FOR the first time ever, the birth anniversary of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was celebrated inside Agra Fort.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde attended the celebrations to mark the 393rd birth anniversary of the great Maratha warrior on Sunday. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath attended the event virtually. Shivaji Maharaj was born on February 19, 1630, at Shivneri Fort in Pune. The day’s major objective is to honour the great warrior’s contribution to the restoration of the Maratha Empire and to recognise his extensive legacy.

In 1674, he laid the foundation of the Maratha Empire in western India after fighting fiercely with the Mughals in 1670. In addition to creating a well-organised administrative system, Shivaji Maharaj established a broad civil code for the local populace. Notably, Jyotirao Govindrao Phule, popularly known as Mahatma Jyotiba Phule, established the Shiv Jayanti celebration in 1870, and since then, people have been celebrating the day with great fervour.