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Shivaji Maharaj’s sword restored to templein Sindhudurg Fort

The royal family of Kolhapur gifted a replica of another sword of Chhatrapati Shivaji — the Jagdamba sword — to the temple on Monday for daily worship.

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Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s sword that adorns the Shivrajeshwar temple in Sindhudurg Fort has got a new lease of life as the erstwhile royal family of Kolhapur has restored and repaired it. The royal family also gifted a replica of another sword of Chhatrapati Shivaji — the Jagdamba sword — to the temple on Monday for daily worship.

The original Jagdamba sword is in the Royal Collection Trust in London.

The scion of Kolhapur’s royal family, Sambhajiraje, on Monday handed over the royal dresses to the temple on Monday as per tradition. At the same function, the repaired and restored real sword was placed in the temple in a glass case.

The royal family in Kolhapur descends from Chhatrapati Shivaji as the state of Kolhapur was founded by Shivaji’s daughter-in-law Tararani, wife of Rajaram Maharaj, in 1710.

Sindhudurg Fort, located on an island in the Arabian Sea near Malwan town, was built by Shivaji between 1664 and 1667. The fort has the Shivrajeshwar temple constructed by Shivaji’s son, Rajaram Maharaj, in Shivaji’s memory.

The temple has Shivaji’s idol, a gold crown weighing 1.5kg and the sword used by him. The temple’s traditional caretaker families authorised Sambhajiraje to repair and restore the sword.

Last week, an expert team led by the historian Indrajeet Sawant restored and polished the sword at the temple. “The sword was deteriorating due to rust. The restoration has been done in a scientific manner,” Sambhajiraje told DNA.

The sword has now been kept in an airtight wood-and-glass case. “There is a tradition of daily worship of the sword, which is also a reason for the damage to the sword. So a replica of Shivaji’s famous Jagdamba sword has been given to the temple for
daily worship,” Sambhajiraje said.

According to Sawant, “The gold tread and carvings were noticed only after removing the rust. It has typical Shivaji period symbols like peacock, eagle and Hanuman.”

Historian Grad Duff, in his work History of Marathas, has referred to Shivaji’s sword kept in the Sindhudurg temple, which is believed to have been used by him in wars. The sword’s original wooden scabbard is also in the temple.

Sambhajiraje, also a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader, said there is a need for a separate government body for undertaking the restoration and maintenance of forts and antiques, apart from the Archaeological Survey of India.

The legendary social reformer and erstwhile ruler of the Kolhapur princely state, Rajarshi Shahu Maharaj, in 1906 undertook massive restoration of this temple, and had constructed the hall in front of the temple in 1913.

In the temple, one can see the royal dresses gifted by Rajarshi
Shahu Maharaj.

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