PUNE DARSHAN (I)

Much to our surprise, we were taken for the long awaited field trip on 20th of April 2010. We were taken to
three places. First we were taken to Shaniwar Wada. After which we went to Vishrambaugh Wada. Then we
had amazing food at a Maharashtrian Restraunt. Our last destination was Raja Kelkar Museum.

At around 11.30 we reached Shaniwar Wada fort. This fort was built as the residence of the Peshwas. It was
built in 1730 by Peshwa Bajirao 1 who was the minister of Chattrapati Sahu, king of Maratha Empire. The fort
was later destroyed by a fire which broke out so unfortunately not a lot remains of it. But one can still see the
fortification walls, the five gates and the bastions. In all these remains, a very prominent lotus shaped fountain
in the middle of the fort stands out. It is called the Hazari Karanje (Fountain of a thousand jets). It was
constructed for the pleasure of the infant Peshwa Sawai Madhavrao. It was designed as a sixteen petal lotus;
each petal had sixteen jets with an eighty foot arch. It was the most complicated and intricate fountain of its
time. In one corner is a marble Ganapati statue and the palace is flanked by a fountain and a flower garden.
Apart from this fountain, even the cannons are outstanding.

The five gates of the fort are called Dilli Darwaza, which is the main gate of the complex; Mastani Darwaza
used by Bajirao’s mistress to travel in and out of the fort; Ganesh Darwaza used by the ladies of the fort to visit
the Ganesh Temple which was nearby; Khidki Darwaza named after the armoured window it contains; and
Jambhul Darwaza, used by the concubines to enter and exit the fort.

This fort was the residence of several hundreds of people. On February 27, 1828, a great fire started inside the
palace complex. The conflagration raged for seven days. Only the heavy granite ramparts, strong teak gateways
and deep foundations and ruins of the buildings within the fort survived.

After Shaniwar Wada fort we went to Vishrambaugh Wada. It tells us about the culture of Pune. This historic
Peshwa mansion was built in 1811 by Peshwa Baji Rao II, for his relaxation and entertainment. This Wada has
a large dancing hall, which still houses a large number of artifacts: paintings, chandeliers, vases and other
knick-knacks belonging to the Peshwas. The VishramBaugh Wada is surrounded by planned gardens. The
structure is constructed in the Peshwai architecture style, evolved under the patronage of the Peshwas. There is
also the influence of Rajput architecture. The fine woodwork was predominantly the contribution of local as
well as Gujarati craftsmen.

One can distinctly see three phases of construction. The façade is the reconstruction by the British Government
after it was burned in a fire. The portion forming the façade was used as a municipal office and was torched by
Vasudeo Balwant Phadke.

The intricately carved ornamental teardrop teak pillars shaped like Suru (cypress tree) trunks, with banana
flower embellishments are characteristic of Peshwa-era craftsmanship.
Two mythological figures called ‘Vvyal’ buttress the 'Meghdambari' a cantilever balcony.

The main entrance of the structure is located below this ‘Meghdambari’ and leads to the first courtyard. The
building which forms the façade of the structure houses a mini-exhibition trying to depict how Punawadi
progressed to Pune.

The second phase located in the centre was used by the Post and Telegraph department and Central Library for
years. It was ill-maintained by the bureaucrats and many beautiful structural elements were destroyed by
insensitive use.

The third and recently renovated part is close to the original structure. This has a magnificent rectangular
courtyard, paved with local stone. The courtyard called a ‘Chowk’ allows excellent ventilation for the
surrounding halls and rooms.

Both these places that we visited contributed a lot to our knowledge and gave us facts about Pune that we had
no clue about. Hats off to our teachers for pulling it off in such short notice, taking care of 140 students and
providing us with good food at the end of it. Hoping for many more such field trips in future!