Mumbai: The historic ‘Wagh Nakh’ (Tiger Claw) used by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to kill Mughal General Afzal Khan will be arriving in India from London’s Victoria and Albert Museum on July 19 for a three-year period, as announced by Maharashtra Minister of Culture, Sudhir Mungantiwar. The Tiger Claw will be displayed at the Shivaji Museum in Satara in a grand ceremony presided over by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on the same day.

In October of last year, Maharashtra Ministers Sudhir Mungantiwar and Uday Samant signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with London’s Victoria and Albert Museum to bring Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s ‘Wagh Nakh’ back to India for three years. Minister Mungantiwar expressed that displaying the ‘Wagh Nakh’ in the museum will provide people the opportunity to witness this significant artifact. Speaking to reporters, he said, “Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, with all his wisdom, killed Afzal Khan using the ‘Wagh Nakh’. We are celebrating 350 years since the coronation of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Many programs will be held in Maharashtra to commemorate this. We want to give people the chance to see the ‘Wagh Nakh’ by displaying it in the museum.”

Due to the terms of the MOU, the ‘Wagh Nakh’ cannot be taken to all districts of Maharashtra as initially planned. Instead, it will be kept at a specific location where people can visit. Mungantiwar also emphasized that the ‘Wagh Nakh’ is not just an ordinary artifact for the people of Maharashtra but a “symbol of faith”.

The display is part of the celebration of the 350th anniversary of Chhatrapati Shivaji’s coronation. The choice of the Satara Museum to host the ‘Wagh Nakh’ is significant, as Chhatrapati Shivaji killed Afzal Khan at the foot of Pratapgarh fort in Satara. The victory at Pratapgarh symbolizes Shivaji’s bravery and reputation as a military leader.

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