in Aurangabad on Saturday, Koshyari said, “There are so many icons here (in Maharashtra). While Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is of olden time, there are Ambedkar and Nitin Gadkari,” the governor had said.

    Reacting to the statement, the leader of the Opposition Ajit Pawar said that Koshyari has no right to continue in the post. “It is time for Koshyari to reconsider his continuing as state governor. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was a great role model on how to use power for people’s welfare and not self-interest. These ideals have inspired Maharashtra and will continue to do so for time immemorial,” Pawar said.

    Reacting to Koshyari’s comment, BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said as long as there is a sun and moon, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj will be their idol and there is no second thought over it. Defending the governor, he further said even Koshyari had no doubts that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is the only idol. “There are various meanings derived from the remarks made by the governor,” he said.

    MUMBAI:  Maharashtra’s Opposition on Sunday demanded that Bhagat Singh Koshyari step down as the state’s governor over his remark that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is an idol of “olden times”. 
    Attending a function in Aurangabad on Saturday, Koshyari said, “There are so many icons here (in Maharashtra). While Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is of olden time, there are Ambedkar and Nitin Gadkari,” the governor had said.

    Reacting to the statement, the leader of the Opposition Ajit Pawar said that Koshyari has no right to continue in the post. “It is time for Koshyari to reconsider his continuing as state governor. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was a great role model on how to use power for people’s welfare and not self-interest. These ideals have inspired Maharashtra and will continue to do so for time immemorial,” Pawar said.

    Reacting to Koshyari’s comment, BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said as long as there is a sun and moon, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj will be their idol and there is no second thought over it. Defending the governor, he further said even Koshyari had no doubts that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is the only idol. “There are various meanings derived from the remarks made by the governor,” he said.

  • A day after Shivaji statue inauguration by PM Narendra Modi, tile from canopy falls; NCP blames haste

    By PTI

    PUNE: A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the Pune Municipal Corporation headquarter premises, a tile piece from the structure’s canopy fell down on Monday.

    While the NCP said it was a reminder of how the BJP was trying to push forward with inaugurations in a hurry for political gains, the PMC’s building department said the tile piece of the the canopy, which is above the statue of the warrior-king, fell after it was hit by a steel structure when tents and curtains were being dismantled.

    “The incident is unfortunate. The ruling BJP, just to gain political mileage, is rushing into inaugurations in a hurry. The structure was readied for inauguration within seven days while the curing period is 21 days,” said Pune NCP president Prashant Jagtap.

    PMC chief engineer Srinivas Kandul said the tile piece fell after it was hit by a steel structure during the dismantling of curtains and tents put up for the unveiling event.

    “The structure is of the best quality. No substandard material was used during the construction of the structure. The certificate of structural stability has also been received from the consultant,” he said.

  • Shiv Sena members meet Shah, seek sedition charges for alleged desecration of Shivaji Maharaj statue

    By PTI

    PUNE: A group of Shiv Sena leaders in Pune on Sunday met Union Home Minister Amit Shah here and sought sedition charges be invoked against those responsible for the alleged desecration of a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Bengaluru.

    The delegation led by Sena’s city unit president Sanjay More handed over a memorandum to Shah in the evening during the latter’s visit to the city, where he attended several programmes.

    “We met Amitji today and handed over a memorandum seeking to register an offence under the charges of sedition against those who are responsible for the incident that took place in Bengaluru,” said More.

    He added that they also demanded to rein in Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai for his remarks, in which he allegedly dubbed the incident as “trifle”.

    The Sena delegation pointed out that it was quite ironic that while Shah was in Pune to lay the foundation of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue, a condemnable act has happened in the neighbouring state.

    “In the letter, we stated that such acts are happening in Karnataka repeatedly and it should be stopped somewhere and such tendencies should be nipped in the bud,” he said.

    Tension had prevailed in Belagavi bordering Maharashtra on Saturday after alleged activists of the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti vandalised a statue of Kannada freedom fighter Sangolli Rayanna, following news that a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was desecrated in Bengaluru.

    CM Bommai on Sunday appealed to people to respect iconic personalities and avoid lending ears to rumours.

  • Thackeray’s remark on Yogi made over insult to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj: Sanjay Raut

    By ANI

    MUMBAI: Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Thursday said that Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s statement against Uttar Pradesh counterpart Yogi Adityanath over an insult to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

    This came after BJP MLA Devyani Farande demanded action against Thackeray for allegedly using derogatory remarks against his Adityanath in the past.

