Overview

The legendary Wagh Nakh — the iconic tiger-claw weapon associated with Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj — has finally returned to Indian soil after centuries in the UK.

This is the very weapon believed to have been used in 1659 at Pratapgad Fort, when Shivaji Maharaj outwitted and eliminated Afzal Khan in one of the most dramatic encounters in Indian history. That single moment reshaped the future of the Maratha Empire and shook the Bijapur Sultanate.

After being housed at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Wagh Nakh has come back to Maharashtra on a three-year loan (2024–2027). It first went on display in Satara and is now touring across the state, drawing massive public attention.