Raigadachi JeevanKatha
The meet was held on 22nd & 23rd April, 2006 at Sathye (Parle) College in Vile Parle (E). These two days were packed with various lectures, group discussion along with an extensive photographic tour of Raigad. These photographs of Raigad, portraying its marvelous facets & beauty were showcased under the title of ‘Moods of Raigad’. This unique collection of snaps of Raigad is made by a well known photographer Mr. Atul Ghag. Along with this, another special section, ‘Raigadachi Smruti Chitre’ was created consisting of photographs of Raigad in Black & White. This section reminded the old golden memories of Raigad. Many colourful charts were also displayed as a part of this exposition. These rendered a valuable & important Historical / Geographical information on various facts & features of Raigad. Since Raigad was the capitol Fort of Shivaji Maharaj, many legendary tales are still being imprinted on the minds of the locals in the surrounding area. We had set up a separate section to take a review of these fictions on Raigad. Another attraction of the Exhibition was a personal collection of antique articles of historical importance like Cannon Balls, Lead Bullets, Coins of Shivaji Maharaj, and Pieces of Potteries etc.; which was displayed for the knowledge of the Public by Mr. Sanjay Talekar.
This kind of program was being held for the first time in Mumbai & if not wrong, could be first ever in Maharashtra. The leading Marathi Dailies like Loksatta & Maharashtra Times took a note of this program & well supported this event . In fact these newspapers gave an adequate coverage in the form of Pre-Event publicity news. The result was an overwhelming response..!! I am happy to inform you that we received almost 300 telephonic calls from different strata of the society enquiring about the details of the program prior to this event. There was a lot of enthusiasm in our volunteers too as the preparations were going on for this Ambitious program. More than 40 volunteers were literally toiling & slogging hard for the various arrangements & activities. Their sole aim was to make this function a Grand & Memorable event....
My dear friends, I am happy to tell you that their efforts didn't go futile but brought good results. An estimate suggests that some 2000 visitors paid a visit to the exhibition during these two days. Simultaneously 180 participants enrolled for the Lecture series. The lecture series began with a talk of famous writer & expert on Fort Architecture, Prof.P.K.Ghanekar. His subject was "Re-Location of various Remnants on Raigad". He meticulously & logically brought forward / Proved various sequences while restructuring the very existence of many Historical monuments on Raigad Fort; such as the so-called "Market Place", "Queen's Quarters" etc. The audience was enthralled by his narration on different possibilities which should redefine the conventional usage of these buildings. Mr.Suresh Paranjpe, another expert, discussed various places, forts & villages in-around the fort. He made good use of a Geographical Map depicting the traditional trade routes & passes among the natural fortification around Raigad. His emphasis was mainly on the Geography & the rugged terrain of the Fort. His speech threw light on the new opportunities for trekking in the area surrounding Raigad. A panel discussion consisting of three prominent figures namely Shri.Tukaram Jadhav,Shri.Hira Pandit & Shri.Prajapati Bodhane, who were involved in the Adventurous Expeditions to conquer cliffs of ‘Bhavani,Takmak & Hirkani ‘ & ‘Wagh Darvaja Climbing’, was arranged in the latter half of the Lecture series. Their discussion revealed many unforgettable memories of these expeditions & how they accomplished their mission through their dedication & sheer confidence. The program concluded with screening of a wonderful documentary on Raigad, which was shot by Shri.Jagannath Raul.
This program would be remembered for a long time mainly for the vast publicity & coverage it achieved through print media. At the same time the efforts & hardwork of fresh band of our volunteers should be praised, as they were the main driving force behind the success of the program.
To sum up, it was a Grand Celebration of an anniversary of a Historical event that changed the course of the History of Maharashtra. An important truth once again surfaced during the course of this program. It was the magic of a Magnet called Raigad & the respect, that is still alive for Shivaji - the last great fort architect ... !!!
