Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde declared ‘dand patta’ or gauntlet sword as the state weapon on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj birth anniversary at the Shivneri fort.
Shivneri fort is also the birthplace of Shivaji.
Key points
- ‘Dand patta ‘was reportedly used by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and other Maratha warriors. Dand patta comprises a double-edged sword measuring up to four feet with a gauntlet integrated as a hand guard.
- It was used widely during the medieval period and Shivaji is depicted with the weapon in several paintings.
- When Shivaji was attacked by Afzal Khan, the commander of Adil Shah from Bijapur, his bodyguard Jiva Mahala is believed to have used a dand patta to cut off the attacker Sayyad Banda’s arm.
- Cultural affairs minister Sudhir Mungantiwar also declared Garja Maharashtra Majha as the state song and Silver Pomfret as the state fish.
