The great Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s birth date has been a matter of dispute among the Maharashtrians who revere the king. And it is not a secret.

Per Gregorian calender, the state observes Shivaji Jayanti with an annual public holiday on February 19. Nonetheless, a sizable population of Maharashtrians commemorate the event the third day of Phalgun in the Hindu calendar.