Shriman Yogi (by Ranjit Desai) is about Shivaji Maharaj. Chava is about Sambhaji. They are companion pieces. Read both.
The final chapters, detailing Sambhaji’s capture and execution by Aurangzeb, are arguably the most harrowing pages ever written in Marathi literature. Sawant describes the eyes being gouged out, the tongue being cut, and the nails being pulled, yet Sambhaji recites verses from the Bhavishya Purana . This juxtaposition of brutality and devotion is what makes Chava unforgettable.
The internal conspiracies within the Swarajya court.
You can read the 1,000+ page epic on a phone or tablet during commutes.
If you are still on the fence about reading it, here is why Chava remains a masterpiece 50+ years later.
Chava is one of the most celebrated historical novels in Marathi literature, written by the legendary author Shivaji Sawant. It chronicles the heroic and tragic life of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, the second ruler of the Maratha Empire.