Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Mumbai president Ashish Shelar on Thursday said that the BJP will hold Shiv Jayanti celebrations at 346 places in Mumbai’s 227 wards on February 19 on the occasion of the 393rd birth anniversary of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

Shelar said an aarti written by V D Savarkar on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj would be recited on the occasion of Shiv Jayanti.

While addressing a press conference, the BJP MLA urged the Opposition to participate in Shiv Jayanti celebrations to honour Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

“After the Shinde-Fadnavis government came to power, all Hindu festivals – Dahihandi, Ganeshotsav, Navratri, Diwali- were celebrated with great enthusiasm. And now, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj`s birth anniversary will also be celebrated accross Mumbai with great enthusiasm. The BJP will celebrate the occasion by rendering the aarti written by V D Savarkar on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj,” Shelar said.

Exhibitions of scenes depicting Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s life, aid and relief distribution for the poor, cultural programmes, competitions and processions are planned as part of the celebrations, the BJP Mumbai president said.

Shelar also said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah would be part of the Shiv Jayanti celebrations in Maharashtra. “Union Home Minister Amit Shah will inaugurate the first phase of Shiv Srishti in Pune,” he said.

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Shelar also thanked the Modi government for granting permission to conduct Shiv Jayanti celebrations at the Agra Fort. “The Agra Fort holds immense significance in the history of the Maratha empire. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had exhibited his bravery in front of Aurangzeb in the Diwan-e-Aam of the fort. For the first time, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj will be hailed in this Diwan-e-Aam,” he said.

According to BJP Mumbai, the Shiv Jayanti celebrations will take place at 58 places in Mumbai North-West, 50 in Mumbai North-East, 63 in Mumbai North-Central, 69 in north Mumbai, 44 in Mumbai South-Central and 62 in south Mumbai. Thirty-six of these locations will have celebrations on a large scale. These include Worli Naka, Matunga Station, Shivaji Park, Ram Nagar in Malad (West), Byculla, Chembur, Anushakti Nagar, Sion Koliwada, Dahisar, Anand Nagar, the Shahajiraje playground in Malad, Lokhandwala-Kandivali and Khar (West).

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