Shivaji and Ramdas

Date of creation        : Oct-98

Size of picture           : 20" x 14"

Medium                       : Oil colors on oil paper 

The greatest warrior king of Maharashtra with one of the greatest saints of Maharashtra! Shivaji was the son of Shahaji, a knight in the ranks of Aadilshah, the king of Delhi and the ruler of Maharashtra around 350 years ago. Shivaji made  the first successful attempt at the age of 16 to free the Hindus from their inferiority complex. He imbibed the will to fight for freedom in them. Under his able leadership, the whole Maharashtra fought the unholy rule of Aurangzeb of Delhi and Aadilshah of Bijapur. Shivaji was unlike most of the previous Hindu warriors. He was one of the most cunning and dangerous enemy for Aurangzeb and Aadilshah . He fought with ruthless efficiency, shrewd planning. And he always led from the front. In the beginning, the Maratha army was far inferior to the Delhi army in terms of arms and number of soldiers. But they overcame  those obstacles by the efficient use of Guerilla warfare. The empire Shivaji founded lasted till 1818, when the British took over. Shivaji's biography is abundant with many such thrilling incidents that they will give any James Bond thriller run for its money.

 Ramdas (meaning the servent of Lord Ramachandra) was the Guru of Shivaji. Maharashtra has a long tradition of saints. But Ramdas was different. He was a man of practical approach. He never preached what to do to get heaven after the death. He always preached what to do to live happily in this world. On many occasions, he guided Shivaji in making the right decisions. He also trained many youths in the art of war and inspired them to join Shivaji's army to fight for the freedom.