(You’ll find links to all parts of this Maharashtra tour series at the end of this post.)
Yesterday, the 10th of May, turned out to be a super busy day for us in Pune! We managed to soak in so much history and culture before packing our bags for our next stop, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar (formerly Aurangabad).
Shaniwar Wada
Our first stop, soon after breakfast, was Shaniwar Wada. This impressive fort is a big landmark in Pune.
Built way back in 1732, it used to be the home of the Peshwas, who were like the "prime ministers" of the Maratha kingdom, until 1818. It's quite sad to hear that a big fire in 1828 destroyed most of the fort. Imagine, it was said to have been seven stories high!
We learned that Peshwa Baji Rao I started building his house here on a Saturday (Shaniwar in Marathi) in the year 1730, and that's how it got its name, Shaniwar Wada (Saturday Residence). The opening ceremony was also held on a Saturday, a lucky day, in 1732.
Lal Mahal
From the top of Shaniwar Wada, we could actually see our next destination, Lal Mahal (Red Palace), so we just took a short walk.
This place is really special because Shivaji Maharaj, the founder of the Maratha Empire, spent his childhood here. He lived here with his mother, Jijabai, until he captured Torna fort in 1645. His wedding to his first wife, Saibai, happened here in 1640.
It's interesting to know that the original Lal Mahal was ruined over time and eventually torn down. Apparently, some of its soil and stones were even used when building Shaniwar Wada, which was considered good luck!
The current structure is actually a reconstruction, standing near where the original palace is thought to have been.
Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum
Our next stop was the Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum, about a kilometre away, which we decided to walk to. There's an entry fee of ₹100, and they don't allow photography inside.
But let me tell you, this museum is fantastic if you're interested in history and how everyday people in India used to live.
The museum is the collection of Dr. Dinkar G. Kelkar, a writer, art collector, and historian, who dedicated it to his son, Raja.
The three floors are filled with all sorts of amazing things – sculptures, beautiful ornaments made of ivory, silver, and gold, a wonderful collection of musical instruments, and even old weapons and vessels, mostly from the 19th century.
I was told that Dr. Kelkar spent over 60 years collecting over 20,000 objects, including photographs, books, paintings, textiles, toys, and so much more!
He wanted to create a place that showed the richness of Indian culture and everyday life. He even ran the museum until the government took over in 1985. It's truly a treasure trove! Really worth a visit if you are in Pune.
Pataleshwar Cave
After the museum, we hopped into an autorickshaw for a short 2.5 km ride to the Pataleshwar Cave Temple.
The entrance to the cave is through a large open area with big, shady trees, like banyan trees. It felt very peaceful there, with many people just relaxing and enjoying the calm atmosphere.
The Pataleshwar Cave is really old, dating back to the 8th century! It was built by the Rashtrakuta dynasty and is probably the oldest thing still standing in Pune.
We walked down a few steps to a central circular platform, which is the Nandi mandap. It has 16 pillars supporting it, with a statue of the Nandi bull facing the main hall to the west.
What's amazing is that the entire temple is carved out of a single hill! Its name means "underground lord" because it's located below ground level.
Donald Trump's surprise announcement
After we visited the cave, we returned to our hotel around 3 in the afternoon. We rested for a bit and then started packing our bags because we had a train to catch at 9:30 pm to Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar.
While we were packing, around 5 pm, we saw a news flash on TV – US President Donald Trump announced that India and Pakistan had agreed to a ceasefire!
It was definitely a very "Trump" kind of announcement! Because, though the US was talking to India and Pakistan, it wasn't openly involved in mediation.
Later that night, there were reports of explosions in Srinagar, which made us wonder if the ceasefire had already been broken. But it could also be that the news hadn't reached all the soldiers on the border yet.
It's good that the fighting is ending. Because an escalation could have had catastrophic consequences.
Our train, which was supposed to leave at 9:30 pm, ended up being delayed by almost an hour and a half.
Eventually, we boarded and started our journey towards Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, carrying with us the memories of a day filled with history, art, and the rather unexpected but good piece of news on the Kashmir conflict.
(To be continued)
Maharashtra tour 2025 series
Day 1 - May 6 - Chugging along to Pune
Day 2 - May 7 - Pune - News, nuisance, and festivities
Day 3 - May 8 - Pune - A day of mixed emotions
Day 4 - May 9 - Pune - History, temple, and reminiscences
Day 5 - May 10 - Pune - Whirlwind tour and news flash
Day 6 - May 11 - Sambhaji Nagar - A special breakfast and a tryst with nature
Day 7 - May 12 - Sambhaji Nagar - Ellora Caves
Day 7 - May 12 - Sambhaji Nagar - Paithani saris, Bibi Ka Maqbara
I really like the photos and information shared as this is a country I will never get to visit myself
ReplyDeleteI'm with Jo-Anne. ~sigh~ Travel doesn't seem to be in my future. Thank you for sharing this, my dear.
ReplyDeleteYou got to see all sorts of interesting places. This sounds like it's been a good trip for you.
ReplyDeleteHari OM
ReplyDeleteExhausting, but enlightening and definitely time well spent!
As for the other...phew... YAM xx
That museum is something I'd love to visit. Wonder why they don't allow photos in most museums?
ReplyDeleteThanks for interesting Travelogue. I learned a lot.
ReplyDeleteSpouse and I spent a few weeks in central India and had a wonderful time. I personally am happy to spend all my time visiting religious and secular buildings above the ground, but I am a big anxious about visiting caves and human-built structures underground and a bit dark.
ReplyDelete