KAUAI, HAWAII, July 13, 2021 (Hinduism Today by Sanjeevani Dedge, 12, California): If you ever visit villages in Maharashtra during Diwali, you will see a unique tradition as part of the festival celebrations: mud forts made by children in alleys, against walls in front and backyards. Actual forts themselves in India date back 2,000 years and were a core part of building empires and kingdoms. However, it is said that the tradition of creating small mud forts on Diwali originated about 350 years ago from a bold and powerful king named Chatrapati Shivaji Mahaj.
Shivaji turned the tide of approximately 300 years of Islamic rule in the region, and formed a kingdom that Hindus could call their own. In his early teens, it is said, Shivaji Maharaj would construct fort models made of clay or mud so that he and his soldiers could study them and prepare for battle. From this, it is believed that the practice of making forts during Diwali started. In Maharashtra, the fort-making is usually centered around Shivaji’s famous battles. But, in our fort, we wanted to highlight many significant figures, events and geographical features that positively impacted Hindu civilization. My family and I, as well as friends–of which only two are from Maharashtra–have been making mud forts in California for a few years now.
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https://www.hinduismtoday.com/magazine/jul-aug-sept-2021/king-shivajis-fort-comes-to-america/