The Forest Sage of Maharashtra: Remembering Padma Shri Maruti Chitampalli
The Forest Sage of Maharashtra: Remembering Padma Shri Maruti Chitampalli
Padma Shri Maruti Bhujangrao Chitampalli passed away at the age of 93 on June 18, 2025. He was a well-known naturalist, wildlife conservationist, forest officer, and Marathi author from Maharashtra. He widely known as Aranyarishee (Forest Sage).
He was born on November 5, 1932, in the Solapur district of Maharashtra, into a Telugu-speaking Marathi family. He grew up in a neighbourhood where Marathi was spoken with a Gujarati influence.
His grandfather lived in the Budhwar Peth area of Solapur, which had a significant Telugu-speaking population and was located near a Muslim-majority locality. As a result, his family-including his parents and siblings, spoke a blend of Marathi, Gujarati, Telugu, and Urdu-influenced Hindi.
His father had a deep interest in reading, while his
mother enjoyed walking forest trails. Accompanying his mother, father, aunt,
and uncle on these walks through the woods, sparked Maruti’s early interest in
forests.
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Despite very challenging circumstances and a weak economic
background, Maruti completed his primary education at T.M. Pore School in
Solapur and his secondary education at Northcote Technical School.
Subsequently, he completed his Intermediate Science education at Dayanand
College, Solapur. Based on this qualification, he secured admission to the
Southern Forest Rangers College in Coimbatore for a degree in forestry. There,
he completed a two-year forest training program from 1958 to 1960.
Shri Chitampalli began his career with the Maharashtra State Government’s Forest Service, with his first posting at Dhebewadi in Satara district. He served for over 36 years in various capacities, working in several forests and national parks across the state, including Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve, Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary, Melghat Tiger Reserve, and forest regions in Bhandara and Chandrapur, holding roles such as Forest Officer, Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF), and in-charge of various wildlife sanctuaries and reserves.
His experiences in the field served as the foundation for his literary works. He authored more than 18 books on forests, capturing countless elements of the natural world through his writing.
In recognition of his contributions in January 2025, he was honoured with
the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian award, by the Government
of India. Earlier, in 2017, he was awarded the Vinda Karandikar Memorial Lifetime Achievement Award from the
Government of Maharashtra.
During his tenure, he played a
key role in wildlife and forest management and represented India at several
international conferences, presenting papers on biodiversity and conservation. He
remained active in advisory roles even after retirement, contributing to
academic and policy initiatives in the field of environment. In 2006, he
presided over the 83rd Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan held in
Solapur, using the platform to awaken ecological awareness among the
Marathi-speaking public.
He wrote his first book, Jangalache Dene, in 1989, focusing on practical lessons in conservation. The book highlights the importance, beauty, and diversity of forests, and presents his personal experiences and observations from the field. It serves as a valuable resource for nature enthusiasts and anyone interested in understanding the natural world. The book is available on Amazon’s online store.
In 1992, he wrote his second book, Ranvata, a collection of nature essays based on his experiences in the forest. The book received state literary awards for its insightful and vivid portrayal of the natural world.
Subsequently, he authored several notable works, including Nilawanti, Pranikosh, Pakshikosh, Suwarna Garud, Nisargawachan, Shabdanche Dhan, Mrugpakshishastra,
Kesharacha Paus, Gharatya Palikade,
Anandadayi Bagale,
Pakshi Jaya Digantara,
Chitragriwa: Eka Kabutarachi
Katha, and Navegavbandhache
Diwas -each reflecting his deep connection with nature and
wildlife.
One of the notable works that offers deep insight into Maruti Chitampalli’s life is his autobiography “Chakvachandan,” published in 2005 by Mauj Prakashan Gruh. There he narrated his journey from childhood to retirement from the Forest Department, with each chapter offering a new lesson for reader.
A large part of his service was spent in the forests of Navegaon Bandh in Vidarbha, which deeply influenced his writing. Through “Chakvachandan,” he shared his experiences with forests, animals, and birds in a simple and heartfelt way, showing his deep love for nature and skill in storytelling.
In his thoughtful writings, Maruti Chitampalli shared many powerful insights about the natural world. One striking example is his observation about elephants. He noted that elephants often return to their ancestral paths, even after a hundred years, guided by instinct and memory.
They usually travel at night to avoid human disturbance, unaware that their old paths are now blocked by farms, roads, and towns. Tragically, these changes are not the elephants' fault, but ours. Says Chitampalli. Further he highlightes how human solutions, like relocating individual elephants, can cause more harm. Elephants live and move in herds, and separating one from its group leads to confusion, fear, and sometimes aggression.
He suggested that if relocation is necessary, entire herds should be moved together, with care and planning. Shri Chitampalli taught us that true forest conservation means respecting the deep bonds and intelligence of wildlife and recognising our responsibility to protect their world, not destroy it.Similarly, he had deep knowledge about ants (walvi), anthills (warul. In his literature he written in detail about how ants build these structures and live inside the anthills.
In many interviews, he mentioned that his mother was very familiar with forest life and passed on much of her knowledge to him during his childhood. Her guidance played a key role in shaping his early understanding of nature. Maruti Chitampalli intricately wove the countless elements of the forest and the world surrounding it into his words.
Though his mother tongue was Telugu, he contributed nearly thousands of words to Marathi language, many of them related to birds and plants. For instance , The English term "rookery" (a nesting colony of crows) translated by him as "kākāgār"; For "heronry" (nesting colony of herons), he gave the Marathi term "sārangāgār; For "roosting place", he coined the word "rātnivārā." His work made nature more accessible to the common reader and left a lasting mark on both environmental education and Marathi literature.
People who love to explore the forest, he often guided them
on how to truly observe forest, feel a connection with nature, and understand
the meaning behind its signs. His demise has created a great void in the fields
of Marathi literature and nature conservation. But the people who loves nature
and who knows his contribution they will remain miss him.
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Writer-Mr. Krushna
Sources used for writing the blog:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maruti_Chitampalli
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