Renowned historian, Padma Vibhushan awardee, an authority on Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji and theatre personality Balwant Moreshwar Purandare – popularly known as Babasaheb Purandare – died at a private hospital at Pune after a brief illness, in the early hours of Monday.
Purandare was 99. He breathed his last the Dinanath Mangeshkar Hospital & Research Centre, around 5.07 am.
After he was diagnosed with pneumonia, he had been admitted to the hospital a week ago. His condition deteriorated on Sunday evening. He was put on ventilator in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the hospital, after his condition turned critical.
Thousands of his admirers turned out at his Pune residence where his body was kept for final darshan. His last rites were performed at Vaikunth Crematorium with full state honours at around noon.
Rich tributes were paid to Puranare – who was known for better part of his life as ‘Shivsahir,” a bard of Shivaji -- from prominent personalities from various walks of life. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was among the first leaders to express his condolence over the demise of Purandare , said that Purandare “was witty, wise and had rich knowledge of Indian history”.
“Shivshahir Babasaheb Purandare will live on due to his extensive works. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with his family and countless admirers. Om Shanti,” Modi tweeted.
“Shivshahir Babasaheb Purandare was witty, wise and had rich knowledge of Indian history. I had the honour of interacting with him very closely over the years. A few months back, had addressed his centenary year programme,” the Prime Minister added.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, whose late father Bal Thasckeray considered Purandare as one of his earliest ideologues, said that Shivsahir Purandare’s eternal adoration of Chhatrapati Shivaji and his dedication towards studying the life and times of the Maratha warrior king was his greatest source of energy and inspiration throughout his life.
Governor Bhagar Singh Koshyari, NCP President Sharad Pawar, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis of the BJP, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena President Raj Thackeray, state and union ministers paid homage to Purandare.
Born on July 29, 1922 at Saswad near then Poona and now Pune, Purandare had been fascinated by Chhatrapati Shivaji from his early age. He had penned essays and stories which were later published in a book form, 'Thinagya' (Sparks).
His other prominent works included Raja Shivachatrapati and Kesari, and a book on life of Narayanrao Peshwa. Raja Shivchhatrapat was Purandare’s a two-part, 900-page magnum opus on Shivaji in Marathi. It was first published in the late 1950s and has since gone through numerous re-prints over decades.
His most well-known of his works was a drama Jaanata Raja, a widely popular play on Shivaji published and first staged in 1985. It seeks to re-create the life and times of Chhatrapati Shivaji.
Since then Jaanata Raja has been staged over 1,000 times in 16 districts of Maharashtra, Agra, Delhi, Bhopal, and the United States. Performed by more than 200 artistes, the drama is a visual delight as it involves elephants, camels and horses. The epic drama is staged in various parts of the state and country around Diwali every year.
Apart from studying all the forts and history of the Maratha Empire, Purandare delivered more than 12,000 lectures on the Maratha warrior.
In over eight decades of his writing and theatre career, Purandare had delivered more than 12,000 lectures on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and had studied all the forts and history of the Maratha Empire, which had made him an authority on the subject.
He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian award on January 25, 2019. Among the other awards, Purandare bagged in his lifetime was 'Maharashtra Bhushan' (2015).
His wife Nirmala Purandare (1933–2019) was a veteran social activist who founded “Vanasthali” in Pune. She had worked among rural women rural women in the field of child welfare. Purandare is survived by renowed writer-painter-singer daughter Madhuri and two sons, Amrut and Prasad.
Purandare, who would have turned 100 on July 29, 2022 if he were to be alive, was felicitated at a public function on July 29 2021 on his entering the milestone 100th year of his life, by Maharashtra Education Society and Itihaas Premi Mandal,
Apart from Raja Shivachatrapati, Kesari, 'Thinagya and Jaanata Raja, Purandare’s other works included: "Maharaj", "Shelarkhind", "Gadkot Kille", "Agra", "Lal Mahal", "Purandar", "Rajgad", "Panhalgad", "Sinhagad", "Pratapgad", "Purandaryanchi Daulat", "Mujaryache Mankari", "Fulwanti", "Savitri" and "Kalawantinicha Sajja".
His two-volume novel Raja Shivachatrapati was adapted into a television serial in Marathi – with a Pune-based doctor -turned-NCP MP Dr.Amol R. Kolhe playing the title role.