Shivrajyabhisek: Tributes pour in on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s coronation day

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was crowned the king of Maratha Swaraj at Raigad Fort on June 6 in 1674. The day is of great significance to the Maratha community and is celebrated on a large scale, especially in Raigad.

Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and several other political leaders on Sunday paid their tributes to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj on the anniversary of the Maratha king’s coronation day. On the occasion of 'Shivrajyabhisek', Uddhav Thackeray said it was the golden moment engraved in the heart of the state.

Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray pays tribute to the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. (PTI file photo)

"On the occasion of Shiv Rajyabhishek Day, Chief Minister Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray paid homage to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the founder of Swarajya, saying this is a golden moment engraved on the heart of Maharashtra," the chief minister's office said in a statement on Sunday.

Union minister G Kishan Reddy paid respect on the occasion. “Tributes to the Great Warrior And Epitome of Valour & Bravery Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj On His Coronation Day,” he tweeted with a hashtag #ShivajiMaharaj.

Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant also celebrated the day at various places in the coastal state. He was seen placing a garland of flowers around the neck of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statues in Bicholim, Mapusa, Korgao and Pernem among others.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was crowned the king of Maratha Swaraj at Raigad Fort on June 6 in 1674. The day is of great significance to the Maratha community and is celebrated on a large scale, especially in Raigad. The day would witness mass public rallies and processions at the Raigad Fort in the pre-pandemic era.

However, the grandeur celebrations are restricted amid the surge of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in the state, which has planned to unlock in five levels from Monday.

Shivaji Maharaj's 13th direct descendant Chhatrapati Sambhajiraje, who is also a BJP lawmaker, released 'Hoan', an antique coin of the king's era, on the occasion. "This year's Shivrajyabhishek Ceremony will be graced by the presence of a rare coin 'Hoan' that is part of the antiques of Shivaji Maharaj's era," Sambhajiraje tweeted on Saturday.

Last month, the BJP MP warned the Maharashtra government he will launch an agitation on June 6 if the demands concerning the reservation under the Maratha quota are not met. His caution came weeks after the Supreme Court struck down the state government's law granting quota to Maratha community admissions in colleges and government jobs.