Early Life
Balwant Moreshwar Purandare, also known as Shivashahir Babasaheb Purandare, was a great man. In the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, he was a living legend. A committed historian and chronicler, he has dedicated his entire life to the study, research, and successful spread of Shivacharitra. It is not an exaggeration to contend that he has made history by recounting it in the most creative manner possible.
“The history of Shivaji Maharaj and the Maratha dynasty is an extraordinary history of regular people. As a result, it has the capacity to inspire common people of all generations,” he says. He has devoted more than 60 years of his life to the solitary aim of disseminating history to people from all walks of life. He brought Maharashtra’s magnificent history to everyone’s attention.
While achieving his objectives, he always stayed faithful to historical facts while conveying the Shivacharitra in the most entertaining language and style possible. Babasaheb’s style of explaining history is always enthralling to his listeners.
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His skills as an orator and writer are his excellent recall, unusual intelligence, extraordinary vision, and unrivalled love for this topic.
Career and Achievements
He has not only written Shivaji Maharaj’s biography, but he has also resurrected the 17th century period in all of its intricacies. His initial invention, ‘Shivacharitra Vyakhyanmala’ made this subject famous in Maharashtra households.
It was followed by Shivaji Maharaj’s literary biography, ‘Raja Shivachhatrapati.’ This biography is epic poetry in and of itself, not merely a historical record. Babasaheb’s smooth, straightforward, yet elegant language in this work will be studied for generations to come. The mega-show ‘Janata Raja’, another of Babasaheb’s creations, is likewise a marvel of the theatrical world.
Purandare, who was born on July 29, 1922, in Saswad, Pune district, began writing about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at a young age, composing stories and essays on the Maratha ruler.
Purandare published various volumes throughout his prolific literary career, including a two-volume history of the king, “Raje Shivchhatrapati.” Other notable works by him include “Maharaj,” “Shelar Khind,” “Gadkot Kille,” “Agra,” “Lal Mahal,” “Purandar,” “Rajgad,” “Panhalgad,” “Sinhagad,” “Pratapgad,” “Fulwanti,” “Purandaryanchi Daulat,” “Mujaryache Mankari,” “Savitri,” and “Kalawant”. He often visited the United States, giving talks about Shivaji and directing plays related to Shivaji.
He created and directed the play “Jaanta Raja” in 1985, which had over 200 actors as well as horses and elephants. The drama was translated into numerous languages and performed in Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and the United States. His activist and educator wife, Nirmala Purandare, died in July of this year. His two sons, Amrut and Prasad, as well as his daughter Madhuri, survive him. In 2015, the Maharashtra government awarded Purandare the Maharashtra Bhushan award. In 2019, he was also awarded the Padma Vibhushan, the country’s second-highest civilian honour.
Demise
Babasaheb Purandare, an author and distinguished historian who was admitted to Pune’s Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital on Saturday, died this morning, according to doctors. He was 99 years old at the time. “He died at 5.07 a.m. from diseases related to old age and pneumonitis.” Dr Dhananjay Kelkar, the hospital’s medical director, said he had been on ventilator support since last evening.
His earthly remains have been moved to his Parvati mansion, where close ones and fans are paying their last respects. At 10 a.m, the final rites will be performed at the Vaikunth Crematorium.
Many renowned politicians like Amit shah (Home Minister), Narendra Modi (Prime Minister), Murlidhar Mohal and many other politicians and authors expressed their grief on Twitter and other social media platforms.
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