Latest news with #ChhatrapatiShivaji
Time of India
31-05-2025
- Time of India
Residents oppose construction of resort and tree cutting at Sadashivagad fort
Karwar: The tourism department had proposed resort in the middle of the historic Sadashivagad fort, which is stoutly opposed by the residents of Sadashivagad (Chittakula) village in Karwar taluk. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Village locals lodged a complaint against the Tourism, Forest and Jungle Lodge Resorts Ltd; for destroying trees and damaging the fort, which falls under the Archaeological Survey of India. "The fort was built by Sadashivaraya of the Sonde kingdom and was completed by his son in the 16th century. It served as a protector for Coastal Karnataka, from the Portuguese attacking from Goa. Chhatrapati Shivaji visited the fort twice. A historical Durga temple was built there about 400 years ago. It was listed as an important monument by the ASI. Despite all that, the tourism department cut down about 100 trees and drilled stones in the fort wall, without any permission from either ASI or the local authorities. This act is unpardonable. We have lodged a complaint against the officials for damaging the historic fort and destroying trees," said Kishor Desai, advocate and activist. President of Sanatana Seva Sangha, Vinayak Gaonkar said that the fort is built in a picturesque place at the confluence of River Kali and the Arabian Sea. "For generations, hundreds of tourists used to visit the place to watch the sunset at the Kali confluence. But now the tourism department set up a gate and restricted the entry of the common people a few months back. The area is of religious and historical importance, and destruction in the name of tourism cannot be tolerated," he said. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Ashok Rane, an activist alleged that he and members of other organisations went to Chittakula police station to lodge a complaint against tourism officials. "Instead of accepting the complaint, the PSI threatened them not to file any complaint. If police can behave in this manner with officials, what will they do with common people? Police department should look into this," Rane said. When contacted, forest officials washed their hands of the matter, and said they were not aware of any such tree cutting and that the department would look into it. Tourism department official, on condition of anonymity, said that they did not violate any law and that the construction of the road in the fort and cutting of trees was as per law. JRL officials were not available to comment. Meanwhile, local organisations submitted a memorandum to the district administration, and the additional DC assured action against the erring officials. Locals threatened to launch an agitation if the construction inside the fort is not stopped immediately.
The Hindu
19-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
We should guard ourselves against false narratives created by vested interests, says Minister
'We should guard ourselves from the evil designs of vested interests who are trying to divide society using false narratives from history,' Minister Satish Jarkiholi said in Belagavi on Sunday. 'Some forces are trying to paint a picture of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj as an anti-Muslim leader. This is not true. He had both Hindus and Muslims in his army. They lived like brothers and the King never discriminated against between them. His close confidantes, advisors and army generals were Muslims. If he fought the Mughals and other Kings, it was because of political reasons and not communal ones. There should be no attempt to distort facts for political benefit or other selfish reasons. It is detrimental to society,' he said. He was speaking after releasing a book, Chhatrapati Shivaji, The Great Maratha, by Sarjoo Katkar. He urged writers to take up intensive research and publication of books about great personalities, including Kings and saints. 'There needs to be done a lot of work that answer several questions about great personalities like Basavanna, B.R. Ambedkar and Shivaji Maharaj. They should be supported by well documented facts and not myths. It is well documented that some priests refused to officiate his coronation only because he was a Shudra. For centuries, some forces kept hidden the information about Shivaji's grave. They wanted to prevent him from becoming a great leader of the depressed classes. We should be indebted to Jyotiba Phule who identified Shivaji's resting place and cleaned it up,' the Minister said. He said that Shivaji Maharaj should be referred to as the Great Indian and not the Great Maratha. 