Shaniwar Wada - The seat of the Peshwa rulers of the Maratha Empire  

Posted by Siddesh Kerkar in , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Shaniwar wada was the first magnificent & safety mansion built chiefly as the residence of the Peshwas. The Foundation of the Original residence was laid by Bajirao in 1730 A.D and the construction completed in 1732 A.D at a cost of 16130 INR. The successors of Bajirao mad several additions such as fortification walls with bastions and Gates court halls and other buildings fountains and reservoir. In 1828 A.D however a fire gutted the building, In this palace what now remains are their fortification wall with five gates two each on the north and east and one on the south.The principal gate is known as the Dilli Darwaza (Delhi Gate), the other gates being Mastani or alibahadur Darwaza, Khidki Darwaja, Ganesh Darwaza and Narayan Darwaza.

            Delhi Darwaza                                                                                       

One of the building in the Shaniwar wada was seven storied. Among the other important building in the palace were Thorlya Rayacha Diwankhana (The court hall of Bajirao -1) Nachacha Diwankhana ( Dancing hall) Ganesh Mahal & Juna Aarsa Mahal (Old Mirror Hall). The walls and exquisitely engraved arches in them were supported by pillars shaped like Cypress trees. The ceilings were covered with beautiful wooden tracery creepers and flowers whereas the walls were painted with scenes from the great epics The Ramayana & the Mahabharata. The Beauty of the sixteen petaled lotus shaped fountain known as Hazari Karanja (Fountain with thousand fountain heads) can only be imagined now. Shivram Krishna, Devji and Kondaji Sutar, Morarji Patharvat, Bhojraj(an expert in inlay work form Jaipur) and Ragho (a painter) were among those thief artists who contributed to the planning construction & Decoration works of Shaniwar Wada. It is Nationally protected monument of Archeological Survey of India declared vide Notification No : BM- 5038 Dated :17-06-1919

Delhi Darwaza :- It is the Main entrance Gate of the Palace and is called as Delhi Darwaza as it faces the North.

                                                                           Khidki Darwaza
This Door was also called as Dindi Darwaza. It was always closed and the entrance was open through a small window. This darwaza was knowk as 'Kavathi' Onaccount of a kavathi (Wood apple) tree grown near it 15 Soilders guarded this Gate.

Narayan Darwaza : This was also called as the Jambhul darwaza the Jambhul Gate faces south and was used by concubines to enter and leave the fort. It got its second name ‘Narayan Darwaza’ after Narayan Peshwa’s corpse was removed from the fort for cremation through this gate.

                                              Narayan Darwaza

                                                           Mastani Darwaza
Mastani Darwaza or Alibahadur Darwaza: The Mastani Darwaza (Mastani’s Gate) faces north and was used by Bajirao’s mistress Mastani while going out of the palace’s perimeter wall

Ganesh Darwaza

This Gate was called the Ganesh Darwaza as it faced the Famous Ganapati ranga Mahal. It is Located on the South-East part and 25 Soilders guarded this Gate



Some Of the Pictures of the Shaniwar wada

Hazari Karanja
                          On one of the Fortification Wall                                         Bajirao I

The court hall of Bajirao -1

Arial View of Shaniwar Wada


In the court hall of Bajirao -1


Signature Of Bajirao - 1


Family tree of Peshwa




This entry was posted on Thursday, July 15, 2010 at 3:31 AM and is filed under , , , , , , , , , , , , . You can follow any responses to this entry through the comments feed .

4 comments

Good Work

July 15, 2010 at 11:00 AM

Very nice blog and posts! Keep sharing the information. Here is one more site providing information about the places around Pune.

July 26, 2011 at 4:52 AM

Shaniwarwada was the stately house initially designed as the property of the Peshwas. The groundwork of the house was set by Bajirao 1 in the season 1730 AD and development was accomplished in 1732 AD at a price of Rs. 16,120. Several extras were created to the structure like fortifications surfaces with bastions, gateways and trial hallways by his successors. pune tourism

April 20, 2012 at 12:36 AM

Its a wonderful blog.. complete with rare pictures.. however, there is one thing I would like to mention.. please mention the facts correctly.. as in the caption below Mastani Darwaza.. you've referred to Mastani as Bajirao Pehwa's 'mistress'.. As we all know she was his wife.. I hope you would correct that one please..
Great work though..appreciate it.. no hard feelings I hope cuz f my comment.. Thanks a lot for the great information..!!! Means a lot!!! Keep going..!!!

November 7, 2012 at 12:13 AM

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