Travelogue by Sachin - Shaniwar Wada: A Symbol of Glory of the Peshwas & Maratha Empire

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Shaniwar Wada, situated in Pune, Maharashtra, INDIA is approximately 285 year old fortification built in 1732, used to be the palace of Bajirao I, who was the second Peshwa (Prime Minister) of Maratha empire. He was Peshwa during the regime of Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj, the grandson of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. As the foundation stone laid down on Shaniwar (Saturday), it is named as Shaniwar Wada. It was a magnificent building during the period of Bajirao I and was in its full glory during that time. It used to be a seven story building with a ground floor made of stones and rest of the floor made of wood. It is said that later on in 1828 due to some fire the wooden floors got destroyed. Even today the remaining structure of Shaniwar Wada is telling the story of gallantry & courage of Bajirao I and is a symbol of pride of Maratha Empire. The main entrance among the five entrances of the fort, called Dilli Darwaja along with the balcony above is adding grandeur to the fort palace. The main entrance doors have big sharp nails to stop elephants of enemy’s army. The remaining structure has been preserved well. Lawns are beautifully maintained. There is a fountain also in the fort palace. When you walk on the peripheral ground floor’s terrace, it gives a bird eye view of the building on one hand and the look of adjacent city roads on the other hand. There is a grand statue of Bajirao I outside the fort palace. Parking was not available in Shaniwar Wada car parking when we reached there during our visit to Pune in December 2016. We had to search around to get the car parking and finally got it in the Shaniwar Wada parking itself. Indeed, it was a nice experience to be there and was an awesome opportunity to learn about the Peshwas and Maratha Empire.

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