Thread by @ToofaniDevi

#Pune Heritage Walk🚩

It started with meeting @GodboleSandeep at the iconic Shaniwarwada.Let me thank him for agreeing to take 1 person for the Tour de Pune As I had limited time on my hand I could barely cover 40% of d Kasba Peth trail out of d 3 trails that Sandeep offers 1/20

We started off wt S narrating the history of Pune,explaining the city limits then,sharing details about some of d templesAs early as 1800CE there were about 350-400 devatas in Pune!In all my visits to Pune till this date nobody had described such interesting aspects ever! 2/20

These devatas were installed in temples-the main devtaa of the temple along with the'panchayatan',in standalone devlis.Mhasoba(considered as the'kshetrapal'who protects d surroundings.Such shendoor smeared Mhasoba are seen in large nos in Pune)I was fascinated by d Mhasoba 3/20

as I have not come across such in Mumbai.Munja is another supernatural entity. It's the spirit of a young boy who had his upanayana done & then passed away. Its known to linger in trees as his life has halted pre maturely. Many trees are worshipped as home to a Munja. 4/20

Pictured here is the Batatya Maruti Mandir in the grounds opp the Shaniwarwada.1 would wonder why such a cute name for d masculine Hanuman. S says that the grounds where the temple is located was once a vegetable marketplace.The deity derives his potatoey 🥔 name from there. 5/20

As we walk from Shaniwarwada towards KasbaGanpati S points @ these quaint flights of steps in a tiny lane Nothing distinctly unusual until he informs me tht these steps are400+ yrsOld!Y hv v not marked them as suchSolid slice of history sits unannounced in d middle of d city6/20

S explained that the Shaniwarwada then was surrounded by the wadas/ mansions of the rich & famous Case in point Mote Mangal Karyalay,Mangal Karyalay are predecessors of modern-day banquet halls. This wada as 1 can see was once the property of Dikshit Patwardhan the maternal 7/20

family of d wife of Vishwasrao,eldest son of NanasahebPeshwa He met an untimely death during d 1761PanipatWar.Another old wada displaying the carved decorative wooden strip atop the entrance(Kalash occupies the centre space flanked by decorative wooden designs on both sides)8/20

Next is the Mujumdar Wada.Another key sardar & officer since the days of Shahu Maharaj of #Satara.The wada is inhabited by their descendents.Quite exciting that they still celebrate the annual Ganeshotsav at their wada which is sadly not open to curious visitors like me.9/20Their

Ganapati leaves on Panchami unlike the traditional Chaturthi!Yes they also house antiques & artifacts from the bygone era!The name that you see on the entrance Aabasaheb Mujumdar was a respected personality in Pune from the British Era who played an active role in the public10/20

life of the city & our country. It is here that I stood like a tiny speck at the gate of the Mujumdar Wada I felt a current pass under my skin as I was simultaneously staring into two significant periods of Maharashtra state - Peshwa and British. 11/20 We visited the Kedareshwar

Mandir whose history goes back over 500 yrs Notice the wooden makhar above the shiv-ling, Sandeep says that in many of the old Shiva temples, the shiv-lings were placed under a wooden intricate makhar or canopy. As S rattled names, dates and facts we walked towards the 12/20

Lal Mahal. For newbies the place where Shaistekhan got his fingers chopped by #ChhatrapatiShivajiMaharaj. A testimony that Maharaj stood against the forcible bloody Islamiz^tion of India and gave the intruding powers and their allies sleepless nights #LalMahal is a living 13/20

legend that stands tall as some scholars attempt to twist Maratha history today. I was very happy to see the Lal Mahal maintained well. Due to the paucity of time could only catch a glimpse from the outside. 14/20 Next S introduced me to another iconic structure called the

The Sardar Shitole Wada The entrance is ornate and majestic! I had never heard of it before :( As one walks through the large darwaza, on the right stands a temple with carved wood pillars & glass chandeliers The presiding deity is Narsimha You can see the two dwarapalas 15/20

( gatekeepers) carved on either walls.
The Hanuman here if you notice is looking on his left and carrying the Sanjiwani booti ( for Lakshman, during the Ram Ravana yudh). We ended the walk at Kasba Peth Ganpati Mandir. Jijabai, the mother of #ChhatrapatiShivajiMaharaj 16/20

is said to have renovated and built this temple. The Peshwa records also indicate instances of donations to this temple. Even in modern times the Kasba Ganpati holds a special place in the social and community traditions. Post marriage ceremonies the newly weds would visit 17/20

#KasbaGanpati for blessings before heading home A newborn baby’s 1st outing would be a darshan at #KasbaPeth The Peshwas have maintained account books of the number of offerings during auspicious occasions such as birth weddings thread ceremonies to the deities in Pune 18/20

I recommend all history enthusiasts to book a HeritageWalk on weekends with @GodboleSandeep He is knowledgeable detailed in his explanations & his ❤️ for the subject is visible.He is an expert ,go explore Aitihaasik #Pune with him. I am sure you won't be disappointed. 19/20

( I have taken the liberty to write S instead of his full name @GodboleSandeep due to character limitations🙏 )

#Pune Heritage Walk 🚩

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