300 saffron flags to be hoisted at 300 forts to mark Swaraj Sthapna Divas

March 30 has history related to it as it is the day when Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj took the oath to establish Swaraj in Maharashtra. To commemorate this day, a Thane NGO will hoist flags on 300 forts across Maharashtra today, at the same time at 4pm.

Today evening, over 5,000 members of Sahyadri Pratishthan will undertake the celebratory task to hoist 300 saffron flags on the forts. "It is said on March 30, Shivaji Maharaj took the oath of Swaraj Sthapna and free Maharashtra from the Mughal rule. He took this oath at Raireshwar temple, along with his mavla, and by hoisting the flags we are celebrating that day," said Mahesh Vinerkar, a member.

The forts include Panhalgad or Panhala fort, which was seized by Shivaji Maharaj from the Mughals, and when the latter tried to win it back and laid a siege, Shivaji made a heroic escape in the night.

Sanjay Kelkar, a BJP MP will hoist the saffron flag at Durgadi fort in Kalyan.

"By celebrating such days and preserving forts, our aim is to educate today's generation about the significance of various forts in the state," says Kelkar, who is also the working president of the NGO.

Besides this, the volunteers will also undertake Swachhata Abhiyaan at these forts. "While members of will clean 240 forts, remaining 60 will be cleaned by other NGOs at those places," said Vinerkar.

Sahyadri Pratishthan, founded by Shramik Gojamgunde, is involved in preservation of forts in Maharashtra. In the past five years, it has organised various cleanliness drives and taken preservation measures at the forts across Maharashtra.