Parshuram Bhau Patwardhan

Parshuram Bhau Patwardhan of Tasgaon

Brahmibhat  Haribhat Patwardhan was the doyen of the Patwardhan Clan. He had 7 sons.

Krishna
Trayambak
Govind
Ramchandra
Bal
Mahadev and
Bhaskar.

Out of these, Trymbak, Govind and Ramchandra, became famous for their bravery.
Govindrao came to be employed with Balaji Vishwanath Peshwa. Due to his bravery and loyalty, he was gifted with a cavalry of 5,000 horses and the rank of General in the Peshwa's army. In due time all his other brothers too joined Govindrao. The Patwardhan brothers played their part in the battles of Malwa (1728, 1740 ), Delhi (1737, 1739 ), Bundelkhand (1741), Gujrat (1731, 1755) and Karnataka aginst the Nawab of Savnur, The Nizam, Hyder and Tipu Sultan.
Unfortunately as Govindrao was waging a battle in the south, none of the brothers could go with Bhausaheb Peshwa to Panipat.

Though after 1750 they administered and safe guarded the southern boundaries of Maharashtra completely.

The Patwardhans fought for the Maratha Empire from 1740 to 1800. In these 60 years almost all the breadwinners laid down their lives for the empire.

Parshurambhau Patwardhan, the son of Ramchandra Patwardhan, was just such a nobleman.

Bereaved of his father at the age of 13. He was brought up by his mother and uncle, Govindrao. His first encounter on a battle field was at Shrirangapattam, at the age of 17. Since then he fought for the empire in every battle till the age of 60.
His prime was spent in battles against:

1)   The Nizam of Sindhakhed

2)   Haider at Rattehalli

3)   The First Maratha - British war : Where he pursued General Guard, and made him beat a hasty     retreat from Borghat to  Panvel (Near Mumbai).
   

4)   Tipu Sultan had laid seige at Nargund,
      Parshuram bhau was successful in overthrowing that siege.

5)  He seized the fort of Dharwad and was instrumental in unfurling the Maratha flag on the fort.

6) After Shrirangapattam, the biggest challenge of his life was in the battle of Kharde, against the         Nizam in 1795. A big chunk of the success in this battle goes to Parshuram Bhau.

After the end of the battle of Panipat in January 1761, it was thought that the Maratha power had waned. The Nizam of Sindhakhed created a stir by not heeding to the ransom, he was supposed to pay an amount of 25lakhs which was not a paltry sum. Parshuram bhau, then, won the fort of Daulatabad from the Nizam.

After Nana saheb Peshwa's death, Madhavrao became the Peshwa. As he was still underage, his uncle Rahoba dada took over the running of the empire. Nobody was happy with this arrangement. Madhavrao was an able commander and administrator and he soon  assumed control. This created a rift between the two.
Fed up with the machinations of Raghoba dada's rule and not finding any way out, Parshuram bhau sided with Madhavrao. In anger, Raghoba, confiscated all his properties and he, Paarshuram bhau had to take cover with the Nizam.

In 1763 a huge battle was fought at Rakshasbhuvan between Madharao's Marathas and the Nizam. The Peshwa defeated the Nizam and freed, along with Parshuram bhau, all the other Sardars who had subjugated themselves to the Nizam.

Parshuram Bhau played an important role in many battles after this as well as siding with  Nana Phadnawis in the famous Barbhai episode.
He was given the task of looking after the safety of Gangabai, ( the widow of the slain Narayanrao Peshwa), who was then in a family way. Sawai Madhavrao was born and annointed as the next Peshwa in this very tense period.

In this whole interval the other Patwardhan brothers too played their part in many battles. After the demise, while at war, of Gopalrao, Vamanrao and Pandurang, the mantle of the Patwardhan clan fell on Parshuram bhau. This was around 1777.

The Jagir of Tasgaon became his home. It is situated. near Sangli and Miraj in Maharashtra.
Tasgaon was the station of Parshuram bhau with a compliment of 122 troops and weapons. In the larger scheme of things he was, however only a 1/3rd stake holder of the Miraj sansthan. Hence within the Mirajkar Patwardhans, the Tasgaon Rajwada and the surrounding  territory became his personal province. This came to be known as Kashe Tasgaon.

Not much is known of this principality between 1650 and 1770. It was only after Bhau took over that Tasgaon gained prominence.
Parshuram bhau was a devotee of Lord Ganesh. He built a temple in Tasgaon. To this day, the temple draws enormous crowds of devotees from the region during the yearly Ganesh Utsav.

There is a different form of architecture which catches the eye when you see the Rajwada. Tasgaon and the surrounding areas were under the rule of Adilshah of Bijapur till it was won over and became part of the Maratha Emire. The Northern gate of the Rajwada and the Northern wall are relics of the Adilshahi Era.

In a career which spanned 60 years, Parshuram bhau took part in almost 100 battles. His end too came on the battlefield. In 1799 while in battle with the Karvirkars of Kolhapur, he was severely wounded. It is said that he was taken to the Maharaja of Kolhapur in this critical state. No mercy was shown to him howevr and he was killed. A gruesome end for a brave and noble warrior.

