Restore Shaniwarwada to its past glory: Patil’s request to Amit Shah

Thorle Bajirao Pratishthan has requested ASI and union home minister Amit Shah through BJP MLA Chandrakant Patil to restore the crumbling Shaniwarwada back to its past glory

PUNE: City-based Thorle Bajirao Pratishthan has requested the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and union home minister Amit Shah through BJP MLA Chandrakant Patil to restore the crumbling Shaniwarwada back to its past glory and revive interest in the rich history and legacy of the Peshwas.

Shaniwarwada has been a nodal tourist attraction in Pune. (HT)

Pratishthan president Air Marshal (retired) Bhushan Gokhale; secretary Kundan Sathe; trustee Srikant Nagarkar; and BJP spokesperson Sandeep Khardekar met Patil to draw his attention to the need for restoration of this historic monument, citing the Peshwas’ timeless historic and cultural contributions to the nation.

Patil in a separate letter to Shah sought immediate refurbishment of the monument. “Shrimant Bajirao Peshwa laid the foundation and constructed this monument in 1731 from where he ruled the entire country and region for the next 85 years. The British, in 1818, with the sinister intention of tarnishing the image of the monument, converted the historic site into a vegetable market and mental asylum. In 1828, the monument caught fire and sustained the onslaught for the next seven days because of which it was damaged to a great extent. At one point of time, there were 1,000 fountains inside with water tanks, the remnants of which are visible till today. With the passage of time, the historic remnants of Shaniwarwada such as its 300-year-old doors, walls and wall paintings depicting Maratha art, are getting worn out. If proper attention is not given, the rich history of the Maratha kingdom will disappear into oblivion. The house of Bajirao Peshwa was the centre of governance and rule at that time and this precious heritage has to be conserved and protected at all costs,” Patil wrote in his letter to the union home minister.

On the occasion of the 288th anniversary of Shaniwarwada on January 22, 2020, the descendants of the Peshwas visited the monument like every year and issues regarding maintenance cropped up during the celebrations, much to the embarrassment of the civic authorities. Today, a rickety edifice complete with worn-out iron-and-wood décor and water seepages greets tourists who land at the Shaniwarwada . It comes as no surprise that historians and conservationists have been demanding its immediate restoration for the longest time.