Writer, historian and theatre personality Balwant Moreshwar Purandare popularly known as Babasaheb Purandare passed away early hours today. He was 99. He was undergoing treatment for Pnemonia at Pune’s Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital. Babasaheb was an authority on all the information about Shiv Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj . He had made all efforts to bring alive the epoch of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj through his 900 page magnum opus ‘Raja Shiv Chhatrapati’ which was first published in 1950.

During his young age, Babasaheb started writing stories related to the period of Great Maratha King Shivaji’s reign, which were later compiled and published in a book titled ‘Thinagya’ ( Sparks) . His other works include books titled ‘Raja ShivChhatrapati’, ‘Kesari’ and a book on life of Narayanrao Peshwa. But the most well-known of his works is the mega drama, ‘Janata Raja’ a widely popular play on Shivaji Maharaj published and first staged in 1985. Since then the drama has been staged over 1000 times in 16 districts of Maharashtra, Agra, Delhi, Bhopal, and the United States.

A 2008 TV show ‘Raja ShivChhatrapati’ depicting the life of the great Maratha king Shivaji Maharaj was based on the novel of Babasaheb Purandare. With his passing away, we have lost a great historian.