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Learn more about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at this class in Pune’s SP college
The Shivcharitra classes started by Sir Parshuram (SP) college on a small scale last year has now grown into a class of 150 students. Students learn about the life of Shivaji Maharaj at these classes.
The Shivcharitra classes started by Sir Parshuram (SP) college on a small scale last year has now grown into a class of 150 students. Students learn about the life of Shivaji Maharaj at these classes.
“Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj has a great history and it is important that people know and understand more about him,” said Saurabh Karde, a 23-year-old college student and a Shivaji Maharaj enthusiast and researcher. He teaches students all about Shivaji in his Shivcharitra class which is conducted thrice a week for an hour and is free of cost .
The college has a statue of Shivaji Maharaj where students gather at noon everyday and perform ‘aarti’. This tradition has been followed for the last 10 years. “We realised how many of them do not really know much about Shivaji or his greatness. We then began talking to the students whether they were aware of why this ‘aarti’ was performed,” explains Saurabh who has studied all about Shivaji; right from reading ‘Bhakhar’ - old scriptures written in ‘Modi script’.
Thus began a small gathering of enthusiastic students from all streams; Science, Commerce and Arts. The small gathering of students has now become a class of 150 students and has even been acknowledged by the principal Dilip Sheth of SP College. The initial classroom was also not enough and they needed a bigger classroom. The principal has now provided a bigger classroom to facilitate the Shivcharitra class.
The classes begins when the college reopens. Saurabh begins the class with a story on Shivaji and covers everything from the pre Shivaji era, his birth, his childhood, his views, Swaraj and his forts and his war with the Mughals. He finally ends it with the post Shivaji era. There are more than 80 girls who attend this class and sometimes even their parents join in.
“If students get to know and understand Shivaji’s work and life, then it will help them in their future,” said Saurabh who was influenced by the stories that his mother told him and his fascination grew more and more when he spent his childhood playing in the Lal Mahal children’s park.
There are many non Maharashtrian students also who sit through this hour-long lecture conducted in Marathi. “Shivaji as a king shows us how a war is won. Thousands of books have been written about his war skills abroad, thus, I feel that students here should also be aware. Which is why I joined this lecture,” said Omkar Bellam who hails from Karnataka. Since last year, around 500 students have gained knowledge about Shivaji Maharaj through the Shivcharitra class. The classes end on Shivaji Jayanthi in the month of February.
