Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar on June 6 said India was ruled by numerous kings, but even after 350 years, Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj resided in the hearts of people.
“If you ask anyone about a king who resides in the hearts of the common people, only one name comes forward, and that is Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj,” he said during the Shivrajyabhishek ceremony held at Lal Mahal in Pune as part of the 350th anniversary celebration of Shivaji Maharaj’s coronation.
Emphasising the significance of the day for Maharashtra and the nation, Mr. Pawar said that the 17th century Maratha king exemplified the responsible use of power and serving the people’s interests.
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While several kings ruled the country, such as the Yadavs from Devgiri, the Mughals from Delhi, and Adil Shah and their reigns were recognised by their gharana (lineage), the rule of Shivaji Maharaj stood out as Rayateche Rajya (rule of the people) or Hindavi Swaraj (self-rule of Hindus), the NCP supremo said.
The Maratha warrior king was crowned as emperor at the Raigad Fort on June 6, 1674, from where he laid the foundation of Hindavi Swaraj. However, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis took part in the anniversary of his coronation on June 2 this year, as per the Hindu calendar.
Later in the evening, a special postage stamp issued by the Indian Postal Department was launched by Governor Ramesh Bais, Mr. Shinde, Mr. Fadnavis and Cultural Affairs Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar at the Raj Bhavan in Mumbai.
Further, to commemorate the 350th anniversary, the Maharashtra government has started talks with the Centre to get the Jagdamba, the ceremonial sword of the Maratha ruler, from Saint James’s Palace in London.
The sword, set with several diamonds and rubies, was presented to Albert Edward, then Prince of Wales and later King Edward VII, by Shivaji IV “as a relic of the Maratha Chief Shivaji to whom it formerly belonged” during the former’s visit to India in 1875-76.
The first effort to bring back the sword was made by freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak, and after Independence, several Chief Ministers of Maharashtra, including the first CM, Yashwantrao Chavan, pursued the matter.
