Place 1: Aga Khan Palace:
Historically, the palace holds great significance. Mahatma Gandhi, his wife Kasturba Gandhi and his secretary Mahadev Desai were interned in the palace from 9 August 1942 to 6 May 1944, following the launch of Quit India Movement. Kasturba Gandhi and Mahadev Desai died during their captivity period in the palace and have their Samadhis located over there. Mahatma Gandhi and Kasturba Gandhi have their memorials located in the same complex, near Mula river.
In 1969, Aga Khan Palace was donated to the Indian people by Aga Khan IV as a mark of respect to Gandhi and his philosophy.Today the palace houses a memorial on Gandhi where his ashes were kept. The then prime minister Indira Gandhi had visited the place in 1974 where she allotted a sum of INR200000 (US$3,300) every year, for its maintenance. The amount rose to INR1 million (US$17,000) till the 1990s,after which the national monument of India, was neglected for many years due to improper allocation of funds. There was a protest held at the statue of Mahatma Gandhi near Pune railway station in July 1999 to protest against the worsening condition of the monument.
Aga Khan palace has Italian arches and spacious lawns. The building comprises five halls. It covers an area of 19 acres (77,000 m2), out of which 7 acres (28,000 m2) is the built up area. The palace captivates the eye of a spectator with its magnificence and picturesque architecture. It took 5 years and an estimated budget of INR1.2 million (US$20,000) to complete this Palace. The area of the ground floor is 1756 sq meters, that of the first floor is 1080 sq meters, whereas the second floor has a construction of 445 sq meters. The speciality of this structure is its corridor of 2.5 meters around the entire building. Prince Karim Aga Khan donated this palace to Gandhi Smarak Samittee in 1972 and since then Parks and Gardens organisation is maintaining it.
The palace archives a number of photos and portraits depicting glimpses from the life of Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation of India, and other personalities of the Indian freedom struggle.
Place 2: Bund Garden:
Just 2 km from the Pune Railway Station lies this popular retreat for people of all ages. Known today as the "Mahatma Gandhi Udyan" a reference to the existing bridge that leads to the Gandhi National Memorial, Bund Garden, was originally envisaged as a mini dam. Built by Phiroze Jamshedji Jeejeebhoy, one of the longest serving members of the Bombay Stock Exchange, it served as a source of irrigation water for the under-privileged. Offering something for everyone, Bund Garden is a favorite haunt for those looking for a quiet, scenic place close to Mother Nature that helps one relax, rejuvenate and get re-energized. Avid joggers throng the area during the early mornings, for whom an exclusive jogging track has been added in the vicinity. Take a boat ride, while enjoying the splendid view of the garden. Sit down under the shades of a tree with a book in your hand. Laze around during the evenings while taking a stroll. Arrange a picnic with family and friends. Watch the migratory birds take flight during winters, or pay a visit to the nearby food joints serving scrumptious paani puri, bhel puri, ragda patty and sandwiches. For the kids, the Park has a separate section replete with see-saws and swings. Frequently, magic shows and horse rides are arranged within the premises to keep both the kids and their parents entertained.
Place 3: Iskcon - Shri Krishna Temple
Ideally this would be the third place to visit but it was closed for renovation when we had gone. Next time I go I would upload first hand information.
Place 4: Lunch:
We took a break and came back for lunch as Iskcon was closed. The auto drivers to and from this place looted us. This was worst experience of both days put together. Took chill for few hours and restarted the rest of the journey.
Place 5: Raja Dinaker Kelkar Museum
The Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum is in Pune, Maharashtra, India. It contains the collection of Dr Dinkar G. Kelkar (1896–1990), dedicated to the memory of his only son, Raja, who died an untimely tragic death. The three-storey building houses various sculptures dating back to the 14th century.[citation needed] There are also ornaments made of ivory, silver and gold, musical instruments (a particularly fine collection).[citation needed], war weapons and vessels, etc.
The collection was started around 1920 and by 1960 it contained around 15,000 objects. In 1962, Dr Kelkar handed his collection to the Department of Archaeology within the Government of Maharashtra.
