About Us
Our Mission:
This initiative is dedicated to preserving the rich tradition of Marathi powade and honoring the legacy of the artists and shahirs who gave it a voice. We aim to introduce new audiences to this powerful form of cultural expression, while building an extensive archive of performances, biographies, and scholarly resources. Our efforts include:
- Introducing audiences to the world of powade, the shahiri tradition, and related cultural and historical topics.
- Archiving and sharing published powade (with permission from copyright holders)
- Maintaining detailed biographies and critical writings on renowned artists such as Shahir Pandurang Dattatray Khadilkar, Kavibhushan Maharashtra Shahir Pralhadray Jamkhedkar, and Shahir Mahadev Narayan Nanivadekar.
- Compiling and organizing a comprehensive database of shahirs, powade, and other relevant literary and cultural materials.
- Offering access to audio and video recordings of performances.
- Providing curated resources for students, researchers, and enthusiasts interested in studying this vibrant art form.
Powade.com is a portal to the heart of Maharashtra’s past, when battles were sung, heroes remembered, and history echoed in rhyme. Powade, the fierce and fiery ballads of our land, were once carried by the voices of shahirs, the wandering poet-warriors who turned words into thunder and poetry into power.
We aim to keep that flame alive.
Through this archive, we invite a new generation to discover the spirit of powade, to hear the voices of those who shaped our stories, and to explore the lives of the shahirs who made history sing.
This is about remembering who we are, and where we come from.
Our Story
We aim to keep that flame alive. Powade.com is more than a digital archive. It is a living legacy born from one man’s deep love for Maharashtra’s oral traditions.
Dr. Prabhakar P. Jamkhedkar, a respected scholar and passionate cultural historian, envisioned a space where the powerful voices of shahirs, the poet-warriors of Marathi folk culture, could be preserved for generations to come. His dedication to documenting powade led to the creation of this project.
Though he passed away in 2016, his dream did not end there.
Today, his children, Prashant Jamkhedkar, Dr. Preeta Yadav, and Dr. Priya Jamkhedkar and daughter-in-law, Pradnya Jamkhedkar carry forward his mission with heart and purpose. Thanks to Rohit Grover for his work on the original website and special thanks to Dr. Rajesh Yadav for his guidance. Together, they have worked to bring his vision to life: to protect the poetry, preserve the performances, and make this treasure accessible to all.
This is a story of a family bound by tradition, storytelling, and the echoes of powade, a flame passed from one generation to the next.
Copyright and Usage Policy
- We are committed to archiving only those works for which we have received clear and unambiguous permission from the rightful copyright holders, be it authors, performers, or publishers. We also include works that are in the public domain, and works whose copyright has expired.
- According to Indian copyright law:
- Literary works (such as books, articles, and printed materials) are protected for 60 years after the death of the author.
- Audio and video recordings are protected for 60 years from the date of first publication.
- Unless otherwise noted, all content on this website is © Prashant P Jamkhedkar, 2025. You are welcome to use the material for non-commercial, educational, or research purposes, provided proper attribution is given.
- When citing material, please reference the full source. For example:
- Prabhakar Jamkhedkar and Vasantray Nanivadekar, Shahir and Shahiri Kavane (Marathi Ballad Singers and their Poetry – The Powada), www.powade.com, 2025.
This website is maintained by Jamkhedkar family.
Our Story and Purpose
Step into the vibrant tradition of powadas, meet the storytellers, and discover the enduring power of Maharashtra’s oral history.
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