Pune: Purandare Babasaheb lives for and breathes Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
10-volume Shivharitra King Shivchhatrapati, thousands of lectures and epics Play Janata Raja not only took the famous life and battle courage from King Maratha to every household in Maharashtra and its surroundings, but also absorbing the ideals of mighty soldiers in very conscience of the people.
Purandare, a leading historical scholar, died at 5.07 in the morning at Pune Hospital from old age pneumonia on Monday.
He is 99 years old.
The last rite was carried out at Vaikunth Crematorium with Honors State.
For more than seven decades, Purandare is Shivaji Maharaj Bard (Shivshahir).
But his words are based on solid evidence and facts.
He had trekked to hundreds of fortress that the king maratha had been conquered and had visited every home that could give him original documents, weapons or something that was connected to Shivaji Maharaj.
He carefully preserves every acquisition with great love for grandchildren.
History doesn’t seem boring or dry when Purandar takes the podium.
His strong oratory turned on his idol before the audience who always felt as if they witnessed the life of Shivaji Maharaj revealed before their eyes.
Purandare sharpened his research skills under the guidance of the famous historian G H Khare and Shankarrao Joshi at Bharat Itihas Sanshodhak Mandal, the place of excellence in history in Pune.
He is a very good poet, teller and narrator, a writer, scriptwriter and a novelist.
His participation in the Liberation Movement of Dadra Nagar Haveli made him a fighter of freedom too.
He celebrated his 99th birthday three months ago.
At a criminal, Purandare said, “Someone needs to be obsessed with history if someone wants to understand it.
I like Shivaji Maharaj, but I am not a Pujari (priest) or his wins (slave).
I am captivated by his intelligence, his courage and wisdom.
But the most important , I was amazed by the idea of the nation’s development, “Purandare said.
The famous humorous P L Deshpande captured the essence of Purandar’s greatness in his pen sketch in the ‘Gangoat’ book.
Deshpande wrote: Babasaheb took the life of Shivaji Maharaj to the most common people in language that was easily understood and clear, but he had never seen the fact that historical research was science.
He showed the openness of the mind to study new material and combine it in his writing as long as it was based on strong facts and evidence, he said.
Deshpande greatly appreciated Purandar’s orders for details that ensure that history is not interrupted from the present.
“He read the literature with the same interest.
He can watch Hindi films, listen to the Ceylon radio, attend a classical music concert and find out the cricket match score.
While trekking to the fort, he took the same interest in the birds that lodged there or the flower Mekar, “Deshpande wrote.
Purandare was so immersed in the life of Shivaji Maharaj that he could almost see several events from his life revealed while traveling on the streets of Pune.
Deshpande remembers one example like a sketch of the questioner: “We traveled by car under Nava Pul and went to Sambhaji Park.
When we passed the Rokdoba Temple near the Bhavan Congress, Babasaheb told me to stop.
‘See that place? Horses? Shivaji Maharaj has been waiting there for him Must be prepared to be postponed while traveling with Purandare because he often finally told some interesting episodes of the life of the king he admired.
Purandare left a wealth of unparalleled work in Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
In passing, the country has lost a vibrant undergraduate.
Bachelor of history living for Shivaji Maharaj Dies
