Pawankhind : A Saga of Bravery
Hey guys , hope you all are doing well. Today I am going to tell you all about a movie that I watched a few days back. Its name is Pawankhind , and it is a Marathi movie .Many of my Marathi speaking friends might have already watched it and if not , they might be aware about the context of this film .
Pawankhind translated from Marathi means a “Holy Pass” . Here Pass means a gap between mountains or a rugged terrain . Generally in older times when construction technology was not much , such passes were used for the purposes of transportation and for the movement of people and goods . This particular pass played a major role in Maratha History. Originally it was called Ghodkhind “Horse Pass” but after a particular battle its name was changed to Pawankhind .
The Pawankhind was a very narrow pass, so much that only a few people could go through it at a time . In this pass a very famous battle was fought . A Maratha General , Baji Prabhu Deshpande and his contingent of 300 Soldiers , held the pass for a long time by fighting a 10000 strong Adilshahi force. They bought this time by sacrificing their own lives so that their king Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj could reach the nearby fort of Vishalgadh to safety .
It is said that Baji Prabhu Deshpande fought so fiercely that despite being grievously wounded and being hit by a bullet , he refused to die unless and until he heard the sound of 5 canons from Vishalgadh , a signal which meant that the King had reached safely. And this is what happened , he closed his eyes only when he heard the canon boom 5 times , and not before saluting his king before touching the ground .
It is amazing to see what amazing feats we human beings can carry out when we are completely devoted to a cause we fiercely believe in. Baji Prabhu Deshpande believed in his King and his leadership, even though he admitted that he was 15 years elder to Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj in age ,he was inspired by his vision and ideals . This was the level of awe and respect commanded by Shivaji among his Generals and men.
Today a statue of Baji Prabhu Deshpande stands tall in the city of Panhala . Reminding us of his bravery, courage and sacrifice . Our country has truly been blessed by such noble souls who time and again rose up to the occasion to fiercely deal with any challenge that was thrown at them . If you also have heard any such tale of brave men or women , do feel free to share with me . See you until the next one .