Renowned historian, Babasaheb Purandare passes away at 100

Pune: Renowned historian, authority on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, writer and theatre personality Balwant Moreshwar alias Babasaheb Purandare passed away in a private hospital following a brief illness early on Monday, his family sources said.

Decorated with the Padma Vibhushan, Purandare -- who turned 100 on July 29 -- breathed his last at the Dinanath Mangeshkar Hospital & Research Centre, around 5 a.m. Monday, stunning the state's political, literary and art circles.

From dawn, thousands of his admirers queued up outside his Pune home where his body is kept for people to catch a final glimpse.

The last rites of Purandare shall be performed later in the day with full state honours, an official said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari,

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Congress President Nana Patole, NCP Chief Sharad Pawar, Bharatiya Janata Party Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena President Raj Thackeray, state and Central Ministers, leaders cutting across the political spectrum, personalities from the theatre world and others, condoled the demise of Babasaheb Purandare.