Tulapur

Coordinates: 18°40′11″N 73°59′40″E / 18.66972°N 73.99444°E

Tulapur is a village in Pune district, Maharashtra, India^[1] associated with the last moments of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, Son of Chhatrapati Shivaji.

History

Bust of Sambhaji Maharaj at Tulapur

Statue of Sambhaji Maharaj in Tulapur

Captured at Sangameshwar, close to Tulapur, Chhatrapati Sambhaji was executed at Tulapur by Aurangzeb on 11 - March - 1689 due to his fight and bravery against the latter. He was hacked and his pieces were thrown into the river Bhima. However, a community that lived on the banks of the same river retrieved the pieces of his body and sewed them together. This community is to this day known as "Shewale" (literally "those that sewed"). In defiance of the Mughal Emperor's orders, his mortal remains were then cremated by the brave villagers of Vadhu, a village not far from Tulapur. Along with Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, his poet-friend Kavi Kalash was also killed by Aurangzeb at the same place, just few days before.

Geography

Tulapur is about 40 Kilometres north east of Pune. It is situated at the confluence of the Bhima river and the Indrayani River and was originally known as 'Nagargaon'. The Sangameshwar temple built on the banks of the confluence is worth a visit. The Samādhi at Vadhu was unattended to until recently. It is now being renovated. Kavi Kalash's samadhi too is present at Vadhu.

A Samadhi of Sambhaji Maharaj is situated at Tulapur as well. It is disputed as to where exactly he was cremated, with a group of historians asserting that he was cremated at Tulapur itself and not at Vadhu. Nonetheless, both these places have their equal share in Maratha history.

Gallery

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  Stone arch at Tulapur confluence under which Chhatrapati Sambhaji was executed

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  Talks about the historic event (September 12, 1633) at Tulapur

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  Sangameshwar at Tulapur, confluence of rivers

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  Samadhi of Kavi Kalash at Tulapur

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  Samadhi of Sambhaji Maharaj

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  Sambhaji's and Kavi Kalash's Samadhi(Mausoleum) at Vadhu

Notes

1. 2001 Census Village code for Tulapur = 03107000, "2001 Census of India: List of Villages by Tehsil: Maharashtra" (PDF). Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. p. 603. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 November 2012.