June 4 is celebrated every year as Hindu Samrajya Diwas to mark the coronation anniversary of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. It is believed that the Hindu kingdom came into being with Shivaji’s coronation. Chhatrapati Shivaji was the 17th-century ruler who founded the Maratha Kingdom.
The day is also celebrated as ‘Shiva Statehood Festival‘ in Maharashtra.
The valour of Shivaji Maharaj still resides in the heart of every Indian and his tales continue to be orated to children.
The Maratha King was coronated in a grand ceremony at Maharashtra’s Raigad Fort which is situated at a height of five thousand feet. People in Raigad celebrate the day on the Hindu month Jyeshtha’s Shukla Trayodashi (13th day) which falls on June 4.
According to history, Shivaji Maharaj took oath to establish Haindava Swaraj when was only a teenager. His stories on fight against Mughals and conquering the forts is an adrenaline rush to every proud Indians.
Shivaji was coronated with the sacred waters of seven rivers including Yamuna, Indus, Ganges, Godavari, Narmada, Krishna and Kaveri. It was a grand ceremony attended by nearly fifty thousand people at Raigad. Shivaji was entitled Shakakarta (founder of an era) and Chhatrapati (paramount sovereign). He also took the title of Haindava Dharmodhhaarak which means the protector of the Hindu faith.
Over the course of his life, Shivaji engaged in both alliances and hostilities with the Mughal Empire, Sultanate of Golkonda and Sultanate of Bijapur, as well as European colonial powers. Shivaji’s military forces expanded the Maratha sphere of influence, capturing and building forts, and forming a Maratha navy. Shivaji established a competent and progressive civil rule with well-structured administrative organisations. He revived ancient Hindu political traditions and court conventions and promoted the usage of Marathi and Sanskrit, rather than Persian language, in court and administration.
This day is very important for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), and it is one of the six festivals they celebrate officially at the organisational level. The other five festivals are Vijaydashmi, Makar Sankranti, Varsh Pratipada Mahotsav, Gurupurnima and Rakshabandhan Mahotsav.
However, this year the world is reeling under coronavirus pandemic, and therefore, RSS will mark it through thousands of online events, including talks, webinars, seminars on various digital platforms.
