The Pune Diaries - Shaniwar Wada

Shaniwar Wada (1732) was the seat of the Peshwas (Prime Ministers) of the Maratha Confederacy until 1818 when the then Peshwa Bajirao Il abdicated the throne to the East India Company.

 

Shaniwar Wada - Main Entrance

The main gate from inside, from the back wall

The fort had 5 gateways (Delhi Darwaza, Mastani Darwaza, Khidki Darwaza, Ganesh Darwaza and Narayan Darwaza), 9 bastions, court halls, Diwan Khanas, fountains and gardens. In 1928 the 7 storey fort was burnt down due to an unexplainable fire which left only the foundations intact.

 

Interior of the main gate - Delhi Darwaza

The foundations where the 7 storey building stood

Narayan Gate - Named after the child ruler Narayan was murdered  

Legend is that when the Peshwas started building the grand edifice, some people complained that only the Chatrapati can build a palace with stone. The Peshwas changed their plan upon the royal order and built it with brick and wood.

Walk along the parapet walls

On a bastion

Parapet wall leading to the main entrance

At its peak the wada housed 1000 people they say. One of the most tragic events related to the wada is the murder of the fifth and ruling Peshwa Narayan by his guards on the instigation of his uncle Raghunathrao and aunt Anandibai. Legend goes that people can still hear the cries of the young Peshwa calling out to his uncle to save him.

Some Persian elements

The wooden pavilion on the main entrance

Another view

Satish and I found that getting into the wada is not easy - entry is only through online payment and both of us didn't have online payment. So we got a young kid to pay for us and paid him cash. It is obvious that the gatekeepers have some relation to the gatekeepers of the olden days because they really made it difficult to get in - first they sent us to a non-existent ticket booth who sent us back, then they said only online and no cash and so on and on.

Pavilion overlooking the courtyard in front - a statue of Bajirao I

A door

Inside we roamed around the foundations, gardens, climbed the steps to the bastions and walked all around the fort on the walls. At the Delhi Darwaza there is a well preserved court room made of wood.

View of the temple through the bastion window

An old cannon in the main entrance

We walked around for an hour and came out. Time well spent.