Reference · things you can almost touch

The Relics

The weapons of the great deeds, the regalia of the crown, and the places you can still visit today. For almost every "original" there's an authenticity debate — we tell it warmly but honestly: arguing which is the real one is part of the fun.

Weapons of the great deeds

Wagh Nakh वाघनखंDay 10
The "tiger claws" of the Afzal Khan encounter. A set is at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London; it came to India on a 3-year loan for the 350th anniversary, shown from 19 Jul 2024 at the Satara museum, then rotating. Debated — some say the V&A set isn't the authentic one (the "real" one said to be in Satara with the royal descendants); the V&A itself notes no firm proof it was Shivaji's.
Bichwa बिचवाDay 10
The second, hidden dagger — the "scorpion" blade — kept ready at Pratapgad.
The sword तलवारDay 22
Three are popularly named — Bhavani, Jagdamba, Tulja — and which is "the" sword is debated. The Jagdamba Talwar is at the V&A, and Maharashtra has sought its return. Debated

The royal regalia

The symbols of the crown, from the coronation (Day 22).

RegaliaWhat it is
Sinhasan सिंहासनThe throne — the seat of swarajya.
Chhatra छत्रThe royal umbrella — the very word in Chhatrapati, "lord of the umbrella."
Jiretop जिरेटोपThe royal helmet.
Kavach कवचThe armour.
Rajmudra राजमुद्राThe royal seal — "like the waxing first-day moon…" (see the Sayings Sheet).
Shivrai & Hon शिवराई · होनHis own coins — copper Shivrai and gold Hon.
Bhagwa Dhwaj भगवा ध्वजThe saffron flag of swarajya.

Relics you can still visit

His Samadhi, RaigadDay 28
His memorial stands before the Jagadishwar temple atop Raigad.
Modi-script letters & farmans मोडीDay 26
The actual handwriting of swarajya, kept in archives — the real ink of the era.
Bhavani temple, PratapgadDay 10
The goddess's temple he built within the fort.
Satara museumRelics
Where the wagh-nakh went on display for the 350th year.
CSMVS, MumbaiRelics
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya — a major museum.

Where precision matters

For Modi-script transcription, the limits are real — point curious readers to the experts: the Bharat Itihas Sanshodhak Mandal and the Maharashtra State Archives.

⚠ The honest caveat

For nearly every "original" relic there is an authenticity debate. Tell it warmly: "people are still arguing which is the real one — and that's part of the fun."

News on the wagh-nakh and swords is time-sensitive — re-check the current display location before planning a visit.