Lokmat News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
The national-level birth anniversary celebration of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj will be held at Maharashtra Sadan, New Delhi, on May 14. The event is being organized by the Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Rashtriya Jayanti Utsav Committee, with elaborate cultural programs and the participation of dignitaries from across the country.
Addressing a press conference on Friday, the committee's founding president Kishor Chavan informed that the Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Rashtriya Gaurav Rath Yatra, launched from Nashik, will arrive in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on the evening of May 10. The procession will pass through key city routes including Harsul T-Point, Hudco TV Centre, Jaybhavaninagar, and culminate at Pundliknagar. The ceremonial welcome will be held at 6 pm, with MGM University Chancellor Ankushrao Kadam and industrialist Padmakar Mule inaugurating the yatra. The Rath Yatra will then proceed towards Delhi, travelling through Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Haryana. A special reception is planned at Jaipur’s Raj Bhavan on May 13, where Rajasthan Governor Haribhau Bagde and chief minister Bhajanlal Sharma will formally welcome the procession. The Delhi celebrations will be presided over by former MP Raosaheb Danve, and attended by union Minister for Jal Shakti C.R. Patil, Minister of State for Health Prataprao Jadhav, MoS for Cooperation Murlidhar Mohol, Bhujoji Raje Bhosale, and former CM and MP Ashok Chavan. The cultural program, curated by the Maharashtra Government’s Cultural Affairs Department, will feature noted performers including actress Bhargavi Chirmule, Prof. Rajesh Sarkate, Ravindra Khomne, Payal Sarkate, Suresh Jadhav, and Atul Kulkarni. Prof. Ravindra Bansode will deliver a keynote lecture on the life and legacy of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj.
A special felicitation ceremony will also be held to honour UPSC-qualified students from Maharashtra.
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Committee demands recognition of Sambhaji Maharaj Jayanti
The organizing committee has urged the Central Government to grant official recognition to the birth anniversary of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. It has also demanded the creation of a ‘Maratha Tourism Circuit’ and the installation of a horse-mounted statue of Sambhaji Maharaj at the city’s TV Centre. These demands were put forth by Kishor Chavan, Vijay Kakade, and Parmeshwar Nalawade.