The museum now holds over 20,000 objects of which 2,500 are on display. These consist of mainly Indian decorative items from everyday life and other art objects, mostly from the 18th and 19th centuries. The museum's collection depicts the skills of the Indian artists of the time. The door frames, vessels, ornaments, musical instruments, paintings and carvings represent outstanding examples of their art.
One part of particular interest is the "Mastani Mahal". Raja Kelkar made an attempt at depicting the palace of Mastani, (wife of the Peshwa Baji Rao I) with its remnants. A beautiful piece in the collection is the carving of lord Ganesha on the seed; the idol of lord Ganesha is shown with his trunk towards the left, which is quite rare and difficult to build or draw
Place 6: Lal Mahal
The Lal Mahal (Red Palace) of Pune is one of the most famous monuments located in Pune, India. In the year 1630 AD, Shivaji's Father Shahaji Bhonsle, established the Lal Mahal for his wife Jijabai and son. Shivaji stayed here for several years until he captured his first fort. The original Lal Mahal fell into ruins and the current Lal Mahal is a reconstruction of the original and located in the center of the Pune city. Shivaji's marriage with his first wife, Maharani Saibai took place in Lal Mahal. The original Lal Mahal was built with the idea of rejuvenating the recently razed city of Pune when Dadoji Kondev entered the city along with Shivaji and his mother, Jijabai. Shivaji grew up here, and stayed in the Lal Mahal till he captured the Torna fort in 1645. Towards the end of the 17th Century, the Lal Mahal fell into ruins and was eventually razed to the ground as a result of various attacks on the city. [1]It is said that during the construction of the Shaniwarwada, some soil and stones of the Lal Mahal were used for luck. In 1734-35, a few houses were constructed on the land of the Lal Mahal and given for use to Ranoji Shinde and Ramchandraji. The records in the offices of the Peshwas mention that Lal Mahal was used for arranging feasts for the Brahmins during the thread-ceremony of Sadoba, son of Chimajiappa. The exact original location of the Lal Mahal is unknown, however it was known to be very close to the location of Shaniwarwada, which is roughly where the current reconstruction stands. The current Lal Mahal was built only on a part of the land of the original Lal Mahal. The new Lal Mahal was not rebuilt in the same fashion as the original one and there is not much information found about the area and structure of the original Lal Mahal. The current Lal Mahal was rebuilt by the PMC. Construction started in 1984 and was completed in 1988 .
Place 7: Jija Mata Udyaan
Historically, the Lal Mahal is famous for an encounter between Shivaji and Shaista Khan where Shivaji cut off the later's fingers when he was trying to escape from the window of the Lal Mahal. This was part of a surreptitious guerrilla attack on the massive and entrenched Mughal Army that had camped in Pune, with Shaiste occupying (possibly symbolically) Shivaji's childhood home. As a punishment for the ignomy of the defeat despite superior numbers and better armed and fed soldiers, Shaiste was transferred by the Mughal Emperor to Bengal. Even today, Shaiste Khan is regarded as a national hero in Bangladesh- the Muslim homeland of Bengalis. Monuments to him stand testimony to it in Dhaka, capital of modern Bangladesh. The current Lal Mahal is a memorial holding a collection of large size oil-paintings based on the significant events in the life of Shivaji, a statue of Rajmata Jijabai, a carving depicting Shivaji using a gold plough along with Dadoji Konddeo and Jijabai, a fiber model of Raigad with horsemen and a huge map of Maharashtra indicating the forts of Shivaji.The popular Jijamata Garden is now a recreational park for kids.
Place 8: Kasba Ganapati
The Kasba Ganapati refers to both a particular idol of the god Ganapati in Pune, India, as well as to the temple built around the idol. The Kasba Ganapati is the presiding deity (gramadevata) of Pune.
Kasba ganpati Mandir
The temple was commissioned by Jijabai, after Dadoji Konddeo reported to her that an idol of Ganapati had been found in Pune. The idol's status as the premier idol in Pune was decided by Bal Gangadhar Tilak.
