Staff Reporter
Bicholim
IAS officer Amarsingh Rane, who lit the traditional lamp on Wednesday evening to mark the commencement of the two-day Shivaji Jayanti celebrations in Bicholim, said that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was a great warrior king and administrator who prioritised people’s welfare.
“Shivaji’s Ashta Pradhan Mandal remains an ideal for good governance,” said Rane. He urged parents and teachers to educate students about Shivaji Maharaj’s sacrifices for nation-building.
The Maratha warrior’s birth anniversary was celebrated at the state level in Bicholim, with festivities also held in Mayem, Piligaon, Sal, Sankhali, and Vathadev-Bicholim. The celebrations included garlanding of the kings’s statues and portraits, processions, and lectures on his life. School students, youth, villagers, panchayat members, councillors, senior citizens, and MLAs of Mayem and Bicholim participated in the events.
Mayem MLA Premendra Shet and Bicholim MLA Chandrakant Shetye garlanded the statue of Shivaji Maharaj at Shantadurga Circle on Wednesday morning. Bordem school students took out a Shobha Yatra from Bordem, culminating at the main celebration venue.
At the old bus stand, Bicholim Municipal Council chairperson Vijaykumar Natekar garlanded the statue in the presence of officers and councillors. Celebrations were also held at schools. The Shiv Jayanti Utsav Samiti and youth of Vathadev-Bicholim took out a procession from Zantye College to Shri Vathadev Temple.
