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The Aga
Khan Palace was built by Sultan Muhammed Shah Aga Khan III in Pune,
India. Built in 1892, it is one of the biggest landmarks in Indian
history. The palace was an act of charity by the Sultan who wanted to
help the poor in the neighbouring areas of Pune, who were drastically
hit by famine.
Aga Khan Palace is a majestic building and is considered to be one of
the greatest marvels of India. The palace is closely linked to the
Indian freedom movement as it served as a prison for Mahatma Gandhi, his
wife Kasturba Gandhi, his secretary Mahadev Desai and Sarojini Naidu. It
is also the place where Kasturba Gandhi and Mahadev Desai died. In 2003,
Archeological Survey of India (ASI) declared the place as a monument of
national importance. |
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History
Historically, the palace holds great significance. Mahatma Gandhi, his
wife Kasturba Gandhi and his secretary Mahadev Desai were interned in
the palace from 9 August 1942 to 6 May 1944, following the launch of
Quit India Movement. Kasturba Gandhi and Mahadev Desai died during their
captivity period in the palace and have their Samadhis located over
there. Mahatma Gandhi and Kasturba Gandhi have their memorials located
in the same complex, near Mula river.
In 1969, Aga Khan Palace was donated to the Indian people by Aga Khan IV
as a mark of respect to Gandhi and his philosophy. Today the palace
houses a memorial on Gandhi where his ashes were kept. The then prime
minister Indira Gandhi had visited the place in 1974 where she allotted
a sum of 200000 (US$3,200) every year, for its maintenance. The amount
rose to 1 million (US$16,000) till 1990s, after which the national
monument of India, was neglected for many years due to improper
allocation of funds. There was a protest held at the statue of Mahatma
Gandhi near Pune railway station in July 1999 to protest against the
worsening condition of the monument.
Significance
Aga Khan palace has Italian arches and spacious lawns. The building
comprises five halls. It covers an area of 19 acres (77,000 m2), out of
which 7 acres (28,000 m2) is the built up area. The palace captivates
the eye of a spectator with its magnificence and picturesque
architecture. It took 5 years and an estimated budget of 1.2 million
(US$19,000) to complete this Palace. The area of the ground floor is
1756 sq meters, that of the first floor is 1080 sq meters, whereas the
second floor has a construction of 445 sq meters. The specialty of this
structure is its corridor of 2.5 meters around the entire building.
Prince Karim Aga Khan donated this palace to Gandhi Smarak Samittee in
1972 and since then Parks and Gardens organisation is maintaining it.
The palace archives a number of photos and portraits depicting glimpses
from the life of Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation of India, and
other personalities of the Indian freedom struggle.
This palace is also the headquarters of the Gandhi National Memorial
Society. It also hosts a shop that deals in khaadi and other hand loomed
textiles.
Activities Organised at The Palace
Gandhi Memorial society celebrates the following public functions at the
palace:
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Martyr's Day – 30 January
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Mahashivratri – Kasturbha Gandhi's Death Day Celebrated As Mother's Day
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Independence Day – 15 August
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Republic Day – 26 January
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Mahatma Gandhi's Birth Anniversary – 2 October
Other than yearly events, morning prayer sessions are held daily at the
samadhi since decades. The prayer draws huge crowds everyday, and the
number goes up threefold on 2 October as people visit the place to pay
tribute to Mahatma Gandhi.
Location
Coordinates of the location: 18°33′8″N 73°54′8″E.
It is
located at about 2 km away from Bund Garden in Yerwada, on Pune-Nagar
Road.
Getting There
By Air: Pune’s nearest airport located at Lohegaon,
Pune Airport, approximately
10 km from the city centre. Daily flights connect it to Mumbai and Delhi
as well as to other major cities such as Bangalore, Hyderabad and
Chennai. Private cabs, auto rickshaws or city-airport shuttle buses will
cover the distance from the airport to the city centre.
By Rail: Pune is one of the most important rail junctions in the Central
railways zone of Indian Railways. Plenty of trains connect it to major
destinations in the south, north and west of the country by mail,
express and superfast trains. The Deccan Queen and Shatabdi Express are
fast commuter trains from/to Mumbai, with travelling time of
three-and-a-half hours approximately.
By Bus: Maharashtra state roadways buses and buses operated by private
companies connect the different places in the state to Pune as well as
destinations in the neighbouring states of Karnataka, Goa and Andhra
Pradesh. Most people travelling to Pune from Mumbai, Nasik or Aurangabad
prefer to do so by road as the distance between Mumbai-Pune is 170 km,
Nashik-Pune 209 km and Aurangabad-Pune is 230 km.
The roads are well
maintained with conveniently located motels and service stations enroute.
Getting Around Pune
Metered taxis and auto rickshaws ply the city streets; the latter are
the most popular mode of transport in Pune as they are economical and
fast. Pune Municipal Transport (PMT) buses reach every part of the city
and the suburbs from the terminals at Swargate, Deccan Gymkhana, Pune
Station, Shivaji Nagar Station, M G Bus Stand, Pune Corporation and
Saras Baug.
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