In the year 1630. The Royal Queen Jijabai Bhosale arrived in Pune with her son Shivaji. Shivaji was disturbed by the pathetic plight of the mavals, at a very young age. At the age of 12, he vowed to liberate the mavals from the mughal powers. Around this time, along with other seven families, Thakar Family migrated to Pune from Indi, Vijapur District. Vinayak Bhatt Thakar also carried his Family deity, Lord Gajanan along with him. All these families settled near River bank around the current place of Kasba Ganapati Temple which was close to the residence of Jijabai. Jijabai perceived this as an auspicious moment and promptly decided to build a temple, which is popularly known as the Kasba Ganpati Mandir.
Since then, Pune is also known as the city of Ganesh. The Peshwas were ardent followers of Lord Ganesh. During their regime Shaniwarwada has witnessed grand celebrations for Lord Ganesh.
In 1893, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, the great freedom fighter and Cub of India, initiated the now famous Ganesh Festival. His intention was to gather people sharing similar ideas and exchange thoughts to deal with the British ruler. He started celebrating Ganesh Festival from his own house Kesari Wada. Due to his influencing personality and initiative, everyone started celebrating this festival and thus it became a public festival in 1893.
There was rivalry among the various mandals regarding the privilege of immersing the idol on the last day of the Ganpati festival. Bal Gangadhar Tilak resolved the rivalry and declared the privilege of immersion to Shri Kasba Ganpati, as it is the local deity of Pune.
Till 1925, Shri Kasba Ganpati Mandal celebrated the festival within the premises of the temple and from 1926 it is celebrated in an enclosed mandap. Presently, the ten days of the festival is a platform to display ones talents through various cultural programs thus allowing a large number of devotees to participate in the celebrations. On the last day, Shri Kasba Ganpati plays the leading role during the immersion procession. For more information on Immersion Procession.
Place 9: Saras Baug
Saras Baug is a major landmark in Pune. The place where the park now stands was once occupied by a small lake. However, the lake got dried up and was later developed into Saras Baug. The whole 25-acre (10 ha) complex is known as Saras Baug. The Ganesh temple in Saras Baug is also known as Talyatla Ganpati
The temple was constructed within 3 miles (4.8 km) of Parvati Temple, which was the primary residence of the head of the Maratha confederecy in the 18th & 19th century.
Saras Baug is located within a km from Swargate bus station which is a ground transport station for Pune and 6 km from Pune Railway Station.
The Construction of the Temple started in 1750 under the direction of the Sawai Madhavrao Peshwa and Mahadji Shinde of the Maratha confederacy. The temple construction completed in 1784 with the idol of Hindu Lord Ganesh in the temple. The temple was built in the Lake near the Parvati Temple which was also the primary residence of the Head of the Maratha confederacy. The inscription in the temple reads || देवदेवेश्वर सुतं देवं | सारासोद्यान भूषणं || || कल्पद्रुमां त्वां भक्तानां | वन्दे सिद्धीविनायकं ||
Several renovations were done to the temple and the area surrounding it in the last 219 years. One of the renovation was done in 1842 with the help of East India Company of the British empire.
The last major renovation was done in 1969 under the direction Mahadev Kumthekar and Anandrao Mane. As part of the last renovation a Zoo called Peshwe Park was added to this 25-acre (10 ha) area. Then starting in 1999 and ending in 2005, the animals at the zoo were all moved to the Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park South of the city. This garden and Temple are one of the primary landmarks of Pune.
In 1995 a small museum displaying over few hundred idols of Lord Ganesha was added to the temple premise.
The temple was also used for military strategy discussions by Marathas against the Nizam & British Empire in the 18th & 19th century as it was away from the Parvati Temple. The Peshwa, his commander & the advisors would go to the Saras baug by boat to discuss the issue & plans. Its also recorded that the boats were steered by the Non-Natives like Africans for complete secrecy, as they will not understand the local language Marathi.
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