- Location: Nagar Road, Samrat Ashok Rd, Pune, Maharashtra 411006
- Price: The entry fee to Aga Khan Palace is INR 5 for Indian Nationals. For foreigners, the fee is INR 100. Also, for children, the entry fee is INR 2.
- Timing: One can visit the palace every day between 09:00 a.m. to 05:30 p.m.
Places to Visit near Aga Khan Palace:
There are many places to visit near Aga Khan Palace in Pune. Some of these are:
Bund Garden: Located around 5.6 kilometres from Aga Khan Palace, this place is also known as the Mahatma Gandhi Udyan, and is dedicated to Jamshedji Jeejeebhoy. Located in the centre of the city of Pune, the garden formerly served as an irrigation water source for the poor and underprivileged.
Osho Ashram: Also known as Osho International Meditation Resort, the Osho Ashram is located 3 kilometres from Aga Khan Palace. This is a hi-tech spiritual meditation resort, a one-of-its-kind place in the entire state.
Fully equipped with a basketball court, meditation hall, huge gardens, and much more, the Ashram also has the samadhi of Guruji.
Tribal Cultural Museum: Situated approximately 5.2 kilometres from the palace, this museum is known for preserving the rich Maharashtrian culture in its premises.
It celebrates the times before the British invasion in 1817, and houses artefacts, utensils and even weapons used in those times.
Shaniwar Wada: Almost 10.5 kilometres away from Aga Khan Palace is Shaniwar Wada, built as a palace which would never see any defeat. It was built by Bajirao I in 1730, with opulent grounds surrounding it. This was the ruling seat of the Peshwas in those times.
Pataleshwar Cave Temple: 11.3 kilometres away from the Aga Khan Palace is the Pataleshwar Cave Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, and carved entirely out of rock.
This temple cave complex is a government protected heritage site, carved out in the Rashtrakuta period, sometime in the 8th century.
The temple has a circular pagoda type of structure, which is surrounded by carved basalt caves on all sides.
Lal Mahal: The Lal Mahal is located around 10.9 kilometres from the Aga Khan Palace. It was built around 1630 by Shahji Bhonsle. The king had built this beautiful palace for his wife Jijabai and son Shivaji.
As of now, the structure that stands, is a reconstruction of the original, which was destroyed due to invasions and attacks. The Lal Mahal houses many stunning pictures of Shivaji and his life, in addition to a mesmerising statue of his mother Jijabai.
History of Aga Khan Palace:
The Aga Khan Palace has a deep-rooted history with the Indian freedom struggle and Mahatma Gandhi attached to it.
After the Quit India Movement was launched, this palace acted as the prison/ detention centre for Mahatma Gandhi, his wife Kasturba Gandhi as well as his secretary Mahadev Desai, between August 1942 to May 1944. Additionally, many known figures of the freedom struggle such as Sarojini Naidu were also imprisoned here during 1942.
It is during this time that Kasturba Bai and Desai took their last breaths here. Subsequently, the Mahatma buried them here, thereby establishing their memorials in the palace premises. Gandhi and the others were kept imprisoned in the palace for almost two years before they were released in May 1944.
Subsequently, in 1969, Aga Khan donated the palace to the Government of India. And it is after this, that the Aga Khan Palace came to be known as the Gandhi National Memorial. Later, in March 2003, the palace was declared as a “Monument of National Importance” by the Archaeological Survey of India.
As of now, the rooms, where Gandhi and others used to stay, serve as a museum. They are the surviving testimony to the struggle of India’s independence. Gandhi’s belongings from the times of his stay are exhibited here as well.
Architecture of Aga Khan Palace:
Located in a sprawling area of 19 acres in Pune’s Yerwada area, the Aga Khan Palace is famous for its amazing blend of Islamic and Italian style of architecture. It is a unique combination of Italian arches and huge luxurious lawns, with the finer Islamic details on it.
The palace is known to have expansive, well-maintained lawns built on an area of 7 acres, along with five magnificent halls in its premises. Moreover, a 2.5-metre-wide corridor encircles the palace, which has two storeys. The palace was designed by the renowned architect Charles Correa.
The Aga Khan Palace is a great example of the interweaving between the European and the Saracenic styles of architecture.
Having a built-up area of almost 28,000 square metres, the presence of many beautiful French lawns, fountains, long corridors, spacious rooms, rose style windows as well as Italian arches enhances the opulence of the palace even more.
Today, the Aga Khan Palace serves as the headquarters of the Gandhi National Memorial Society. Furthermore, it houses several beautiful exhibits of those times, including the personal belongings of the Mahatma.
Additionally, it also has many photographs and artefacts associated with the Gandhis and other freedom fighters of the Indian Freedom Struggle.
