Recently finished reading this book written in Marathi . As the name suggests , the book takes us on an amazing journey to the various battlefields on which the Marathas fought their most important battles . Starting right from Shahaji , the book touches upon upto sixteen battles and the environs they were fought in , finishing off with the Battle of Kharda ( 1795 ) . In between , battles fought by Shivaji , and during the Maratha war of independence and Peshwai have been covered . Some of these battles are more famous - like that of Umberkhind , Nesari and Panipat - but as I read the book I realised there was so much I did not know about these events , and even less so about the places they took place in . Many other battles and sieges , like that of Ramsej and Kharda , which were also very important events but have been largely ignored by history books , have also been brought alive beautifully .
What I liked most about the book was the way it combined geography , description of the places where the events took place , and the history behind it . There are any number of trekking books - which will tell you that to the north of this place was this , and to the south was that . The book will describe how a fort has a wall , three - four bastions , how to reach the citadel . Basically a description of the place , which tells you little about why that place is so important . On the other hand , one has history books which only touch upon the historical aspect . This book however , tells you the story behind the importance of Ramsej or Nesari or Umberkhind . The place itself is also beautifully described , and one can imagine the battles that must have taken place once upon a time at that place , as the author takes us on a tour of those places . Certainly , if I am to visit any of the places mentioned in the book again , I would be looking at them differently .
The author has done a lot of research in bringing out the historical aspect , and describing the battles - complete with names and dates . This is even more commendable when you realise that the events described in the form of sixteen essays span nearly 150 years . Obviously all the information required to compile this book cannot be found in one or two history books .
Apart from that , the author has taken the trouble to actually tour each of the places he describes in his book . As a result , his descriptions of the battlefields , passes , forts etc read like a travelogue and his book automatically becomes a ready guide to those places . A generous sprinkling of maps and photos make the experience of reading the book more enriching .
On the downside , nothing much really . Though I would like the history part to be more elaborate . Perhaps even separate it from the trek / hike / place description . For someone uninitiated in Maratha history , some of the events might be hard to grasp - especially the events after Chhatrapati Shivaji's death . Just a paragraph or two of background info would suffice .
Secondly , would have liked the design of the book to be more standard and in line with your usual books . A thicker book would also help . Current size gives it a magazine kind of look , I felt .
All in all would definitely recommend this book .
Name : भटकंती - मराठ्यांच्या धरतीर्थांची
Author : पराग लिमये
Language : Marathi .
Price : Rs 160 .
Score : 8/10 .
