Wagh Nakh to be Displayed at Ajab Bangla in Nagpur Starting July 19
Nagpur, India- Maharashtra's cultural minister, Sudhir Mungantiwar, has announced that the Wagh Nakh (tiger claw dagger) used by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to kill Mughal general Afzal Khan in 1659 will be displayed in Nagpur and other parts of the state over the next three years. In Nagpur, it will be shown at Ajab Bangla (Central Museum) in Civil Lines.
Mungantiwar said that Shivaji’s famous weapon will arrive in India on July 19. It will be displayed for three years, starting with a big event in Satara attended by Maharaj’s descendants. The Wagh Nakh is now on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. “We are not paying any rent to display it,” Mungantiwar said, adding that the government had only spent ₹14.08 lakh on travel to London and signing the agreement with the museum.
He also addressed rumors about the Wagh Nakh's authenticity. Historian Indrajeet Sawant mentioned communications with the Victoria and Albert Museum suggesting doubt about whether this specific set was used by Shivaji Maharaj to kill Afzal Khan.
Mungantiwar told the assembly last week: “We have photo evidence from Maharaj’s followers showing that a box at the London museum identified it as the weapon used to kill Afzal Khan. We worked with the Prime Ministers of India and the UK, as well as museum authorities. The special case by Duff clearly stated that this was the weapon used by Shivaji Maharaj.”
