Shaniwar Wada - the erstwhile seat of the Peshwas.

SHANIWAR WADA : HISTORY.

Shaniwar Wada was built by Peshwa Baji Rao 1, a general ruler under Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj of the Maratha Empire. It was a colossal seven storied palace made up of stones. However, after the construction of the base floor, the people of the national capital complained to the king that only he was authorized to build stone palaces. And that is why, the remaining floors were constructed using bricks. When the British artillery attacked the palace, except for the base floor, the other floors could not stand the attack and all the top storeys collapsed. The Peshwas made many additions to the mansion such as fortification, reservoirs, court halls, fountains, gateways and so on. The palace also witnessed several significant episodes in the history of the Peshwas. Like, the fifth Peshwa, Narayan Rao was murdered inside the palace by his guards at the behest of Raghunath Rao, his uncle and Anandibai, his aunt. It was also the site where the romance between Peshwa Bajirao and Mastani Sahiba blossomed. This we can clearly witness in the movie, "BAJIRAO MASTANI" starrer Ranvir Singh and Deepika Padukone, with Priyanka Chopra as well.

The British East India Company gained control over the Wada after their win in the Third Anglo- Maratha War. The palace was engulfed by a huge unexplained fire, causing extensive damage to the whole structure. Only the massive granite ramparts, deep foundations and a few teak gateways survived this massive fire outbreak which are currently maintained as a tourist site.

SHANIWAR WADA: ARCHITECTURE.

Shaniwar Wada features the Maratha Imperial architecture style. For the construction, teak was sourced from the Junnar jungles while lime was brought from the Jejuri lime belts and stones from the Chinchwad quarries. The palace was

designed with intricately carved teak doorways, teak pillars and marble pillars.

A majestic fountain shaped like a lotus called "HAZARI KARANJE" adorned the palace complex. The court reception hall of the Baji Rao 1, the JUNA ARSA MAHAL OR THE MIRROR HALL which was portrayed in the film "BAJI RAO MASTANI" has been filmed in this Shaniwar Wada, existed within the palace. Some of the scenes pf the movie has been shot in the palace. There was a gate dedicated to Mastani Sahiba as Mastani Zenana which was not there in the present scenario.

Though Shaniwar wada is a ruined structure now, still it is one of the best places to visit in Pune.

TIMINGS: 8:00AM TO 6:30PM EVERYDAY and entry fees INR 5 RUPEES. Its a basically one day trip, can be travelled by either public bus or by private transport.

Interesting fact: The palace is considered to be among the top" haunted places in Pune". It is believed that the spirit of the murdered Peshwa Narayan Rao, still roams in the palace at night.

The light and sound show held in the evening here is a major attraction for visitors. But show timings are different for that.

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