'We should realise that historic personalities belong to the world and not to any particular community or group. We should also reflect on the fact as to why those who were opposed to him then, are his great supporters now,' he said. 'There is a growing trend of people blindly believing and thoughtlessly forwarding messages on social media. We should not fall prey to this,' he said. 'Shivaji Maharaj means several things to different people. But I would like to think of him as a social leader who tried to introduce equality in society. There are instances where he mandated that those considered untouchable be allowed inside temples. He continues to guide in such matters. His guerilla war strategies are well documented. In fact, some leaders of Vietnam have said that Shivaji's guerilla strategies helped them defeat the U.S.,' the Minister said. 'The medieval era King shall be known for his patriotism, strategic struggles with enemies for the protection of the country, his military strategy, good governance for the prosperity of all people and his efforts to establish social harmony and a society without discrimination,' Mr. Jarkiholi said. Author Sarjoo Katkar spoke about the effort of two years in researching for the book. 'I have travelled across several States and read over 200 books and research papers in preparing material for the book,' he said. He said that he was astonished by several things that he found during the research. 'Director of the Dr. Ambedkar Study Centre Sambhaji Rao Birje gave me copies of a letter by Shahu Maharaj to Dr. Ambedkar, where he says that Shivaji's Guru was Kshatra Jagadguru from Patgaon and not Samarth Ramdas. In fact, there is no documentary evidence to show that Shivaji and Samarth Ramdas ever met,' he said. He clarified that he had used the sobriquet The Great Maratha as it was the term used by Queen Victoria to describe the Maratha King in one of her letters. Dr. Katkar said that he had translated the books of researcher R.C. Dhere into Kannada. 'As per some of his research work, Shivaji's family originated from Sortur in Gadag district. Baliappa from the Hoysala clan moved from Sortur to Maharashtra to avoid drought conditions. His descendants became the governors of Bengaluru and later the Kings of the Maratha empire,' he said. The former president of the Kannada Sahitya Parishat Manu Baligar described the book as a reference work for future researchers on Shivaji Maharaj. 'There are thousands of books on Shivaji. But this stands out as it is based on researched facts and not myths and legends. It traces the history of India for over 10,000 years. It also sheds new light about the achievements of Shivaji like establishing his navy,' Dr Baligar said. Writers Gurudevi Huleppanavaramath and Y.R. Patil introduced the work. Ramakrishna Marathe, Basavaraja Kuppasagoudar, Suma Katkar and others spoke.
The Print
02-05-2025
- The Print
IRCTC to launch heritage tour to places associated with Chhatrapati Shivaji's life
The six-day itinerary will commence its journey from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) in Mumbai. On Day 1, it will reach the Mangaon railway station on the Konkan Railway network, the closest railway link to the Raigad Fort. A press statement issued by the IRCTC said the tour package has been attractively priced at Rs 13,155 per person in Economy (sleeper class), Rs 19,840 per person in Comfort (3AC) and Rs 27,365 per person in the Superior (2AC) category. New Delhi, May 2 (PTI) The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) is all set to operate a first-of-its-kind heritage tour to cover the key sites associated with the life of Chhatrapati Shivaji, the founder of the Maratha kingdom. 'The first destination is Raigad, known for the eponymous hill fort where Chhatrapati Shivaji's coronation took place. It later became his capital from where he ruled,' the release said. 'After the sightseeing, the train will proceed for the next destination, Pune, where the tourists will have dinner followed by night stay at a local hotel,' it said. On Day 2, the tourists would cover some popular sites in Pune, including the Lal Mahal, Kasba Ganapati and Shivsrushti, the IRCTC said. 'Lal Mahal, as the name suggests, is a red-coloured palace constructed by Chhatrapati Shivaji's father Shahaji Bhosale for his wife Jijabai and son in 1630 CE,' the press note said. As per the tour itinerary, the guests will have a night's rest in Pune. On Day 3, they will visit the Shivneri Fort atop a hill located at a distance of 95 km from Pune. 'It is the birthplace of Chhatrapati Shivaji and a symbol of Maratha pride,' a senior IRCTC official said. 'Post lunch, the tourists will visit the Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga temple, one of the 12 Jyotirlinga temples, before returning to Pune for night halt,' the release said. 