Adman Arun Amberkar makes sure that the next time you trek to Shivaji's strapping forts, you have more to take home than the visual imagery of a dilapidated relic
Adman Arun Amberkar makes sure that the next time you trek to Shivaji's strapping forts, you have more to take home than the visual imagery of a dilapidated relic
While some prefer to coax commercial outlets to sport Marathi signboards, and others get down-and-dirty and drive away taxiwallahs who don't fit into the archetypal Marathi manoos mould, 64 year-old Arun Amberkar's pursuit in spreading Maharashtrian culture is stylishly non-violent. The jovial, bearded adman has transferred sketches of Maharashtra's significant forts, the way we saw them in our history textbooks, onto roomy, cotton tees. 
It began when this senior creative consultant with a branding company was travelling on a jetty in Malvan, braving the salty afternoon breeze in December 2006. "Most of us have grown up reading about Shivaji's fascinating exploits. Every time I visited Malvan, my hometown, I was struck by the grandeur of the Sindhudurg Fort. But it pained me to see that hardly anyone visited it and the fort was in a decrepit condition."
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1 If you are a Chhatrapati Shivaji fan, wear your pride on your tee. This one displays the Rajmudra or the royal seal of Shivaji Maharaj, in Sanskrit. "This is the royal seal of Shivaji, son of Shahaji. This royal seal is for the welfare of the people. The rule of the seal will grow like the new moon grows" -- its literal translation. |
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2 This design is one of the first prints Amberkar introduced. It talks of the history behind the Sindhudurg fort. The strategic |
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3 Raigad fort is historically significant because Shivaji Maharaj was coronated here in 1674 and also breathed his last here in 1680. |
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4 If you plan to take a trip to Konkan, we say chuck your Lonely Planet copy, and simply follow the instructions on this tee to savour the best of the local colours and flavours. Travel in an ST bus, swim in clean waters, inhale fresh air and trek to the Sindhudurg fort. |
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5 The sleeves of this tee represent the traditional Pinguli art. Pinguli, a small and almost inconspicuous village in Konkan, has been home to traditional folk artists from the Thakar Adivasi community, who have lived here since the mid-1800s. Women in this print are dressed in traditional jewellery including the nathni (nose ring). |
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