PUNE: Babasaheb Purandare, eminent historian and author who was admitted to Pune’s Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital on Saturday, passed away Monday morning, doctors confirmed. He was 99.
“He passed at about 5.07 am due to ailments associated with old age and pneumonitis. He was on ventilator support since last evening,” Dr. Dhananjay Kelkar, the medical director of the hospital, said. His mortal remains were shifted to his residence in the Parvati area where loved ones and admirers paid their last respects. The last rites were performed at the Vaikunth Crematorium at 10 a.m yesterday. Today, his asthi visarjan took place at Ramkund at the hands of Makrand Kulkarni, Babasaheb’s Snehi Sahitya Prasar Kendra Pratisthan Trustee.
In his condolence message, Union minister of state for finance Dr. Bhagwat Karad stated that Babasaheb Purandare considered the eternal worship of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj as his life.
Offering his condolences, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “Shivshahir Babasaheb Purandare will live on due to his extensive works. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with his family and countless admirers. Om Shanti.” Maharashtra’s cultural, literary, and artistic heritage sector will continue to lack a pious and sage-like guide.
He had a passion for the forts and history of Maharashtra. He tried to present the history of Maharashtra through writing, lectures, and plays like ‘Janata Raja’. With the demise of Babasaheb Purandare, an important witness in the long journey of the country has been lost. A chapter has gone beyond the veil of time. I pay my heartfelt homage to him and Expresses sympathy to their families, said Dr. Karad.
Born on July 29, 1922, at Balwant Moreshwar Purandare in Saswad, Pune district, Purandare started writing about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj from an early age, creating stories and essays about the Maratha king. In his prolific writing career, Purandare wrote several books, including a two-volume biography of the king “Raja Shivchhatrapati”.
Tributes pour in for Shivshahir Babasaheb Purandare
“Very sad to learn that senior historian, researcher, lecturer Babasaheb Purandare passed away. Babasaheb studied the forts, historic monuments in Maharashtra, and the historical documents of the Maratha Empire and the Shiv era. Throughout his life, he preached on Shiv Charitra at home and abroad. Maharashtra has lost a senior historian with his demise. I share the grief of my bereaved family and pray that may God give eternal peace to the soul of the deceased. A heartfelt tribute.” – Chhagan Bhujbal, District Guardian Minister
“Babasaheb Purandare has done fundamental work of historical research for more than seven decades. He studied the historical documents of the forts of Maharashtra, the Maratha Empire, and the Shiv era and passed important historical information to the masses and the next generation. He wrote books and gave speeches for them, and the readers responded enthusiastically. He expanded the horizons of historiography and research through various forms such as a thinker, playwrighting, oratory, and directed the masses to interpret the events of history. He was an influential and scholarly commentator on many important issues and developments of the day. The only thing we can do is cultivate the legacy of their work.” – Vishwas Jaydev Thakur, Vishwas Dnyan Prabodhini and Research Institute, Nashik
Without hesitation, the feet on which we used to put our head, passed away today. Today, we have lost this historic treasure of Maharashtra. Today, the image of Maharaj and the identity of Hindavi Swarajya is standing in everyone’s mind. It is the preconceived notion of all of us that our society, which is not very aware of its own history, got Babasaheb; that is why every Marathi mind will always be indebted to Shiv Bhakt Babasaheb. – Jayprakash Jategaonkar, President, Lokhitwadi Mandal
“Master Dinanath Smriti Sohala was held through Vasant Vyakhyanma at KTHM campus on April 24, 1999. On that occasion, Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkar had presented the Vadmay Vilasini Award to Shivshahir Babasaheb Purandare for his literary services. Babasaheb was also present when the 78th year of the lecture series was inaugurated by Lata Didi on April 25. Well-known literary and film critics late Manohar Purandare was working at Nashik public library. He was Babasaheb’s younger brother. Thus Babasaheb had a close relationship with Nashik. A heartfelt tribute to him.”- Shrikant Beni, President, Vasant Vyakhyanmala, Nashik
“An era has come to an end after the sad demise of Shivshahir Babasaheb Purandare. The work of introducing Shiv Charitra to the last three generations and its sweetening was done by Shivshahir with great skill. The Marathi people can’t forget such a towering personality. A humble tribute to his memory.”- Girish Takle