'On Day 4, the tourists will head to Satara where they will visit the Pratapgarh Fort, which holds historical importance because of the Battle of Pratapgad that took place in 1659 between Chatrapati Shivaji and Bijapur Sultanate general Afzal Khan,' the IRCTC official said. 'This battle set the stage for the establishment of the Maratha empire,' he added. From Satara, the train will proceed towards its last destination — Kolhapur, according to the itinerary. 'In Kolhapur, the tourists will visit the Mahalakshmi Temple popularly known as 'Ambabai' before proceeding towards the Panhala Fort,' it said. Sitting atop the Sahyadri range, the hill fort bears a testament to many battles and is closely connected to Chhatrapati Shivaji, who spent more than 500 days there after he was held captive before escaping. From Kolhapur, the train will commence its return journey to Mumbai, the IRCTC said. 'The all-inclusive price in all categories will cover train journey in respective classes, night stay at comfortable hotels, all meals (vegetarian only), all transfer and sight-seeing in buses, travel insurance, services of tour escort etc.,' it added. PTI JP ARI This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
NDTV
21-04-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Why We Need To Wake Up From Induced Amnesia
History is not merely a record of bygone eras; it is the moral compass of a civilization. It shapes the consciousness of a people, informs their present, and influences their collective destiny. A society that forgets its heroes and glorifies its oppressors is not just misguided-it is complicit in cultural self-destruction. In modern India, this tragic distortion of memory is neither accidental nor subtle. On one hand, we celebrate the towering legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji and his son Sambhaji-guardians of dharma, protectors of culture, and pioneers of Hindavi Swaraj. On the other, we witness an insidious campaign to whitewash the crimes of Aurangzeb, one of the most tyrannical, bigoted, and barbaric rulers to have ever walked the sacred soil of Bharat. Aurangzeb, the sixth Mughal emperor, was neither a man of spiritual integrity nor a beacon of justice. He was intoxicated by power, blinded by fanaticism, and driven by a compulsive hatred for all that did not submit to his theological orthodoxy. Styling himself as Zil-e-Ilahi-the Shadow of God-he ruled not with divine mercy but with unrelenting cruelty. His empire was not modelled on administrative brilliance but built atop the bloodied bones of his family, his enemies, and the very soul of India. He imprisoned his father, Shah Jahan, murdered his brothers, and ascended the throne through a web of betrayal. To call him a religious ruler is an affront to the very concept of religion. Aurangzeb's reign marked an era aimed at breaking the back of Bharatiya dharma. His rule was not merely politically oppressive but spiritually corrosive, embodying a zealous disdain for the pluralistic ethos that defined Indian civilization for millennia. As nationalist historian Jadunath Sarkar observed, "neither age nor experience of life softened Aurangzeb's bigotry... The orthodox measures of Aurangzeb were an insidious attempt to establish an Islamic state in India, which in effect implied the conversion of the entire population to Islam and the extinction of every form of dissent." One of Aurangzeb's most sinister tools was the reimposition of the jizya tax in 1679-a humiliating levy on non-Muslims. This tax was not simply a fiscal burden; it was ideological warfare, branding Hindus as second-class citizens in their own land-kafirs to be subdued, humiliated, and controlled. It was part of a broader vision: to dismantle Sanatan Dharma and establish an Islamic empire on its ruins. Claims portraying Aurangzeb as a temple builder or an art patron are either tragically uninformed or deliberately deceitful. Such narratives are not mere historical inaccuracies-they are moral betrayals. Records of temple patronage attributed to Aurangzeb are often forged, exaggerated, or politically motivated actions. These isolated events pale in comparison to the documented destruction of hundreds of temples under Aurangzeb's explicit orders. Aurangzeb's barbarity extended to executing Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Sikh Guru, for refusing to convert to Islam, and killing Sambhaji Maharaj. He tortured his father and slaughtered his three brothers. Is such a ruthless figure deserving of admiration? In his court documents and farmans, Aurangzeb issued explicit orders to destroy Hindu temples with a clear motive: to crush the