Shaniwarwada is a palace fort in the city of Pune in Maharashtra, India. Built in 1746,[1] it was the seat of the Peshwa rulers of the Maratha Empire until 1818 when the Peshwas surrendered to the British. The fort itself was largely destroyed in 1828 by an unexplained fire, but the surviving structures are now maintained as a tourist site. Following the rise of the Maratha Empire, the palace became the centre of Indian politics in 18th century. Shaniwarwada was completed in 1732, at a total cost of Rs. 16,110, a very large sum at the time. The opening ceremony was performed according to Hindu religious customs, on January 22, 1732, another Saturday chosen for being a particularly auspicious day. Later the Peshwas made several additions, including the fortification walls, with bastions and gates; court halls and other buildings; fountains and reservoirs. Currently, the perimeter fortification wall has five gateways and nine bastion towers, enclosing a garden complex with the foundations of the original buildings. It is situated near the Mula-Mutha River, in Kasba Peth. Despite its cultural value the fort is not maintained well by the Government. Its inability to maintain the historical Shaniwarwada from the funds provided by central archaeology department forced the fort's advisory committee' to woo business houses to fund Shaniwarwada's makeover. Shaniwarwada has five gates: Dilli Darwaza (Delhi Gate), facing north The Dilli Darwaza is the main gate of the complex, and faces north towards Delhi. Chhatrapati Shahu is said to have considered the north-facing fort a sign of Baji Rao's ambitions against the Mughal empire, and suggested that the main gate should be made chhaatiiche, maatiche naahi! (Marathi for of the chests of brave soldiers, not mere mud).Mastani Darwaja (Mastani's Gate) or Alibahadur Darwaja, facing north This gate was used by Bajirao's mistress Mastani while travelling out of the palace's perimeter wall. Khidki Darwaja (Window Gate), facing east The Khidki Darwaja is named for an armoured window it contains. Ganesh Darwaja (Ganesh Gate), facing south-east Named for the Ganesh Rang Mahal, which used to stand near this door. It could be used by ladies at the fort to visit the nearby Kasba Ganapati temple. Jambhul Darwaja or Narayan Darwaja (Narayan's Gate), facing south This gate was used by concubines to enter and leave the fort. It obtained its second name after Narayanrao Peshwa's corpse was removed from the fort for cremation through this gate. The important buildings in the palace includes the Thorlya Rayancha Diwankhana (Marathi:The court reception hall of the eldest royal, meaning Baji Rao I), Naachacha Diwankhana (Dance Hall), and Juna Arsa Mahal (Old Mirror Hall). Since the buildings were destroyed in the fire of 1828, only descriptions of the living areas of the fort are available. All the state halls in the buildings are said to have doorways with exquisitely carved teak arches, with ornamental teardrop teak pillars shaped like Suru (cypress tree) trunks supporting the ceilings, which were covered with beautiful teak tracery, carved creepers and flowers. Exquisite glass chandeliers hung from the ceilings. The floors were made of highly polished marble, arranged in a mosaic pattern and adorned with rich Persian rugs. The walls contained paintings with scenes from the Hindu epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.

• published: 09 Dec 2012
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