‘Wagh Nakh’: Tiger claw-shaped weapon used by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj arrives in India from London Museum

Sudhir Mungantiwar, the culture minister of Maharashtra, said that the 'Wagh Nakh' or tiger claw-shaped weapon used by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was brought to Mumbai from a London museum on Wednesday (Jul 17), news agency PTI reported. 

The minister said that the 'Wagh Nakh' will now be taken to Satara in western Maharashtra and put on display from Friday. Without providing any details, Mungantiwar said that "the 'Wagh Nakh' has landed". 

According to the state Excise Minister Shambhuraj Desai, the "Wagh Nakh" will be accorded a grand welcome in Satara. 

He told the reporters on Tuesday that the weapon brought from London has a bulletproof cover and security has been beefed up. He further added that it will be kept at a museum in Satara for seven months. 

The report mentioned that Desai reviewed the security arrangements at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Sangrahalay (museum) in the district on Tuesday. "The 'Wagh Nakh' is being brought to Shahunagari (Satara) from a London museum on July 19," he said. 

Desai said the 'Wagh Nakh' being brought to Maharashtra is an inspiring moment and it will be welcomed in Satara in a grand ceremony. 

In 2023, the cultural ministry in Maharashtra signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Victoria and Albert Museum in London in order to bring back the "Wagh Nakh" to the state. 

According to the MoU, the weapon will be handed over to the Maharashtra government on a loan basis for a period of three years. During this period, it will be displayed in museums across the state. 

Last week, Mungantiwar told the legislative assembly that the 'Wagh Nakh' was used by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. 

His comments came after a historian claimed the 'Wagh Nakh' used by the founder of the Maratha empire to kill Bijapur Sultanate's general Afzal Khan in 1659 was already in Satara.