Shivjayanti is celebrated on 19th February in Maharashtra to commemorate the birth anniversary of the great Maratha warrior Shivaji Maharaj.
Shivaji Maharaj was born in the year 1627, in Shivneri near the city of Junnar in Pune district. The name ‘Shivaji’ was kept by his parents Shahaji Bhonsale and Jijabai Bhosale in the remembrance of goddess Shivai.
Shivaji was founder of Maratha Empire and his military and civil administration was of greatest important in Konkan region. He was a king not only in Maharashtra but also in India.
Shivaji’s father Shahaji Bhosale was the chief of Bijapur Kingdom and his mother Jijabai was deeply religious, which had a great impact on Shivaji. He was introduced to Hindu epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata. He also had good knowledge of Sanskrit and Hindu scriptures. At the age of 17, he attacked and captured on Torna fort of Bijapur. At 1647-1654 he took control on Raigad Fort and the Konkan region.
Under Shivaji leadership, the Marathas pushed back Mughals and the Kingdom from his home land. He fought a fierce battle against Afzal Khan to successfully capture and rule Bijapur. His famous battle was in the year 1659 at Pratapgarh which turned him as the hero of Marathas.
In 1674, Shivaji Maharaj was crowned as a ‘Chhatrapati’ at Raigad Fort and he came to be known as “Chhatrapati Shivaji”. He was a motivated, enthusiastic and always energetic. He died in the year 1680 after laying down the foundation for Hindu empire.
On the occasion of Shiv Jayanti, various programme are organised on a large scale in Maharashtra. People dress up like Shivaji Maharaj and their Sainik on this day.