spiritual resilience and cultural identity of Bharat. Eminent historians like R.C. Majumdar and Satish Chandra have affirmed that this destruction was not incidental but methodical. It was a state policy designed to instil fear and assert dominance through desecration. These were not the acts of a ruler devoted to art but of a bigot bent on erasing the past and enslaving the future. Equally farcical is the effort to portray Aurangzeb as a patron of music or a connoisseur of culture. The truth is starkly opposite. He banned classical music, closed down dance halls, and persecuted artists who refused to conform to his orthodox interpretation of Islam. The same Aurangzeb who is falsely remembered for playing veena is also the one who issued edicts against musical expression, branding it as un-Islamic. To romanticize him is to desecrate the memory of countless artists, scholars, and saints silenced under his rule. In contrast to his tyranny stands the resplendent legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the luminous torchbearer of Hindavi Swaraj. Shivaji was not just a warrior king-he was a renaissance of Indian dignity, a revival of indigenous pride, and the embodiment of righteous governance. For him, Swaraj was not merely a political goal but a spiritual mission. His administration was rooted in dharma, justice, and decentralization. He established a state where governance was conducted in the local Marathi language, village councils flourished, and all communities, regardless of religion, were treated fairly. His profound moral clarity matched his military genius. That was the true spirit of Hindavi Swaraj-not communal hatred, but cultural self-respect; not conquest, but dharmic assertion. No other figure exposes Aurangzeb's moral bankruptcy more than Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. A scholar of Sanskrit, Persian, and politics, Sambhaji was a fearless leader and a custodian of civilizational pride. When Aurangzeb captured him, he was subjected to inhuman torture for refusing to convert to Islam. His skin was flayed, his eyes gouged, and his body mutilated-but his soul never surrendered. His last words before his martyrdom resonate through the annals of time: "I would rather die a Hindu than live as a coward." His sacrifice was not a solitary moment-it was the spark that lit the fire of resistance, which burned through generations, from Bajirao and Madhavrao to Rani Lakshmibai and Tatya Tope. Aurangzeb's death, in stark contrast, was an anticlimax. He died alone, unloved-surrounded not by the glory of his empire but by the shadows of his crimes. His grand ambitions left his empire fractured, overextended, and ripe for collapse. The very force he tried to annihilate-the spirit of dharma-outlived him, outshone him, and ultimately buried his legacy beneath the rubble of failed fanaticism. The tragedy, however, lies not just in history but in its telling. Colonial historians, with their imperialist lenses, described Shivaji as a mountain rat and painted the Marathas as looters, while calling the Mughals great stabilizers. These distortions poison our textbooks, academic institutions, and public discourse. What greater absurdity than to find Aurangzeb depicted as a tolerant ruler while Shivaji is barely given a chapter? We must now awaken from this induced amnesia. We must reclaim our past not as an act of vengeance but as an act of truth. Glorifying Aurangzeb is not merely a historical error but a moral crime. It insults the millions massacred under his rule, the thousands of temples defiled by his edicts, and the brave hearts who laid down their lives to defend the soul of Bharat. Hindavi Swaraj was not merely a regional revolt but a national resurgence. It was the assertion of civilizational dharma against imperialist dogma. Shivaji planted the seed, Sambhaji watered it with his blood, and its tree continues to shade the Indian spirit. It is not a memory-it is a mission. It is not a relic-it is a roaring flame. As India enters the future, building digital highways, launching into space, and claiming its rightful place on the global stage, its most significant threat is not external but the erosion of historical clarity. In the age of memes and manipulated narratives, we must teach our children not just who ruled India but who preserved it. Not just who built empires but who protected their essence. Not just who wore a crown but who upheld dharma. Elevating Aurangzeb means bowing before darkness. To embrace Hindavi Swaraj is to walk toward the light. And that, above all, is the call of our times. Views expressed are personal. (Mr. Tuli is an Independent Columnist, and Dr. Barthwal teaches Political Science at the University of Delhi.)
