Memorial of Shivaji Maharaj's aide Jivaji Mahale to be built near Pratapgad Fort

Mumbai, Jul 9 (PTI) A memorial of 'Veer' Jivaji Mahale will be constructed on the foothills of Pratapgad Fort and Rs 1 crore have been sanctioned for the first phase of the project, Maharashtra Tourism Minister Shambhuraj Desai told the legislative assembly on Thursday. Mahale, a solider in the army of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, is credited with saving the warrior king's life during his meeting with Adilshahi general Afzal Khan at the foot of Pratapgad in November 1659. The meeting ended in Shivaji Maharaj slaying the enemy general. Desai said that during Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's recent visit to Mahabaleshwar, several organisations demanded that a memorial be built for 'Veer' (brave) Jivaji Mahale. Following discussions with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Shinde, it was decided that the Tourism Department should construct a grand memorial on the foothills of Pratapgad in Satara district. The old saying "Hota Jiva Mhanun Vachla Shiva" (Shivaji survived because Jivaji was there) stands as a timeless testament to Mahale's valour, the minister said. Every year on November 10, 'Shiv Pratap Din' is celebrated to commemorate the 1659 Battle of Pratapgad which attracts lakhs of devotees of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj as well as historians and tourists from India and abroad, and this has enhanced Pratapgad's historical and tourism significance, Desai said. The memorial would provide a major boost to heritage tourism at Pratapgad, he added. PTI MR KRK