Born on February 19, 1630 at Shivneri Fort in Pune, Shivaji managed to expand the influence of the Marathas over India through military forces, capturing and building forts and forming the Maratha navy. The warrior-king not only revived ancient Indian traditions and conventions, but also was instrumental in creating a progressive civil rule. He even promoted the usage of Marathi and Sanskrit, rather than Persian language, in court and administration. The date of his birth is celebrated as Shiv Jayanti every year.
Shiv Jayanti was started by Mahatma Jyotirao Phule in 1870 with the first ever event being held in Pune. Later Bal Gangadhar Tilak revived the image of Shivaji and worked to unite people against the British Raj through Shiv Jayanti.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti, which is a festival and public holiday of the Indian state of Maharashtra, sees citizens celebrating the birth of the warrior king through various social and cultural programmes as well as through the organisation of processions in his honour.
Last year, an artwork was created as a tribute to warrior king Shivaji to mark his birthday. The installation stretches over 2,40,000 square feet on a six acre farm and is termed the world's biggest rangoli. It was caught on camera by Google Maps and is still visible on the navigation app. While not always as mammoth as last year’s etchings, families can create rangolis depicting the great Indian king to honour him on his birthday.
Rangolis denote strength and generosity and is thought to bring good luck during festivals and auspicious occasions. Rangoli designs can be generic in shape or could be deft impressions of deities or personalities.
On the occasion of Chhatrapati Maharaj Shivaji Jayanti 2020, here are a few rangoli designs you can make at home in honour of the great warrior-king.
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