Aga Khan Palace.
State :- Maharashtra.
District / Taluka :- Pune / Haveli
Best time to visit Aga Khan palace :-
Any
time you can visit Aga khan palace.
Timings of Aga Khan Palace :-
9 am to 6 pm (Lunch break: 12.30
pm to 1:30 pm)
Entry fee :-
Rs.5 for Adults and Rs.2 for Children.
Transport :-
1) Way from
Pune :-
Reach Pune Station or Pune municipal corporation from here there are many
buses going towards Yerwada take a bus which goes towards Yerawda from there
are share rickshaws to Aga khan palace.
Pune- yerwada- aga khan palace (6 kms)
2) Way from Mumbai :-
Reach Pune from their go on the way to Pune station from there reach Yerawda and ask for Aga Khan Palace which is 2
kms from Yerawda. From Mumbai to Pune there are buses, trains and express trains
to pune station.
Mumbai-Pune(148 kms).
Description :-
Sultan Muhammed Shah aga khan III built
Aga Khan Palace in the year 1892.In the Indian history it is amongst the
biggest landmarks. The sultans built Aga khan palace to give the charity to the
poor and needy peoples all over the neighboring places in Pune. The poor people
were hit by Famine at that time were people didn’t had enough food to eat and
shelter to live.
History of the palace is related with the father of the
nation Mahatma Gandhi and his wife Kasturba Gandhi
.They were prisoner for the quit India movement with their secretary Mahadev
Desai between 9th August 1942 and 6th may 1944, during
this movement Kasturba Gandhi and there secretary Mahadev
Desai died in this palace they have their Samadhi in this palace near Mula
river.
Gandhiji had a great impact of his
philosophy and teachings in India due to which in 1969 Aga khan IV donated Aga
Khan Place to the Indian peoples proving his respect to Mahatma Gandhi.
There is a memorial on Gandhiji were his ashes are kept in
the palace. In 1974 Indira Gandhi visited the Aga Khan Palace
and allotted a sum of INR 2, 00,000 (US$ 3,300) every year, for its maintenance
and caring of the palace, till 1990s the amount went to INR 1 million (US $
17,000), Aga khan palace was later neglected because funds were not allocated
properly, Hence people protested near the Mahatma Gandhi Statue located near Pune railway station in 1999 for
improvement of the palace.
Aga khan palace was built with Italian
Arches and spacious lawns. It has in all five
halls Aga khan palace is built in area of nineteen acres (77,000 m2), in which
seven acres is covered with building area.
Aga khan palace
is among the best palaces known for its magnificent and spectacular architecture. Aga khan palace was built within the period of 5 years which
took around INR 1.2 million (US $20,000).Total area of the ground is around
1756 sq meters, in which first floor took around 1080 sq meters and second
floor took 445 sq meters. The entire building has a corridor of 2.5 meters
which is the main specialty of the Aga Khan Palace. Aga khan palace was donated
to Gandhi smarak Samitee in 1972 by Prince karim Aga khan.
Today this palace is
organized and maintained by parks and gardens. Aga khan palace has many
pictures and portraits related to the life of Mahatma Gandhi (The
Father of the Nation) and other freedom fighters and their struggle.
Aga khan palace is now the headquarters of Gandhi National Memorial
Society. It also has a shop that sells Khaadi and other hand loomed
textiles.
Gandhi Memorial Society celebrates public
functions on various occasions in Aga khan palace.
Republic day - 26th, January
Marty’s Day - 30th, January
Independence Day - 15th, August
Mahatma Gandhi birth anniversary = 2nd October
Mahashuvratri – Mothers day (Death day of kasturba Gandhi)
Besides yearly events, morning prayers are also taken near
the Samadhi since decades. Large number people gather every day and number
increases during 2nd October people come allover place to tribute mahatma
Gandhi.