Babasaheb Purandare passes away at 99; PM Modi pays tribute to eminent historian

Eminent historian and Padma Vibhushan awardee Balwant Moreshwar Purandare breathed his last today, 15 November, at Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital of Pune, Maharashtra. Popularly known as Babasaheb Purandare, the noted historian died after a brief illness at around 5 am today, a doctor confirmed.As the news broke out about Purandare’s death, Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his condolences on his demise. Taking to his social media account, he said that he was pained beyond words.“I am pained beyond words," Modi wrote adding that Purandare's demise "leaves a major void in the world of history and culture. PM Modi also said that it was due to Purandare that "coming generations will get further connected to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj." The prime minister also said that the historian's contribution will always be remembered. According to The Hindu, Purandare, who was 99-years-old was diagnosed with pneumonia a week ago. Following that, he was admitted to Pune’s Hospital where he breathed his last. According to news reports, a doctor stated that Purandare was on ventilator support in the city hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU). On 14 November, his health deteriorated after which he had been in an extremely critical condition, the doctor claimed.Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has recently announced a state funeral for the noted historian. Who was Babasaheb Purandare?He was a celebrated historian and author. Furthermore, he was known for his work on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Also called 'Shiv Shahir’ or Shivaji's bard, Purandare had written several books on Shivaji, leading from his administration to forts from the king's era. Being a theatre enthusiast, he had also directed Jaanta Raja, a play on Shivaji's life. He was also the author of a two-volume biography of the king titled Raje Shivchhatrapati.Due to his great work, Purandare was honoured with Padma Vibhushan in 2019. The historian was also honoured with Maharashtra Bhushan Award in 2015 by the Maharashtra Government and the Kalidas award by Madhya Pradesh government.