Known as the "Father of the Indian Navy", Maratha Emperor Shivaji was the first Indian ruler to realize the importance of a naval force. He established the force on the Konkan coastline to defend the state of Maharashtra against Mughal invaders. Shivaji’s maritime army laid the foundation for the modern Indian Navy – which is the seventh-largest in the world.
On Thursday, Indians including some of the country's eminent leaders marked the birth anniversary of Chhatrapati Shivaji with special wishes and posts on social media. To commemorate the birth anniversary of Shivaji on Thursday, a Mumbai-based animation artist, Nitin Dinesh Kamble, created a portrait using over 46,000 plastic bits in six different colours, achieving a world record.
“I have made a portrait of Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj. I have used 46,080 plastic bits to make it. In India, there is a ban on plastic but there is not a lot we can do about the plastic that is already in the market,” Kamble told wire agency ANI on Wednesday (11 March).
The official account of Maharashtra Chief Minister, Uddhav Thackeray also posted a picture from the Mumbai Airport – which is named after Shivaji.
Shivaji was a Hindu warrior king, who expanded his estate and military forces to capture portions of India and bring them under the Maratha Dynasty.