Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday expressed his condolence on the death of historian and Padma Vibhushan awardee Balwant Moreshwar Purandare, popularly known as Babasaheb Purandare.
Doctors at Pune’s Deenanath Mangeshkar hospital said that Purandare died in the morning after a brief illness. He was 99.
“I am pained beyond words. The demise of Shivshahir Babasaheb Purandare leaves a major void in the world of history and culture. It is thanks to him that the coming generations will get further connected to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. His other works will also be remembered,” PM Modi posted on Twitter.
“Shivshahir Babasaheb Purandare was witty, wise and had rich knowledge of Indian history. I had the honour of interacting with him very closely over the years. A few months back, had addressed his centenary year programme,” he also wrote.
Purandare, known as Shiv Shahir or Shivaji’s bard, was among the pre-eminent authorities on Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Purandare’s popular two-part, 900-page magnum opus on Shivaji Maharaj in Marathi, Raja Shivchhatrapati, was published in the late 1950s and has been reprinted over the decades.
Purandare also conceived and directed the theatrical history extravaganza on Shivaji Maharaj’s life titled Jaanta Raja in the mid-1980s.
When the historian turned 99 earlier this year, PM Modi greeted Purandare through a video message. “Babasaheb’s work is inspirational. I visited Pune to see Babasaheb’s play ‘Janata Raja’, based on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Even when Babasaheb used to visit Ahmedabad I used to attend his programmes,” Modi said.
Purandare, who was born on July 29, 1922, was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian award in 2019. He is survived by two sons and a daughter.