Veteran Marathi stage actor, singer and drama producer Bhalchandra Pendharkar has died at the age of 94 due to prolonged illness. Pendharkar was affectionately known as Anna and gained immense popularity through his play Duritanche Timir Javo. In his career, he was conferred with awards such as Bal Gandharva award and the Vishnudas Bhave award. He was also a recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi award in 2004.
Facts About Marathi Language
- Marathi is the official language of Maharashtra.
- Marathi has some of the oldest literature of all modern Indo-Aryan languages, dating from about 900 AD.
- Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India.
- There are 2 scripts of Marathi. One is Devnagari & the other is Modi.
- Marathi ranks 19th in the list of most spoken languages in the world.
- Kesari – a Marathi newspaper was founded in 1881 by Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak.
- Marathi grammar shares similarities with other modern Indo-Aryan languages such as Hindi, Gujarati, and Punjabi.
- Marathi is one of several languages that descend from Maharashtri Prakrit.
Test Your Knowledge
Name the languages which got Classical Language Status in India?
How many languages are written on the back side of the Indian Rupee note inside the box?