    “The statement was made over an insult to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. No one garlands Shivaji Maharaj in Maharashtra while wearing slippers. It is our culture and tradition. This is our respect to Shivaji Maharaj,” Raut said.

    Earlier on Wednesday, Farande said: “Uddhav Thackeray had said about Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath that he is not ‘Yogi’ but Bhogi. He also had said that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath should be beaten with slippers. This is not appropriate. We hope strict action will be taken against him.”

    The war of words between BJP and Shiv Sena intensified after the arrest of Union Minister Narayan arrest in Maharashtra for a brief period of time over his alleged derogatory statement against Thackeray. However, Rane was granted bail a few hours later by the local court in Mahad of Raigarh district.

    Rane on Monday accused Thackeray of ignorance about the year of India’s independence at an event and said “I would have given (him) a tight slap.”

    The Union Minister was arrested in Ratnagiri district after several FIRs were registered against him at many places including Nashik and Pune, based on the complaints filed by Shiv Sena leaders for his remarks against Thackeray. 

  • Shivaji Maharaj’s ‘Hindavi swarajya’ finest example of good governance: PM Modi

    He also said that the works done by Shivaji Maharaj on various fronts, including effective use of marine power and watershed management, are still imitable.

  • Goa tourism department calls Marathas ‘invaders’ on Twitter, later apologises

    By PTI
    PANAJI: The Goa tourism department on Friday referred to the Maratha warriors led by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj as “invaders”, but deleted the tweet containing that reference soon after and also issued an apology.

    The opposition Congress slammed the BJP government in the state for “insulting” the Marathas, even as Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar said an inquiry would be launched into the tweet.

    The tourism department’s official twitter handle @TourismGoa, while giving information about the Aguada Jail, which is a part of Aguada fort, referred to the Dutch and the Marathas as invaders.

    “The Aguada Jail is part of the beautiful Fort Aguada which was built in the year 1612. This fort which once defended Portuguese stronghold against the Dutch and Maratha invaders is divided into two parts- The upper and the lower fort,” the tweet said.

    Soon after tweeting it, the department deleted the the post and issued an apology.

    “In our post about Aguada fort, the word “invader” was meant to be used for the Dutch. It was intended to be read ‘stronghold against Dutch invaders and Maratha rulers’ instead of the erroneous reference. We regret the error and apologise,” the department said in another tweet.

    Ajgaonkar said this kind of error is unacceptable and he would initiate an inquiry into the incident.

    “This kind of tweet should not have happened. I will immediately inquire into the incident. This is unacceptable,” the minister said.

    Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat, who shared both the tweets of the department, said, “The irresponsible @BJP4Goa Government INSULTS Maratha’s led by Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj by calling the Great Warriors as INVADERS. @TourismGoa clarification makes propaganda of Salazars Portuguese Regime. Is this the MODIfied History @BJP4India now writing @goacm? @INCGoa.”

    Aguada fort, located in North Goa, was built by the Portuguese in 1612.

    The Portuguese, who ruled Goa for over four centuries, had turned a part of the fort into a prison.

    The fort was built to guard and defend the Portuguese stronghold against the Dutch and the Marathas.

  • PM Modi pays tributes to Maratha empire founder Shivaji

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday paid tributes to Maratha empire founder Shivaji on his birth anniversary, saying the stories of his indomitable courage, rare valour and extraordinary wisdom will inspire the countrymen for generations.

    Fondly called by admirers as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the Maratha king was born in 1630 and carved out his kingdom and successfully expanded it in the face of hostile Muslim rulers, including Mughals.

    The Maratha empire went on to become the country’s strongest empire before being finally subdued by the British.

    Tributes to the immortal son of “Maa Bharti” Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj on his birth anniversary, Modi tweeted.

  • This time the procession will not go out on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti

    On 19 February, the birth anniversary of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj will be celebrated under the leadership of Maratha society. This time, in view of Corona virus, it has been decided not to take Shobha Yatra. The Jubilee celebrations will be held in the hall of the Buddhaeshwar temple. The president of Maratha Yuva Samaj, Neeraj Ingale, said that on February 19, the birth anniversary of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj will be celebrated. To prepare for this, a meeting was held at the late Baburao Dani Maratha boarding at Budapara.

    Discussions were held about the events of the Jayanti events in the meeting. It was decided that the grand procession which was taken out every year from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Stadium, will not be taken out this time and the Jubilee will be held in the meeting house at Budha Para. A bike rally will be taken out at 8:30 am on February 19, which will leave Veer Shivaji Maharaj Chowk Tikrapara and arrive at the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Tatiyapara Chowk, where the wreath will be performed.