Pune: Shaniwarwada requires upkeep, Aaditya Thackeray to visit

PUNE: The utter neglect of a monument as iconic as Shaniwarwada has upset not only the descendants of the Peshwas but also history scholars in the city.

Udaysinh Peshwa, one of the descendants, said the palace of his ancestors has fallen into disrepair. “I had written to the previous chief minister, but nothing has been done. Hence, I have decided not to write to anyone or speak with anyone seeking restoration.Maharashtrians have forgotten their own history,” he added.
The iconic fort that was home to several Peshwes who challenged the Mughals and later the British, celebrated its 288th foundation day on Wednesday.
Uday Kulkarni, author of The Era of Bajirao, tweeted to chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and member of Parliament from Pune, Girish Bapat on Thursday, saying that the 18th century Ganapati painting just inside the Delhi Darwaza of Shaniwarwada is on the verge of disappearing.
Tourism minister Aaditya Thackeray, when told about the plight of Shaniwarwada, said, “I am coming to Pune soon. I will be reviewing all tourism related places. Once the review is done, we will see what the government can do to revamp tourist facilities.”
Kundan Kumar Sathe, secretary of Thorale Bajirao Peshwa Pratishthan, said Shaniwarwada was seven floors high and it took the British seven days to burn the entire structure down.
“Imagine the grandeur of the palace and think about what it has come to now. We have been sending letters to all state ministers for the restoration of the monument but nobody has done anything so far. The government needs to tell the Archaeological Survey of India to restore Shaniwarwada,” he added.
Kulkarni said a lot of Maratha art history that is on the walls of old wadas is being destroyed due to neglect. “Shaniwarwada is a Grade I heritage structure as declared by the ASI. We have so much history, so much to preserve and showcase to the world, yet we do nothing about it,” he added.
Several letters to the administration urging them to write to the ASI in Delhi to allocate funds for the restoration of these monuments have been written, he said.
“Once all this is gone, an entire part of our rich history will be lost to future generations. Some people say painting over the old one will destroy the authenticity of the original. But if we do not restore it, we are losing it all. Hence, restoration is better,” Kulkarni said.
An Archaeological Survey of India official, on the condition of anonymity, said funds are scarce for restoration. “We get money only for maintenance and not for restoration. If such funding is allocated from the headquarters, then we can take up restoration,” he said.