In a solemn yet stirring tribute to one of India’s most formidable warriors, Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday unveiled the equestrian statue of Shrimant Bajirao Peshwa I at the prestigious National Defence Academy (NDA) in Khadakwasla. The ceremony was steeped in historical reverence, national pride, and the spirit of military excellence.
Addressing an audience that included senior government officials, military personnel, and Peshwa descendants, Shah described Bajirao as “Ajinkya Yoddha”—the invincible warrior whose name is etched in Indian military history not only for his battlefield triumphs but for his visionary leadership and unyielding sense of dharma.
“No other site could have matched the symbolism of this moment. The NDA, the cradle of India’s future military leadership, is the perfect place to honor the life and legacy of Bajirao Peshwa,” Shah declared. He recalled the Battle of Palkhed—where Bajirao outwitted and outmaneuvered the Nizam of Hyderabad with lightning cavalry tactics—as a military feat that remains unparalleled even in modern strategy textbooks.
The newly installed statue, a majestic depiction of Bajirao astride his steed, is not merely a memorial but a call to the nation’s youth to embody the values he stood for: courage, strategy, leadership, and selfless service to the nation. Shah invoked the iconic line associated with Bajirao: “Bajirao ne baajirao ki tarah jeeta tha”—Bajirao lived and won like Bajirao.
“For 20 years, he led from the front, undefeated, expanding the Maratha Empire and laying the foundation of a unified Bharat. His was not just a sword of conquest—it was a mission of civilisational integrity and good governance,” Shah added.
The event drew a constellation of political leaders and dignitaries, including Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, Union MoS Murlidhar Mohol, Education Minister Chandrakant Patil, MPs Vinay Sahasrabuddhe and Dr. Medha Kulkarni, and members of the Peshwa family.
CM Fadnavis echoed the sentiment, stating that Bajirao was not just a Maratha icon but a pan-Indian visionary. “His dream was a sovereign and secure Bharat. Today, when we honor him at NDA, we commit ourselves again to that vision,” he said.
The statue now stands tall on NDA grounds—not only as a monument of stone and bronze, but as a daily reminder to future officers of India’s military might, inherited wisdom, and the legacy of leadership that predates even modern warfare.
In a country rediscovering its heroes through the lens of renewed national consciousness, this installation affirms Bajirao Peshwa’s place not just in textbooks, but in the beating heart of India’s military ethos.
