Shivaji Jayanti 2018 : Today is the birth anniversary of Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The great Maratha was born in 1630 in Shivneri, Pune.
Scholars have two different opinions on the exact date of his birth. The one group propose February 19, 1630 and the other proposes April 6, 1627 as the birth date of Chhatrapati Shivaji.
The date of February 19, 1630 has been accepted as the birth anniversary of Shivaji Jayanti by the government of Maharashtra. However, very few people realize that this date is marked on Julian calendar and not on the Gregorian calendar currently used throughout the world.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is considered to be one of the greatest warriors of his time and even today, stories of his exploits are narrated as a part of the folklore. With his valour and great administrative skills, Shivaji carved out an enclave from the declining Adilshahi sultanate of Bijapur.
Shivaji is well-known for his innovative military tactics that centred around non-conventional methods leveraging strategic factors like geography, speed, and surprise to defeat his more powerful enemies. Chhatrapati Shivaji is remembered as a torchbearer of good governance and as an accomplished administrator. Shivaji Maharaj was the creator of the Maratha kingdom and he was instrumental in uniting the Maratha chiefs of Mayal, Konkan, and Desh regions. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is not only a hero for the people of Maharashtra but also for the rest of India as his military prowess and guerilla tactics of warfare are considered of great importance in the Indian history.
On the occasion of Shivaji Jayanti, several processions are taken out and people dress up like Shivaji and his associates. Shivaji Jayanti is an official statewide holiday in Maharashtra. Shivaji Jayanti is also celebrated in Goa and Karnataka. There are processions and dramas enacted on the life of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and speeches made on Shivaji Jayanti by prominent government officials on this day.
