Eknath Shinde govt. declares ‘Jai Jai Maharashtra Majha’ as State song

Mumbai, February 01: In a major development, Maharashtra government on Tuesday (January 31) recognised 'Jai Jai Maharashtra Majha' as the state song. The song will now be played along with the National Anthem at all government events from February 19, the birth anniversary of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

 

It is for the first time since the establishment of Maharashtra as a state in 1960 that the government has declared an official state song.

 

 

Presently, 12 other states have an official state song -- Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Odisha, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and Uttarakhand.

 

 

 

The song was written by poet Raja Badhe, who worked for All India Radio between 1956-’62, and was set to music by Shrinivas Khale. It was sung by Shahir Sable, a popular folk singer, in the presence of Yashwantrao Chavan, at a ceremony held at Shivaji Park, Dadar, on May 1, 1960, when the state came into being.

 

Raja Badhe’s cousin, Ashok, a retired engineer, who passed away in Pune two days ago, had first pushed for this to be considered the state song soon after Gujarat got its own in 2011.

 

Jai jai Maharashtra majha’ celebrates the state and its spirit of resilience. “This is not just a song but the voice of every Marathi manoos,” said Radha Sable, wife of Krishnarao Sable, also known as Shahir Sable. “It tells the history of Maharashtra. Credit for this must go to its writer Raja Badhe, music composer Shrinivas Khale, as well as with Shahir Sable.”

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