Sarfojiraje Bhosale Centre has been established to perpetuate the memory of one of the greatest exponents of the classical art of dance and music, Sarfojiraje Bhosale, the former ruler of the Thanjavur State in Tamil Nadu
The genealogy of the Maratha dynasty of the Thanjavur state inscribed at the Brihadisvara temple in Thanjavur throws light on the fact that the dynasty began from Shahajiraje Bhosale, the father of the great Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
King Sarfoji was a great patron of learning. So he promoted the scholarly and artistic activities in his regime. He collected rare works and manuscripts from all over the country. The Saraswati Mahal Library is a great testimony to his passion for collection of books. These manuscripts in several languages on various subjects attract scholars from all over the world who are interested in the research. The King spent a large portion of his wealth in securing the manuscripts. So many anecdotes are told as to how the King would part with jewellery and diamonds for some rare manuscripts.
King Sarfoji's literary achievements are influenced by Sanskrit literature and he was much influenced by the folk theatre of the South. The cultural and national integration was accomplished without any difficulty. Sarfoji had a keen sense of history and so he got it inscribed on the outer walls of the temples of Brihadisvara at Thanjavur.
Centuries later, renowned maestro of arts Acharya Parvatikumar applied himself to the an in-depth study of the Marathi Nirupanas composed by Shri Sarfoji Maharaj Bhosale of Thanjavur which was published by the Saraswati Mahal (T.M.S.S.M.) Library, Thanjavur. He has been assisted by his wife Sumati, in the research activities especially in supervising the music of the various compositions. Years of painstaking research bore fruit when his book 'Thanjavur Nritya Prabandha' was published by the Maharashtra Sahitya and Sanskriti Mandal.
To immortalise the work by Sarfoji Maharaj and Late Guru Acharya Parvatikumar, his senior disciple, Dr. Sandhya Purecha established the Sarfojiraje Bhosale B.N. T. & R. Centre in Mumbai in the year 1993 with the aim of promoting, propagating and nurturing the arts of Indian dance and music.
