Milind Patwardhan

What does Chhatrapati Shivaji have to do with Bengal? I am honoured to answer this question, which has arisen in the minds of some lesser men. Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak, the pioneer of Shiv Jayanti celebrations, appears to have had the grand vision of taking Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj beyond the boundaries of Maharashtra and presenting him on an all-India platform. Tilak wanted Shivaji Maharaj to be regarded as a true “national hero.” In one of his speeches in Kolkata, Tilak said: “Shivaji Maharaj was born in Pune district, and therefore he may be called a ‘Maratha.’ If you wish, you may even consider him a Bengali. Looking at his features, he appears like a Rajput, so he may also be counted among the Rajputs. Setting aside secondary questions such as who he was and where he was born, if we think from a national perspective, we realize that his achievements were national in character. It is for those achievements that the entire country must honor him. We should draw inspiration from his accomplishments. Inspired by this spirit, perhaps in today’s times another leader like Shivaji may arise in some other province.” Just like the Ganesh festival, the Shiv Jayanti festival too was first celebrated outside Maharashtra in Bengal. The credit for this goes to Gopalrao Deuskar. Acting on Tilak’s instructions, he worked tirelessly in Bengal and organized the Shiv Jayanti celebrations there in Tilak’s absence. Numerous traces of this influence can be found in Bengali literature, especially in the writings of Rabindranath Tagore and Sri Aurobindo. In Gurudev Rabindranath Thakur’s literary works, one can find two long poems - one in ‘Shivaji Utsab’, that glorifies the virtues and achievements of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the other being ‘Pratinidhi’ that depicts the relationship between the legendary Guru-Shishya duo Samarth Ramdas & Chhatrapati Shivaji. Another important link strengthening the bond between Maharashtra and Bengal was Yogi Aurobindo. The relationship between Tilak and Sri Aurobindo was extremely close. In Aurobindo’s writings, there is also a long poem based on the valour of Baji Prabhu Deshpande, the famous general who sacrificed his life protecting his king, Chhatrapati Shivaji. It is no secret that even Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was influenced by the bravery of Chhatrapati Shivaji. Today, Tilak, Tagore, Aurobindo and Bose are no longer with us. Yet, there still remains a deep affection and reverence for India’s freedom struggle, the revolutionary movement, Shivaji Maharaj, and the historic bond between Maharashtra and Bengal. The respect and admiration for Chhatrapati Shivaji can still be clearly seen even today. So, yes, Chhatrapati Shivaji was, is and will always remain the greatest Hindutva leader across the Indian subcontinent!