The Tasgaon Rajwada, today is the residence of Mr. Rajendra Patwardhan. He is the 7th descendant of Parshuram Bhau, from the Tasgaon Branch.
The Rajwada and temple although difficult to maintain, is painstakingly looked after by Mr. Rajendra Patwardhan.

Some of the paintings found on the walls in the Rajwada. The colours are natural dyes.



Courtsey:  Mr. Rajendra Patwardhan
                  Photographs: Mr Jay Prayag.

Visiting Raver Khedi

A Visit To RaverKhedi

I was a part of a group of family and friends who had planned to visit Raver Khedi, the resting place or Samadhi of Bajirao1 Peshwa.
The distance from Indore to Raver is approximately 143kms.

We left Indore at noon and it took us almost 4 hours to reach Raver. Of course we stopped on the way at this quaint dhaba, simply named Gopal Midway at a village. called Badaweh, for a delicious lunch of Makki di roti, Sarson da saag, chaas and fresh warm jalebi. Badewah lies on the banks of the Narmada.

Moving on from there we reached "Sonavat", another town. A right turn sign brought us to the turning for the Baji Rao1 Samadhi.

                                            

The turn off form the highway we travel across a muddy road. It had rained the previous night and the road had turned to a long stretch of sludge and in places water was merrily flowing over the road. Lush fields greeted us on either side. There were places where the road was completely washed out. We had to get down from our vehicle and walk. 

Eventually though, we reached the village of Raver. walking through slippery pathways was difficult as we had elderly people with us. What kept everyone going ahead was the moment when we would pay our tribute to the samadhi sthan or eternal resting place of Bajirao1.

Finally we reached the gate of the Samadhi.

The feeling that I am to actually glimpse, the final resting place of Bajirao the 1st. made me stand still. A complete sense of satisfaction flooded my being. At last I would be able to pay homage to my Hero and Idol.

The Wada and his Samadhi, although neglected, were clean. I felt that even thru his Samadhi, Bajirao seemed to call out to us in his commanding way.

The Narmada flowed below silently. The cremation sight, which was built, the night Bajirao gave up this world still stands, with the Narmada flowing around it. 

The date was 28th April 1740. On the shores of the Narmada were tents and sarai's. Bajirao's army was preparing for another battle. 

I stood gazing out towards the shore and a clear picture formed in front of me. A hot sultry day in April. Hot winds blowing.fine sand across the area. Warriors preparing for battle in the heat. Bajirao holding the army together, encouraging them, till he falls ill. The fever consuming him and eventually he losing his only battle in life.

The tremendous loss to his Generals and warriors must have been immense. Within that horrible night a stone pyre is built in the Narmada and by the first rays of sunlight, the sun of the Maratha Empire is not with his army.

This then was the sight, I stood on, as though in a trance. The whole scene flashing before my eyes as though it happened just yesterday.

Journey at Sea

Tryst With The Sea

The call came at 10 am. on the 13th of June 2014. I was to fly to Bhuj and then onwards by car to Kandla, to join my husband on the ship.

So began my journey.

It was flawless reaching Kandla Port. Memories of an early time came flooding back. Nothing much seemed to have changed and the Port looked the same as it did, those many years ago. Try as I might, I could not take any pictures of the port as it was not allowed. Although once I reached inside the port there were no such restrictions.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

A few Officers were joining with me so we all got into this Tug, where we were told that it would take us at least five to six hours to reach the ship.

The tug seemed as old as a Dhow. The cabin where we were asked to sit had places to sit but with ten of us and our luggage got extremely cramped. Within ten minutes I asked the captain of the tug if I could sit out on deck. Fortunately he gave me a stool to sit out on deck behind the steering house and finally we set of.

As we boarded in the evening it became quite dark. The sea, given the time of the year, was not calm at all.

As soon as we reached the open waters, the tug bobbed away at every wave that hit it. Managing to sit and hold on to the railing for support was quite a humorous sight.

There were two first time cadets with us, and I could see there discomfort, even though they tried their best to hide it.

As there were a few hours to kill, I looked around the tug. The state from inside was truly appalling, to say the least.The living conditions were terrible. I was later explained that as no one actually lives on the tug, it is not usually cleaned.The journey took  five hours, where I got to know the officers and we could keep a steady conversation going. 

My first sighting of the ship, took my breath away. There it stood with a warm glow around it, as though beckoning us to be there. As it was dark she was lit up and the ships reflection into the water created quite a beautiful picture.

As we drew nearer, we all started wondering, how we were going to get on the ship. The swell of the sea made our little boat bob up and down so much that it was impossible to get on to the ship's gangway. After a lot of tries, it was decided that we would be picked up by the crane that was being used to discharge coal on the ship. It was only once we reached the barge which was being used to store the coal that we were or rather I was in for another surprise. I think it is best explained by the picture I took.

