Nagpur: Bhalachandra Ramchandra Andhare, a well known historian of Maharashtra, whose research on Nagpur’s Bhonsala history brought many unknowns aspects of the city and its Bhonsala lineage into the mainstream, died on Saturday at his Bharat Nagar residence, where he started his personal museum. He was 86. Andhare is survived by his wife and two sons — Mukund and Chaitanya.
A historian of repute, Andhare retired as professor and head of the history department from Vasantrao Naik Institute of Arts and Sciences better known as Morris College. In 1982, through sheer perseverance and hard work, he opened ‘Itihas & Sanskrit Sanshodhan Kendra’, a place well equipped with important books, related publications and research work for needy students of history in quest of knowledge.
An avid traveller, Andhare started acquiring rare objects with aesthetic and historical value. Apart from antiques, Andhare also possessed original hand written letters of some of the famous historians of the Bhonsala dynasty.
Mudhoji Raje Bhonsale, the head of Nagpur’s royal family told TOI that Andhare’s death is great loss for the city. “Andhare’s PhD and D Litt research was based on Bhonsala history. It was his study that brought to the fore many forgotten facts about Nagpur’s glorious history. Our family and this city will always remain indebted to him for this effort,” said Mudhoji Raje. The comprehensive collection of Andhare’s research was published as ‘Nagpur Che Bhonsle (Bhonsles of Nagpur) which is the most authentic documentation of the history of the Bhonsala dynasty.
Andhare was known for his personal Meera Andhare Cultural Museum which has more than 2,000 pieces collected from all over India and abroad. The special features of the museum include a nut cutter, a brass glass of Lokmanya Tilak, clothes, magic rice and a silver walking stick.
In his career spanning over six decades, Andhare won several state and national awards for his research in history.