Mumbai: maratha commander Raghuji Bhonsle's sword, brought to mumbai, was acquired by the maharashtra government in an auction held in London
It is believed that this sword was taken out of India during the Sitabuldi war of 1817, when the british East india Company defeated the Marathas.
The famous sword of the famous Maratha commander Raghuji Bhonsle I reached Mumbai on Monday. This sword was acquired by the maharashtra government in an auction held recently in London. State Cultural Affairs minister Ashish Shelar said that the sword will be kept in the P.L. Deshpande Academy, where the general public can also see the sword.
Ashish Shelar said that the sword was brought by a plane to Chhatrapati shivaji Maharaj international airport at around 10 am. From there, the sword was taken to the P.L. Deshpande Academy in Prabhadevi. He said that due to heavy rains and traffic jams, the bike rally organized to take the sword from the airport was canceled. In the evening, a function in the presence of chief minister devendra fadnavis and Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar will be held at a scheduled time.
The sword of Raghuji Bhonsle I, founder of the nagpur Bhonsle dynasty and a prominent general of the maratha army during the reign of Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj, was acquired by the maharashtra government in an international auction some time ago. The iconic sword was acquired for Rs 47.15 lakh at an auction in London. It is believed that the sword was taken out of india during the Battle of Sitabuldi in 1817, when the british East india Company defeated the Marathas.
The news of the auction of this sword came to light on april 28. After this, the indian Embassy in london was contacted, and an intermediary was appointed to participate in the auction. Shelar said that he went to london to complete the legal formalities and personally take possession of the artefact. The minister described this acquisition as a historic victory for the state. A large number of Marathi-speaking citizens were present in london when the sword was handed over to Shelar. Deputy director of the Archaeology Department Hemant Dalvi also accompanied the minister during the visit.
Raghuji Bhosale I (1695-1755), the founder of the nagpur Bhosale dynasty, was given the title of 'Senasaheb Subha' by Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj for his military prowess. Bhosale led campaigns against the Nawab of bengal in 1745 and 1755, extending maratha influence to bengal and Odisha. The sword is an excellent example of the maratha 'Firang' style, with a straight, single-edged European-made blade, gold decoration on the Mulheri hilt, and an inscription in Devanagari near the hilt, which reads 'Srimant Raghoji Bhosale Senasaheb Subha Firang'. The state government said the weapon symbolises both maratha military heritage and the craftsmanship of that period. Its return has become an important cultural moment for Maharashtra.
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