‘Aranya Rishi' Maruti Chitampalli Passes Away at 93

Time of India

5 hours ago

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Nagpur: Maruti Bhujangrao Chitampalli, the legendary forest officer, naturalist, and Marathi writer who taught generations of Maharashtrians to read the forest like a sacred text, passed away on Wednesday, June 18, at the age of 93.
Although he spent his final years in Solapur, his soul remained rooted in the forests of Vidarbha, where he spent the most meaningful decades of his life.
Popularly known as 'Aranya Rishi' — the Forest Sage — Chitampalli was one of Maharashtra's finest nature writers and conservationists. His life was a seamless blend of scientific expertise, spiritual reflection, and literary brilliance. From Navegaon National Park to Nagzira and Karnala, his footprints are etched deep in the green heart of the state.
Born in 1932 near Solapur, Chitampalli's bond with nature began in childhood under the influence of his mother. After completing his training at the Forest College in Coimbatore in 1958, he joined the Maharashtra forest department. But it was in the forests of Vidarbha, particularly during his posting in the 1970s at Navegaon, that his true transformation began. "Vidarbha's forests enriched my life for 45 years," he would often recall.
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After retiring as deputy chief conservator of forests in 1990, he continued to live and write from a modest apartment in Nagpur, surrounded by books in Marathi, English, Sanskrit, and German. His home became a lighthouse for budding nature writers and conservation enthusiasts.
Chitampalli's literary legacy includes beloved classics like 'Pakshi Jaay Digantara', 'Janglach Den', and 'Ranwata' — books that opened up the secret world of birds, beasts, and trees to Marathi readers.
His 'Pakshi Kosh', 'Prani Kosh', and 'Vruksha Kosh' are pioneering reference works that combine tribal wisdom with ecological knowledge, significantly enriching Marathi's nature vocabulary.
He didn't just observe nature — he listened to it. He learned tribal dialects and recorded words and idioms that were fading from mainstream Marathi. His writing was not merely descriptive, but deeply evocative — capturing the stillness of a forest morning, the cry of a nesting bird, or the quiet dignity of a sacred tree.
Chitampalli also played a key role in developing wildlife sanctuaries like Nagzira, Navegaon, and Karnala. He introduced terms such as 'Kaak Gaar' (rookery) and 'Dev Vriksha' (sacred trees), bringing ecological consciousness into cultural vocabulary.
Earlier this year, he was honoured with the Padma Shri for his contribution to literature and education. The recognition came during the first phase of Padma awards, which he received with humility — a crown that sat lightly on his head but weighed heavily in significance.
Despite his advancing age, he continued writing, reflecting, and advocating for diary-writing among forest officers. "Without diaries, how will anyone truly observe nature?" he would ask — a simple question that revealed his lifelong faith in firsthand experience and quiet reflection.
Chitampalli's passing marks the end of an era. For Nagpur and Vidarbha, he was not just a forest officer or writer — he was a mentor, a silent reformer, and a voice that taught the modern world how to reconnect with the ancient language of the woods.
His final rites will be held in Solapur, but his spirit, his stories, and his love for the forests will remain forever in Vidarbha — the vanbhumi that shaped and cherished its Aranya Rishi.
Nagpur: Maruti Bhujangrao Chitampalli, the legendary forest officer, naturalist, and Marathi writer who taught generations of Maharashtrians to read the forest like a sacred text, passed away on Wednesday, June 18, at the age of 93.
Although he spent his final years in Solapur, his soul remained rooted in the forests of Vidarbha, where he spent the most meaningful decades of his life.
Popularly known as 'Aranya Rishi' — the Forest Sage — Chitampalli was one of Maharashtra's finest nature writers and conservationists. His life was a seamless blend of scientific expertise, spiritual reflection, and literary brilliance. From Navegaon National Park to Nagzira and Karnala, his footprints are etched deep in the green heart of the state.
Born in 1932 near Solapur, Chitampalli's bond with nature began in childhood under the influence of his mother. After completing his training at the Forest College in Coimbatore in 1958, he joined the Maharashtra forest department. But it was in the forests of Vidarbha, particularly during his posting in the 1970s at Navegaon, that his true transformation began. "Vidarbha's forests enriched my life for 45 years," he would often recall.
After retiring as deputy chief conservator of forests in 1990, he continued to live and write from a modest apartment in Nagpur, surrounded by books in Marathi, English, Sanskrit, and German. His home became a lighthouse for budding nature writers and conservation enthusiasts.
Chitampalli's literary legacy includes beloved classics like 'Pakshi Jaay Digantara', 'Janglach Den', and 'Ranwata' — books that opened up the secret world of birds, beasts, and trees to Marathi readers.
His 'Pakshi Kosh', 'Prani Kosh', and 'Vruksha Kosh' are pioneering reference works that combine tribal wisdom with ecological knowledge, significantly enriching Marathi's nature vocabulary.
He didn't just observe nature — he listened to it. He learned tribal dialects and recorded words and idioms that were fading from mainstream Marathi. His writing was not merely descriptive, but deeply evocative — capturing the stillness of a forest morning, the cry of a nesting bird, or the quiet dignity of a sacred tree.
Chitampalli also played a key role in developing wildlife sanctuaries like Nagzira, Navegaon, and Karnala. He introduced terms such as 'Kaak Gaar' (rookery) and 'Dev Vriksha' (sacred trees), bringing ecological consciousness into cultural vocabulary.
Earlier this year, he was honoured with the Padma Shri for his contribution to literature and education. The recognition came during the first phase of Padma awards, which he received with humility — a crown that sat lightly on his head but weighed heavily in significance.
Despite his advancing age, he continued writing, reflecting, and advocating for diary-writing among forest officers. "Without diaries, how will anyone truly observe nature?" he would ask — a simple question that revealed his lifelong faith in firsthand experience and quiet reflection.
Chitampalli's passing marks the end of an era. For Nagpur and Vidarbha, he was not just a forest officer or writer — he was a mentor, a silent reformer, and a voice that taught the modern world how to reconnect with the ancient language of the woods.
His final rites will be held in Solapur, but his spirit, his stories, and his love for the forests will remain forever in Vidarbha — the vanbhumi that shaped and cherished its Aranya Rishi.