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| Great warror Shivaji. ScoopWhoop |
Chatrapathy Shivaji's 387th birth day was celebrated last month February 2017. Belonging to the warrior clan of Satara, Maharastra you may be wondering what Shivaji has got to do with Bengaluru and what way this great Hindu ruler is connected with the garden city. Shivaji Maharaj ( 1627/1630 - 3 April 1680) was a man of valor, wisdom and commitments. No doubt, he was instrumental in founding a powerful Maratha dynasty that was a menace to the later Mogul rulers as well as to the British East India Company. The Marathas made their foray into Tamil Nadu and established a kingdom at Tanjore (Thanjavur). The descendants of Shivaji's half brother presently occupy the Thanjavur palace and are associated with several cultural and religious organizations. The Marathas enriched the social and cultural life of the Delta districts of Thanjavur, Thiruvarur and Nagapatnam and adjacent regions.
That Chatrapathy Shivaji has close links with Bengaluru and the fact that his remarriage took place right here may surprise countless people. Though details are sketchy, he spent part of his childhood here. As a 12 year boy he came down to Bengaluru along with his mother Jijabhai to spend time with his father Shahaji Raje who was a ruler then. According to Maya Jayapal, Historian, Shahaji summoned his son Shivaji and Jijabhai to Bengaluru and between 1640 and 1642 he and his brother stayed here.
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| Maraatha warrior Shivaji. www.dailyo.in/ |
D.V. Kalauvkar, a school teacher and a researcher, believes that Shivaji's wedding with Saibhai Nimbalkar took place in Pune at Lal Mahal Palace with his mother's blessings and father Shahaji could not attend the wedding due his preoccupation with some urgent state matter. So, Shahaji summoned his son Shivaji and the wedding again took place in his palace with his blessings. In 1642, his father gave him full power to rule Pune and sent him back along with four administrators, each one specialized in a particular field to assist him. The place or venue of wedding is a subject of debate. The Karnataka State Gazetteer Suryanath Kamath believes the Gauri Mahal palace in Chickpet is the place where Shahaji is believed to have lived and where Shivaji and his elder brother Shambaji spent the early childhood.
Historian Fazul Hassan mentioned in his work 'Bengaluru through centuries' Gauri vilasa Hall is the place where Shahaji lived and conducted the court. Hassan quoted a poem in Sanskrit Champa... called Madhava Vilasa. Poet Jayarama Pandaye is believed to have read the poem to Shivaji and Shahaji in the same palace.
Tme and tide waits for none and Hassan predicts what was once a palace is now a dilapidated structure located inside the palace
built by Kempegowda. Until 1909, it was part of an old building called Mohan building. Shahaji made additions to the fort by reinforcing the four towers and the nine gates in the fort. Now defunct Vijayalaksmi theater occupied part of the famous historical place.
Ref:
"Shivaji's Bengaluru days", Times Bengaluru; 22 February 2017.
