A Proud Maratha

It was due to the efforts of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj that Hindvi Swarajya was established. Unfortunately, Maharaj died soon after his coronation and a power vacuum was formed. Maharaj was succeeded by his eldest and most capable son, Chhatrapati Sambhaji raje. Here we will learn more about his life and his achievements. Sambhajiraje was born on 14 May, 1654 on the fortress of Purandar. His mother was Saibaisaheb, the chief queen of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Unfortunately, Shambhuraje lost his mother when he was just two years old. We cannot imagine the sorrow he went through during this phase. During those troubled times, a woman named Dharau became the foster mother of Shambhuraje. She fed him her own milk and looked after him as if he was her own child. Shambhuraje was a loving child and was doted upon by the other queens of Shivajiraje. His education was overseen by Rajmata Jijau saheb. Teachers were invited from various parts of the country to teach the young prince. Soon...

Hinduism - A modern term used to refer to Sanatan Dharma - a way of life which has been in existence for 1000s of years. It is this very concept that has been a torch to show a path to the world about kindness and righteousness. Sanatan Dharma has been teaching us the doctrines of Karma (duty), moksha (salvation), tapasya (meditation) over the years and it's a matter of great pride that the West is accepting these ideas and trying to follow this great path. But the sad part is that in our own country Bharat - the birthplace of Sanatan Dharma, the religion has suffered the most. It all started with the invasions by the Afghans, Turks and the Persians who had a religious aim to convert and destroy the "Kaafirs" (Infidels who don't believe in Islam). What began as a conquest soon turned into looting, rapes, murders, slavery and forced conversions. The most notorious of these invaders was Mahmud of Ghazni, a chieftain of the city of Ghazni. He launched multiple inv...

आज मी एका किल्ल्यासोबत जुळलेल्या आठवणी प्रस्तुत करत आहे. आमच्या गावच्या घरापासून २० मिनिटांवर सिंधुदुर्ग किल्ला आहे. मालवणच्या बंदरावर आमच्या काही नौका असायच्या. गावी गेल्यावर दररोज रात्री मी आणि माझे आजोबा, कै. सुरेशराव वासुदेवराव वराडकर, आम्ही दोघे गडावर होडीने जायचो. किल्ल्यामध्ये प्रवेश करताना मुख्य दरवाज्यातून आत जाण्यात एक वेगळीच शान वाटायची. जणू आपण स्वतः इतिहासाच्या एका साक्षीदाराच्या कुशीत जात आहोत! गडामध्ये प्रवेश करून काही अंतरावर एक निसर्गाचा चमत्कार पाहायला मिळायचा. एकाच झाडातून दोन नारळाची झाडे निघाली होती. ते पाहून प्रकृतीच्या अद्भुत कलेची ओळख झाली. पुढे जाऊन, आपले दैवत - श्री छत्रपती शिवाजी महाराजांचे देऊळ लागायचे. तिथे जाऊन, आपल्या शूर, पराक्रमी आणि जनकल्याणासाठी झटणाऱ्या राजासमोर स्वतःचे डोके टेकून जो आनंद लाभायचा तो अद्भुतच! काही वेळ तिथे बसून आजोबांकडून इतिहासाच्या गोष्टी ऐकायचो. अफझलखान वध, शाहिस्तेखान याची फजिती, बाजीप्रभू देशपांडे यांचा पराक्रम - या सगळ्या गोष्टी आम्ही सर्वप्रथम त्या मंदिराच्या पायरीवर बसून ऐकल्या होत्या. त्यानंतर आम्ही रात्रोच्या अंधकारात, ए...