Maharani Saibai passes away at Rajgad Fort at twenty-six years of age.

On September 5, 1659, Maharani Saibai succumbed to her prolonged illness at Rajgad Fort at the age of twenty-six. Her death struck a profound personal blow to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, who considered her his closest confidante and life partner. Saibai had been married to Shivaji for nearly nineteen years, having wed him in 1640 at Lal Mahal in Pune when both were children.

Saibai's passing occurred at one of the most perilous moments in Maratha history. At the time of her death, Shivaji was stationed at Pratapgad Fort, orchestrating strategic defenses against the invading forces of the Adilshahi general Afzal Khan. Shivaji returned briefly to Rajgad to perform her last rites, overwhelmed by personal grief, before returning to the battlefront to confront the existential threat to his kingdom.

The loss deeply impacted the internal dynamics of the royal household. Jijabai permanently took over the upbringing of the two-year-old Prince Sambhaji, instilling in him the governance and martial traditions of the Bhosale family. Shivaji reportedly remained deeply mournful for years, and contemporary historical chronicles note that Saibai's death marked the end of a serene, unifying era within the early Maratha court.