Shivaji Jayanti is the birth anniversary of great Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Shivaji Jayanti is celebrated every year on February 19 with much pomp and fervor in the entire state of Maharashtra. Shivaji Maharaj was born on February 19, 1630, in Shivneri Fort. Shivaji Jayanti is celebrated on a grand scale in the state of Maharashtra. Shivaji Maharaj is considered as the greatest Maratha ruler who carved an enclave from the declining Adilshahi sultanate of Bijapur that became the start of the Maratha Empire. At the young age of 16, Shivaji Maharaj seized the Toma fort and by the age of 17 had seized the Raigad and Kondana forts. Shivaji Maharaj as he is popularly known was named Shivaji Bhonsle and was a member of the Bhonsle Maratha clan.
Shivaji Maharaj is known for his military and civil administration. He was named after the local Goddess Shivai to whom his mother Jijabai prayed for a son. Shivaji’s father Shahaji Bhonsle was the chief of the Bijapur kingdom. Shivaji Maharaj was the creator of the Maratha kingdom and he was instrumental in uniting the Maratha chiefs of Maval, Konkan, and Desh regions. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is not only a hero for the people of Maharashtra but also for the rest of India as his military prowess and guerilla tactics of warfare are considered of great importance in the Indian history.
On the occasion of Shivaji Jayanti, several processions are taken out and people dress up like Shivaji and his associates. Shivaji Jayanti is an official statewide holiday in Maharashtra. Shivaji Jayanti is also celebrated in Goa and Karnataka. There are processions and dramas enacted on the life of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and speeches made on Shivaji Jayanti by prominent government officials on this day.
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