Jaipur (Rajasthan) [India], May 13 (ANI): Rajasthan Governor Haribhau Kishanrao Bagde on Tuesday attended the Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Jayanti programme at Raj Bhavan in Jaipur, paying tribute to the Maratha warrior and son of the Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

Addressing the gathering, the Governor announced grand celebrations to mark Sambhaji Maharaj's birth anniversary.

He revealed that a massive statue of Sambhaji Maharaj, crafted in Nashik, will arrive in Delhi on Wednesday, where commemorations will take place on the occasion of his birth anniversary.

'Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj's birth anniversary will be celebrated with great pomp tomorrow... A huge statue of Sambhaji Maharaj will be reaching Delhi tomorrow from Nashik and there his birth anniversary will be celebrated,' the Governor stated.

Reflecting on Sambhaji Maharaj's life, the Governor recounted the Maratha leader's defiance in the face of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb's brutality, emphasising Sambhaji's sacrifice for his principles.

'Aurangzeb had tortured and killed Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj... Aurangzeb wanted him to leave Hinduism and convert to Islam. That is why Aurangzeb killed him... But Sambhaji Maharaj did not comply, as he was a Hindu by heart... We request everyone to celebrate his birth anniversary with tributes,' he noted.

Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj was the eldest son of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the founder of the Maratha Empire in India. He succeeded his father as the second Chhatrapati (ruler) of the Maratha Empire in 1681 and ruled until he died in 1689.

Born in 1657 at Purandar Fort near Pune, a highly educated prince fluent in Sanskrit, Marathi, Persian, and Hindi, he was known for his intellectual prowess and authored several works, including a Sanskrit book called Budhbhushan.

After Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj died in 1680, a brief power struggle followed, and Sambhaji ultimately took control and was crowned Chhatrapati in 1681 at Raigad Fort.

His reign was marked by continuous warfare, especially against the Mughal Empire under Emperor Aurangzeb, and he fiercely resisted Mughal attempts to conquer the Maratha Empire. Recently, a Hindi-language historical action film, 'Chhaava', was made based on the life of Sambhaji Maharaj, the second ruler of the Maratha Empire. (ANI)