Guwahati News Desk: The prominent Indian writer, historian and theatre personality from Maharashtra, Balwant Moreshwar Purandare, popularly known as Babasaheb Purandare, breathed his last on Monday, at the age of 99.
As per the reports, the Padma Vibhushan awardee was diagnosed with pneumonia a week ago and was undergoing treatment at the city’s Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital.
However, a rapid deterioration in his health was witnessed since the evening time of Sunday, and he was found to be in an extremely critical condition after having been put on ventilator in the intensive care unit.
Regarding the prominent personality, Purandare, he is known by his moniker ‘Shivsahir’ (literally Shivaji’s bard). He is considered to be one of the pre-eminent authorities on Chhatrapati Shivaji.
Expressing his grief on the news of Purandare’s demise, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote a Twitter post that read as, “I am pained beyond words. The demise of Shivshahir Babasaheb Purandare leaves a major void in the world of history and culture. It is thanks to him that the coming generations will get further connected to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. His other works will also be remembered.”
The PM added, “Shivshahir Babasaheb Purandare was witty, wise and had rich knowledge of Indian history. I had the honour of interacting with him very closely over the years. A few months back, had addressed his centenary year programme.”
Moreover, it was PM Modi who was the first one to express his condolences on Purandare’s demise.
