Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday paid tribute to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to mark the birth anniversary.
Speaking at a function organised in Ponda, Sawant said Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj played a big role in the preservation of the Hindu culture in Goa.
"Goans will always be indebted to him. The Colvale fort, Betul fort and several temples in this state remained intact because of Chhatrapati Shivaji. Just now, the compere said that Shivaji played the biggest role in preserving Hindu culture here. Goans cannot forget this," he said, adding that there is a need to understand the Maratha king all over again.
The Chief Minister further added thatthe Maratha king was the first to kickstart the process of establishing a 'Hindu Rashtra' in India.
"Everyone says that the youth today should imbibe Chhatrapati Shivaji's qualities. In his lifespan of around 50 years, he showed exemplary qualities related to good administration, economic policies, his objective of good governance and self-rule. If anyone who has started the journey of establishing a Hindu Rashtra in India, it was him," Sawant said.