Raigad: A statue stolen from Pachad on August 9, 2013, believed to be that of Rajmata Jijabai, mother of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, has still not been recovered, and this is fuelling resentment in the followers of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The governments at both the state and Centre often invoke the name of Shivaji Maharaj but have failed to locate the missing statue.
Rajmata Jijabai passed away on June 7, 1674. Following her demise, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had set up a memorial for her at their palace in Pachad. But over the next three centuries, the memorial suffered neglect and fell into disrepair.
Boundary Wall Erected Again After 3 Centuries
The protective wall around the memorial was damaged and the structure itself suffered degradation. Shrimant Malojiraje, also known as Nanasaheb Nimbalkar, and Laxmidevi Rani Saheb, the rulers of Phaltan, undertook the restoration of the Samadhi site in 1944. After the completion of the work, a boundary wall was erected around the area. Subsequently, the forest department planted trees in the surrounding area, transforming it into a beautiful garden.
The samadhi, now under the custodianship of the Antiquities Research Department of the Central Government, has been designated as a national monument. As the land surrounding the mausoleum falls under the jurisdiction of the forest department, stringent protective measures are in place.
Ten years ago, the Maratha Seva Sangh workers installed a 'Panchdhatu' statue at the samadhi, initially placing it on a wooden pedestal. Eventually, this base was weakened by heat and rain. Activist Suresh Pawar and others from Mahad then had a marble base built for the statue. In 2002-03, they installed a onefoot-tall Panchdhatu statue on the new base. The original statue remained in place from then until 2013.
Original Statue Stolen Taking Advantage Of Heavy Rainfall
On August 9, 2013, heavy rainfall caused extensive damage in Pachad. Miscreant/s, taking advantage of the situation, stole the statue. A CID investigation commenced, leading to a case being filed under IPC section 389 against an unidentified thief at the Mahad police station. Following this incident, a committee comprising former sarpanch Rajendra Khatu, former chairperson of the sanitation committee Kiran Pawar, former deputy sarpanch Sayyad Yunus, former sarpanch Raghuvir Deshmukh, Dalit activist Madhukar Gaikwad, and village representatives from the Pachad Panchkroshi, was set up, to initiate efforts to instal a new statue.
At this juncture, renowned historian Babasaheb Purandare, and renowned artists like Chandrjit Yadav, were tasked with the crafting of a new statue, once again, in panchdhatu. The committee, led by former sarpanch Raghuvir Deshmukh, decided to set up a new statue at the site of the Rajmatas Samadhi, to be referred to as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharajs mother Rajmata Jijabai Maasahebs Samadhi (Pachad). This task was accomplished in record time. However, the stolen statue has yet to be recovered.
