Agakhan
Palace
Location : Pune, Maharashtra
Area: 19 acres
Donated By: Prince Agakhan
Donated To: Gandhi Smarak
Samittee
Agakhan
Palace is a great historical landmark of Pune . It is
situated 2-km away from Bund Garden in Yerwada on
Pune-Nagar Road. Agakhan palace is made of Italian arches
and spacious lawns.
During Quit India movement of 1942 Mahatma Gandhi,
Kasturba Gandhi, Shri Mahadeobhai Desai, Dr. Sarojini
Naidu and others were kept under imprisonment in the
Agakhan Palace. During this period Shri Mahadeobhai Desai
and Kasturba Gandhi passed away in Agakhan Palace. Marble
memorials of these two great leaders have been erected
here.
Gateway
of India
Location : Mumbai,
Maharashtra
Built: To Commemorate The
Visit Of The First Ever British Monarch, King George V And
Queen Mary In 1911
Designed By: Architect George
Wittet
Formally Opened: 1924
The
Grand and Magnificent Landmark Of Mumbai
Mumbai's
principal landmark, the Gateway of India is
a huge archway on the water's edge at Apollo Bunder. It is
the starting point for most tourists who want to explore
the city. This famous monument was built to commemorate
the visit of the first ever British Monarch, King George V
and Queen Mary in 1911.
The Gateway was built by the British and designed by the
architect George Wittet. The first stone was laid by the
then Governor of Bombay on March 31st, 1913. The Gate was
formally opened in 1924.
It is 26m high structures, complete with four turrets and
intricate latticework carved into the yellow basalt stone.
Ironically, when the British Raj ended in 1947, this
colonial symbol also became a sort of epitaph: the last of
the British ships that set sail for England left from the
Gateway.
A
Major Sightseeing Hangout
Behind
the arch, there are steps leading down to the water. Here,
one can get onto one of the bobbing little motor launches,
for a short cruise through Mumbai's splendid natural
harbour. One can buy tickets for a short cruise on the
motor launches from here.
Near the Gateway of India is Taj Mahal Hotel, one of the
most famous and luxurious hotels in India. Close by are
the statues of the Maratha leader Shivaji astride his
horse and of Swami Vivekananda, that add to the charm of
this monument.
Khuldabad
Location : 3-km From Ellora
Built By: The Valley Of
Saints
Houses: The Tomb Of
Aurangazeb And The Tomb Of Moinuddin Chishti
Considered: Holy By the
Muslims
Khuldabad
is located at a distance of about 3-km from Ellora. It is
called the "Valley of the Saints" because of a
large-scale Sufi migration to this spot. In the 14th
century, several Sufi saints of the Chishti order chose to
reside in Khuldabad or the "Abode of Eternity".
This walled city is the Karbala town or holy shrine of the
Muslims and houses the tomb of Aurangazeb, the last great
Mughal emperor. Before his demise, the emperor himself had
the crenulated wall built around the town, which was at
that time, an important centre.
Tomb
Of Moinuddin Chishti
The
Dargah, or tomb of Moinuddin Chishti, the spiritual guide
of the Mughal emperor, Aurangzeb, is within this sacred
complex. Aurangazeb's tomb rests nearby. His simple tomb
remains an eloquent testament to the staunch faith and
Spartan lifestyle of this pious Muslim ruler. As per his
instructions, the tomb was built only with the few rupees
he had earned by stitching cloth caps. On his tombstone is
inscribed in elegant Persian calligraphy: "No marble
sheets should shield me from the sky as I lie there one
with the earth."
Lal
Mahal
Location : Pune, Maharashtra
Built In: 1640
Home To: Shivaji And His
Mother Jijabai
A creation of the Pune Municipal
Corporation in 1983, the Lal Mahal resembles more a
sandstone- red palace, than a traditional Wada. It is
believed that Dadaji Konddev built this wada in 1640.
Shivaji spent his early childhood here and his mother
Jijabai lived here for a decade.
It was also in this Mahal that the Mughal General Shaista
Khan sent by his king and nephew Aurangazeb to end
Shivaji's political power lost three fingers while trying
to escape through the window on being taken by surprise by
a small band of Maratha soldiers in the dark of the night.
New
Palace
Location
: Kolhapur, Maharashtra
Built In: 1884
Designed By: Major Mant
Closed On: Mondays
The
Maharajah's New Palace, located 2-km n
orth
on Bhausingji Road in Kolhapur, was built in 1884,
following a fire at the Rajwada. Designed by Major Mant,
its style fuses Jain and Hindu influences from Gujarat and
Rajasthan, and local touches from the Rajwada, while
remaining indomitably Victorian, with a prominent clock
tower.
The
present Maharajah lives on the first floor, while the
ground floor holds an absorbing collection of costumes,
weapons, games, jewellery, embroidery and paraphernalia
such as silver elephant saddles. Other memorabilia
includes a letter from the British Viceroy and Governor
General of India, who writes "to his highness Sir
Shahu Chattrapati Maharaj GCSF of Kolhapur government. I
hereby confer upon you the title of Maharajah as an
hereditary distinction."Shahji Chhatrapati Museum
The
interior of New Palace accommodates the Shahaji Chhatrapti
Museum, given over to memorabilia of the Kolhapur rulers.
In a single room one will find ten stuffed Tigers, six
Tiger heads, Wild Dog, Sloth Bear, staring Wild Buffalo,
Lion, Dik Dik (tiny deer), Black Panther, Wild Boar, Black
Buck, a number of other Deer varieties, and a Himalayan
Black Bear.
Vishrambag
Wada
Location : Bajirao Road,
Pune, Maharashtra
Built By: Bajirao II
Fine Example: Of Peshwa Art
Famous For: Beautiful
Entrance And The Balcony With Carved Woodwork
Vishrambag
Wada, a three-storied mansion remarkable for its beautiful
entrance and the balcony with carved woodwork, typical of
the Peshwa period. The wada is 260ft. long and 815ft.
broad, Teen - Chowki Wada, built by the last Peshwa
Bajirao II, as his residence. It took 6 years to build
this building. It is one among Pune's attractions, which
symbolises and tells tales of Pune's rich culture and
heritage. Now serving as a post office, this place is
located on Bajirao Road in Pune .
Noted historian Babasaheb Purandare has undertaken the
task of transforming the inner courts and the hall into
their original grandeur adding immensely to the beauty of
the place. Vishrambaug was once a garden, and is said to
have derived its name from its gardener called Vishram.
HOW
TO GET THERE
Pune
is well connected by air, rail and road with the important
places within and beyond the state. For local
transportation taxis, city buses and auto rickshaws are
available.
