Babasaheb Purandare
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A brief biography
Manjiri Damle, Nov 16, 2021: The Times of India
Babasaheb Purandare lived for and breathed Chhatrapati Shiva ji Maharaj. His 10-volume Shivcharitra Raja ShivChhatrapati, thousands of lectures, and the epic play ‘Jaanta Raja’ not only took the illustrious life and battles of the Maratha king to every household in Maharashtra and beyond, but also embedded the mighty warrior’s memory further in the conscience of the people.
Purandare was an eminent history scholar.
For seven decades, Purandare was a ‘Shivshahir’ or bard of Shiva ji Maharaj. He trekked to hundreds of forts the Maratha king had conquered, visited every home that could give him original documents, a weapon or anything connected to Shiva ji and meticulously preserved every little piece with great love for posterity. History never seemed dull or dry when Purandare took the podium. His powerful oratory brought to life his idol before the audience who always felt as if they were witnessing the life of Shiva ji Maharaj unfold before their eyes.
Purandare honed his research skills under the guidance of renowned historians G H Khare and Shankarrao Joshi at Bharat Itihas Sanshodhak Mandal, a place of eminence in history in Pune. He was a poet, an excellent storyteller and narrator, an author, playwright and novelist. His participation in the Dadra Nagar Haveli liberation movement made him a freedom fighter too.
He celebrated his 99th birthday three months ago. At a felicitation, Purandare said, “One needs to be obsessed with history if one wants to understand it. I love Shiva ji Maharaj, but I am not his pujari (priest) or his gulam (slave). I am enamoured with his intellect, his bravery and his wisdom. But most of all, I am in awe of his idea of nation building,” Purandare had then said. Babasaheb took the life of Shiva ji Maharaj to common citizens in easy-to-understand but vivid language and did not lose sight of the fact that historical research was a science.
2021/ Praised by the Prime Minister
jis-hindavi-swaraj-in-video/articleshow/85318626.cms August 14, 2021: The Times of India
PM Modi holds up example of Shiva ji’s ‘Hindavi Swaraj’
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Pune-based Marathi historian Babasaheb Purandare has popularized the stories of Shiva ji Maharaj throughout Maharashtra with his talks and his hugely popular play ‘Jaanta Raja’.
Heaping praise on Babasaheb Purandare, who has just entered the 100th year of his life, PM Modi said Babasaheb’s life “exemplifies the exalted notion of an active and mentally alert centenary life as expounded by our sages”. He noted the “happy coincidence of Purandare’s century falling in the 75th year of India’s independence”.
Highlighting Babasaheb Purandare’s contribution in writing the history of “immortal souls of our history”, Modi said, “All of us will always be indebted to him for his sterling contribution of taking the life and history of Shiva ji Maharaj to people.”
Babasaheb Purandare was honored with the Padma Vibhushan in 2019, and the BJP-led Maharashtra government had given him the Maharashtra Bhushan Award in 2015. He had also earlier been given the Kalidas award by the Madhya Pradesh government.
