The iconic ground, long associated with Thackeray’s political journey, has been undergoing extensive arrangements since early morning. PIC/ SHADAB KHAN
The Shivaji Park Smriti Sthal, where Thackeray was cremated in 2012, has been adorned with fresh flowers as party leaders oversee the decorations personally
Bal Thackeray, born on January 23, 1926, was an Indian journalist-turned-politician who founded the Shiv Sena and became one of Maharashtra’s most influential and controversial political leaders
Known for his strong pro-Hindu stance, Thackeray shaped the party into a formidable force in the state’s political landscape
Thackeray began his professional journey in the early 1950s as a cartoonist with the Free Press Journal in Mumbai
He was often referred to as the “godfather of Maharashtra” or, as his legion of devout followers called him, Hindu Hridaysamrat (“Emperor of the Hindu Heart”)
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