Latest news with #Shivaji
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
Indian bison kills 68-year-old farmer in Kolhapur
Kolhapur: On Sunday morning, a gaur (Indian bison) attacked and killed a 68-year-old farmer from Kudalwadi village in Kolhapur district's Radhanagari tehsil. The deceased, Bhikaji Berkal, a former gram panchayat employee, left for his field around 8.30am, expecting to return shortly. When he failed to return, his son, Shivaji, went looking for him, and found him unconscious with severe chest injuries. Medical professionals pronounced him dead upon arrival. Following the postmortem, the authorities released the body to his family. Speaking to TOI, range forest officer Vishal Patil said, "Based on the injury marks on the body of the deceased and the distinctive marks found in the vicinity, we concluded that the attack was by a gaur. We are investigating what prompted an otherwise shy wild animal to attack the man." The village's proximity to the forest range, where gaurs naturally inhabit, poses constant risks to local farmers. Earlier, in April, a similar incident occurred when a gaur attacked and killed a 26-year-old man on the Ajara-Amboli road.
New Indian Express
16 hours ago
- Science
- New Indian Express
Shivaji Palleti leads Tirupati's green revolution with plastic-free drives, tree planting, and sustainable farming
TIRUPATI: In the heart of the temple town, a quiet environmental revolution has been unfolding, largely driven by the efforts of Shivaji Palleti. A software engineer and entrepreneur, Shivaji has blended his technical skills with a deep-rooted passion for nature, emerging as a prominent environmental conservationist with an impact that spans across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Shivaji's environmental journey began during his student days as an NSS (National Service Scheme) volunteer and student leader at Sri Venkateswara University (SVU) between 2005 and 2008. It was here, he first developed a lasting commitment to social and ecological causes. One of his most notable efforts is leading the Plastic-Free Tirupati campaign. Shivaji is not just advocating for change, he's making it happen through consistent cleanup drives and innovative awareness programmes. His campaigns aim to create a cultural and behavioural shift around plastic usage. Notable initiatives include seed-Ganesha programmes that blend environmental awareness with traditional festivities. Speaking on afforestation drives, he told to TNIE that he had planted more than 20,000 trees across the region. He promotes the Miyawaki method of dense urban forestry for the expansion of green cover.
Hans India
2 days ago
- Hans India
IRCTC's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj heritage train tour receives overwhelming response
The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), a Navratna company under the Ministry of Railways, Government of India, has received an overwhelming response to its newly-launched 'Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Circuit Train Tour.' Scheduled to depart from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), Mumbai, on June 9, the heritage tour is already fully booked. A total of 710 passengers have secured their spots across various classes, with 480 bookings in Economy (Sleeper Class), 190 in Comfort (3AC), and 40 in Superior (2AC). This six-day train journey has been specially curated to showcase the glorious history and grand legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The tour is the result of a collaborative effort between the Government of Maharashtra, Indian Railways, and IRCTC, aiming to provide travellers with an immersive experience that brings to life the heroic saga of the legendary Maratha ruler. The train will cover historically significant sites such as Raigad Fort, Shivneri Fort, Pratapgad Fort, Panhala Fort, Lal Mahal, Kasba Ganpati Temple, and Shivsrushti, all closely associated with the key events and life of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The journey begins with the train departing from CSMT and heading toward Mangaon station on the Konkan Railway network, the nearest access point to Raigad Fort. Raigad is the site of Shivaji Maharaj's coronation and was his capital. After sightseeing, tourists will travel to Pune for an overnight hotel stay. On the second day, they will visit Lal Mahal, a red palace originally built by Shivaji's father Shahaji Bhosale in 1630, and later rebuilt in 1984. Tourists will also see the Kasba Ganpati Temple, believed to have been established by Shivaji's mother Jijabai, and the historical theme park Shivsrushti, where Shivaji's life story is presented through 3D visuals and interactive exhibits. Visitors will spend a second night in Pune. On the third day, the tour continues to Shivneri Fort, Shivaji Maharaj's birthplace located atop a hill near Junnar and will also visit the Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga Temple, one of the twelve Jyotirlingas in India. After the visit, tourists return to Pune for overnight rest. On the fourth day, the train will proceed to Satara. From there, travellers will explore Pratapgad Fort, the historic site of the 1659 battle between Shivaji Maharaj and Afzal Khan of the Bijapur Sultanate. After this visit, the group will leave for Kolhapur. The final day of the tour begins with the train arriving at Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Terminus in Kolhapur. Following this, there will be a tour of the iconic Panhala Fort, located in the Sahyadri Hills. This fort has deep historical connections with Shivaji Maharaj, who was held captive there for over 500 days before making a dramatic escape. Known as the 'Fort of Serpents' due to its winding structure, Panhala is also famous for the legendary bravery of Baji Prabhu Deshpande, Shivaji's general, during a crucial battle to retain control of the fort. The tour package includes train travel, comfortable hotel accommodations, all vegetarian meals, transfers and sightseeing via air-conditioned buses, travel insurance, and the assistance of experienced tour escorts. IRCTC has assured that all necessary arrangements have been made to ensure the safety and comfort of passengers while providing a culturally enriching and memorable journey.
India Today
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
Riteish Deshmukh is 'Raja Shivaji' in his directorial. See first poster
Actor Abhishek Bachchan on Wednesday shared the first-look poster of his latest film 'Raja Shivaji', which is directed by Riteish Deshmukh, and is based on the life of Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Deshmukh plays the titular role in the film, and the first poster only gives a partial glimpse of his appearance. Sharing the poster on his Instagram account, Bachchan wrote that he was "privileged and honoured to present a cinematic tribute to India's legendary warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (sic)." advertisement'Raja Shivaji', also featuring Sanjay Dutt, Mahesh Manjrekar, Sachin Khedekar, Bhagyashree, Fardeen Khan, Amole Gupte, and Genelia, among others, is scheduled to hit the screens on May 1, 'Raja Shivaji', Deshmukh joins the list of actors who are playing Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in different films. Akshay Kumar plays the celebratory Maratha warrior in Mahesh Manjrekar's 'Vedat Marathe Veer Daudle Saat', while 'Kantara' fame Rishab Shetty plays the same character in Sandeep Singh's 'The Pride of Bharat: Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj'.Meanwhile, Abhishek Bachchan will next be seen in 'Housefull 5' alongside Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh, Jacqueline Fernandez, Sonam Bajwa, Shreyas Talpade, Soundarya Sharma, Chunky Pandey, Nargis Fakhri and Sanjay Dutt, among others. The film is slated to hit the screens on June Watch IN THIS STORY#Abhishek Bachchan#Riteish Deshmukh
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.
