Maruti Chitampalli

Maruti Chitampalli spent his working life in Maharashtra’s forests and his writing life helping Marathi readers fall in love with them. Many called him Aranya Rishi, the sage of the forest ^[3]. He was named for the Padma Shri in 2025 in the field of literature and education, from Maharashtra ^[1].

A forester

Chitampalli was born on 5 November 1932 and went to school in Solapur ^[2]. He trained at the State Forest Service College in Coimbatore, graduating in 1960, and joined the Maharashtra Forest Department, retiring as deputy chief conservator of forests ^[2]. He played a key part in developing protected areas including Karnala Bird Sanctuary, Navegaon National Park and Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary ^[2].

A writer of the wild

He wrote more than 18 books on wildlife, nature and forestry in Marathi, including Jangalachi Duniya, Chakvachandan and Ranvata ^[2]. A keen ornithologist, he coined Marathi words for terms such as rookery and heronry, enriching the language’s vocabulary of nature ^[2]. Maharashtra’s annual Bird Week celebrates his contribution ^[2].

His books won several Maharashtra state literature awards, and he received the Vinda Karandikar lifetime achievement award in 2016 ^[2].

Maruti Chitampalli died at his home in Solapur on 18 June 2025, aged 93 ^[3][4].