On the far right was our boat. We were to jump from the boat to the first barge then the second and then on to the crane platform. This picture was taken in daylight. It was 8 pm. when we were boarding the ship. Even though the barges were tied up alongside each other, there was a gap of about 2 feet between them. This was the first time that I had to face anything like this. I have climbed up pilot ladders which are basically rope ladder lying vertical from the ship side but never anything like this. With my heart in my mouth leaping from one barge to the next, I was finally onto the crane platform. The crane then was fitted with an iron basket, enough to carry three people. This took me up and onto the ship. It was quite an exhilarating experience.

The days on the ship flew past and soon I was to be leaving the ship. 

Weather conditions, in the mean time had gone from bad to worse. The day I was to leave the winds were blowing at 40 knots and the swell of the sea was between 6 to 7 mtrs. I was dreading venturing out from the comfortable confines of the accommodation. Unfortunately as the ship was going to sail the next day, I had to leave her from the anchorage itself. There I was donning a life jacket and out on the main deck.

The scenario was not a pleasant one at all. Due to rough conditions the platform with the crane had developed a hole on its side and had to be taken to shore. The only way for me to go ashore was on this platform.

Once again the crane was fitted with the basket, with me in it. Only this time there was no exhilaration. 

As the basket rose high, the wind thought of giving us a joy ride. It made it swing from side to side and turn round and round.

I have never been fond of roller coasters or the spinning wheels in parks, but there I was, eyes tightly shut, heart thudding loudly, holding on to the metal rail of the basket for dear life. After a lot of maneuvering, we finally reached the platform. I would like to add that from the ship to the platform it was a drop of about 20 mtrs. There was another officer with me while going back and we were immediately asked to get into the accommodation for safety.

Watching from the outside of the accommodation which was at a height from the platform, I could see that two tugs had been tied to one another and then to the platform. 

Moving the platform away from the ship was quite smooth. The platform was listed at one end due to the hole in its side, but the Captain assured me that it would not be a problem. The waves kept coming on to the platform but otherwise it was quite steady and I could busily take pictures.

Suddenly there was a jolt and a huge wave came crashing on to the platform. It was so big that it sprayed onto the accommodation too. I could see a lot of commotion and the crew running hither, thither. The rope tied to the tug which was pulling us had broken. The crew was trying to tie the platform to the other tug but unfortunately it got stuck in its propeller and had to be cut.

Here we were in the middle of the sea, 20 miles from shore, at 730 in the evening, completely adrift, with no help in sight and darkness falling.

Being adrift also meant that we were at the mercy of the wind and the waves. The waves were coming on now with gusto, huge waves which hit the platform taking away anything that was loose on it. Barrels of Diesel, ropes and such loose items just got washed out to sea. The crew was desperately trying to secure things but the force of the waves was such that two of the crew got thrown from one end of the platform to another. Luckily they could hold on to an immovable structure on the platform and were saved. Of course they were badly bruised and the next day had to be taken to the hospital for treatment.

I overheard the Captain speaking in a hushed voice about how anxious he was because I was on board. He was frantically calling other tugs in the vicinity.

The situation was getting out of control. The platform which held the crane was already listed to the left. The huge mammoth crane was also on the left side. Due to the continuous pounding of the waves and water entering through the hole in its side, there was every chance of the platform capsizing.

It was a dark an eerie night. Dark clouds in the sky, obliterating the moon and stars. Stormy winds,waves so huge as if they would and did swallow anything and everything that came into their way.

After about two hours of being thoroughly beaten by the angry forces of nature, a tug did come to our rescue and slowly we made progress towards the shore.

The journey which was supposed to take us three hours, took almost seven hours.

I must say the captain, never lost his cool even once. I remember his remark " It is the first time that I have faced such a huge problem, there have been problems before but nothing like this on." The way he guided his crew was exemplary. What was even more amazing was that, through all the chaos, there was a hot meal ready for everyone. It was such a relief to actually sit down steady in one place without being thrown round. 

Reaching shore and standing on my feet on land was an emotion I cannot really put, in a word or sentence.

Till today however, I cannot understand the feeling that had come over me that night. Was it acceptance? Was it a realisation that panic would get me nowhere? Or was it just a belief that we would make it safely to shore. Strangely enough, as I sat there observing the mayhem, a deathly calm had befallen over me. I who is so scared of the deep waters, was sitting perfectly still, with thoughts of family and friends flashing through my mind.

I remembered reading a poem and how perfectly it fitted in, with the situation.

Wild Stormy Sea
by Elpis

Billowing winds, skimming the surface of the dark gray sea.

Churning the water, forceful and wild.

A distant howling, the promise of an untethered force.

Swirling mute skies, the storm approaches.

Gathering pace, gathering noise.

Waves rising higher, crashing from their peak,

to the foamy wash below.

She will take no prisoner's, have no mercy.

Arc's of silver flash in the distance,

into the depth's of the angry sea.

A building crescendo of deep, growling,

closer, closer.

Mother nature, she reigns supreme,

ethereal, powerful, a universal queen.