- Eminent historian and Padma Vibhushan awardee BalwantMoreshwarPurandare, popularly known as BabasahebPurandare, passed away aged 99.
- Known by his moniker ‘Shivsahir’, Mr. Purandare is considered one of the pre-eminent authorities on Chhatrapati Shivaji.
- Raja Shivchhatrapati, Mr. Purandare’s widely popular two-part, 900-page magnum opus on Shivaji in Marathi, was first published in the late 1950s and has since been a staple in Marathi households, going through numerous reprints over decades.
