Shri.Maruti B. Chitampalli (Devanagari: श्री. मारुती चितमपल्ली; born 5 November 1932) is a naturalist, wildlife conservationist and Marathi writer from Maharashtra, India. The birthdate of Maruti B. Chitampalli is given by him in his autobiography 'Chakvachandan' as 12 November 1932. He grew up in Solapur and then went to enroll himself in State Forest Service College in Coimbatore. After completing his training, he joined the services with Maharashtra State government. During his professional life, he moved at various forests and national parks, having live experiences with various entities. This laid the foundation of his interest in writing his literary works, mostly in Marathi.
He retired from Maharashtra state government service as the Deputy Chief Conservator of Forests. He was instrumental in the development of Karnala Bird Sanctuary, Navegaon National Park, Nagzira Sanctuary and Melghat Tiger Project; also constructing orphanages for displaced wildlife at the last two institutions.
Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal or crepuscular birds in the family Caprimulgidae and order Caprimulgiformes, characterised by long wings, short legs, and very short bills. They are sometimes called goatsuckers, due to the ancient folk tale that they sucked the milk from goats (the Latin for goatsucker is caprimulgus), or bugeaters, their primary source of food being insects. Some New World species are called nighthawks. The English word "nightjar" originally referred to the European nightjar. Nightjars are found all around the world, with the exception of Antarctica, and certain island groups such as the Seychelles. They can be found in a variety of habitats, most commonly the open country with some vegetation. They usually nest on the ground, with a habit of resting and roosting on roads.
Shabarichi Bora (शबरीची बोरं) is a part of book “Raatwa”. This article is a precious research work of Chitampalli sir. A must read book.
The following are some of Chitampalli Sir’s works:
Ratawa (रातवा)
Chaitrapalavi (चैत्रपालवी)
Ranvata (रानवाटा)
Nilawanti (निळावंती)
Pranikosh (प्राणीकोश)
Pakshikosh (पक्षीकोश)
Suwarna Garud (सुवर्ण गरुड)
Nisargawachan ( निसर्गवाचन)
Shabdanche Dhan (शब्दांचे धन)
Jangalache Dene (जंगलाचं देणं)
Mrugpakshishastra (मृगपक्षीशास्त्र)
Kesharacha Paus (केशराचा पाऊस)
Gharatya Palikade (घरट्या पलिकडे)
Anandadayi Bagale (आनंददायी बगळे)
Pakshi Jaya Digantara (पक्षी जाय दिगंतरा)
Chitragriwa: Eka Kabutarachi Katha (चित्रग्रीव : एका कबुतराची कथा)
Navegavbandhache diwas: (नवेगाव बांधचे दिवस)
Chaitrapalawi: 2004
Chakva Chandan : Ek Vanopanishad (चकवा चांदण : एक वनोपनिषद) (Autobiography)
An Introduction to Mrugpakshishastra of Hansadev (in English)
My Sincere thanks to,
BGM Flute : Mr. Ainuddin Warsi Sir
Photography : Saurabh J.