India To Get Chhatrapati Shivaji’s ‘Tiger Claw’ On Loan For Three Years; Minister Leaves For London

Photo courtesy: Maharashtra Times

New Delhi: In keeping with an earlier announcement that the state government has decided to bring back the Tiger Claw to India from London on the 350th anniversary of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s coronation celebration, Maharashtra’s Cultural Affairs Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar,  left for London this morning. He will sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to bring back Wagh Nakha, a knuckle duster with metal nails that resembles tiger claws, the wartime weapon of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, from the Victoria and Albert Museum.

The Wagh Nakha or Tiger Claw was used by 17th century Maratha King Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to kill Afzal Khan, the General in the Bijapur Adil Shahi empire. The Tiger Claw will be given to the Maharashtra government by London’s Victoria and Albert Museum on a loan for three years and will be displayed at the museums in the state. On Tuesday, he will visit the Victoria and Albert Museum to meet with Tristan Hunt, director of the museum, and sign the agreement.