Mumbai: The Classs 3 students from a school in Matunga recently presented a play on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Janata Raja, based on the life of the icon, was written by Shivsahir Babasaheb Purandare, and presented by 144 students from Shishuvan School on Thursday.
Principal Prachi Randive and head of department Vaishali Sanghvi, under the guidance of director Mandar Gokhale, worked hard to make the play a grand show. The students recreated key event from Shivaji Maharaj’s era, including his coronation.
Raju Desai, who has visited Raigad 500 times to convey the true history of Shivaji Maharaj, was the chief guest at the event. He said, “After looking at the presentation by the kids I was dumbstruck. For some time I was in tears. What these small kids did on the stage was simply fabulous. They have shown the true teachings of Shivaji Maharaj.”
Desai condemned the recent political bickering following the collapse of Shivaji Maharaj’s statue. “What is going around in Maharashtra in the name of the great king is irritating and disgusting. The conditions of various forts of the Maharaj are deteriorating. The government should first look at these historic monuments. What is necessary is the repairing and restoration of these forts, so people can visit them and see the legacy and teachings of Maharaj,” he said.
The school has made an effort to teach students about the history of the state, he said, adding that other institutions should follow the example of Shishuvan.
