Maratha Legacy Honoured At JNU With New Centres For Strategic Studies And Marathi Culture

New Delhi In a significant tribute to Maharashtra’s cultural and strategic heritage, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis laid the foundation stone of the Shri Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Special Center for Security and Strategic Studies and inaugurated the Kusumagraj Special Center for Marathi Language, Literature and Culture at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi.

Fadnavis also unveiled commemorative plaques for both centres and expressed deep satisfaction at seeing the legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj find a space for scholarly exploration in the national capital.

“Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s forts were never just stone structures—they were emblems of strategic foresight, courage, and civilisational strength,” he said. Referring to the recent UNESCO recognition of these forts as the *Maratha Military Landscape of India*, Fadnavis noted it as a global validation of Shivaji Maharaj’s tactical brilliance.

He highlighted that Shivaji Maharaj, guided by Rajmata Jijau, pledged to establish Swarajya not for personal power but to uphold the self-rule of the people. That mission, he added, was carried forward by Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj and generations of Marathas who fought to defend Bharat’s honour and cultural fabric.

A statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj will soon be installed on the JNU campus, symbolising discipline, vision, and nation-first ideals. “It will stand not just as an artwork, but as a quiet teacher to generations,” Fadnavis remarked.

The inauguration of the Kusumagraj Special Center was equally celebrated. It acknowledges Marathi as a Classical Language, recognising its deep literary and spiritual traditions. The CM paid homage to Marathi stalwarts like Sant Dnyaneshwar and poet Kusumagraj, crediting Prime Minister Narendra Modi for supporting the Classical Language status through scholarly and emotional backing.

“Language is a carrier of history and emotion. Every Indian language—Marathi, Tamil, Kannada, Hindi, Sanskrit—is a pillar of Bharat’s cultural strength,” he added, stressing the importance of preserving and respecting one’s mother tongue.

Fadnavis concluded that the Maratha worldview was always expansive, aimed at the larger good of the nation, not limited by geography. These academic centres, he said, are not just tributes to the past but are vital to building a future rooted in knowledge, culture, and strategic thought.

The event was attended by Minister Uday Samant, MPs Anil Bonde, Dr Ajeet Ghopchade, Dhananjay Mahadik, JNU Vice-Chancellor Prof Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit, Chhatrapati Babaji Raje Bhosle of Thanjavur, and other dignitaries.