Aga Khan Palace - A symbol of solace

It has been sometime now, that I have been living in the city of Pune since I shifted to my new place of work at the World Trade Centre in Kharadi. Though most of my weekends come and go away in an haze, this particular weekend I decided that it was time for some change and decided to go visit this piece of marvel amidst the hustle and bustle of the city.

Located very close to the Hyatt hotel in Pune, this place is really accessible especially since its so close to Viman Nagar. The palce is an important landmark in Indian history as it was closely linked to the Indian Freedom Movement and is also the place where Kasturba Gandhi and Maharji Desai died.

For people looking to check it out over the weekends, it's really well situated along with a huge parking space provided at the entrance itself and also the entry fee is a mere 25 rupees. As soon as you arrive at the entrance, you cant help but notice the magnificance

of this place. Even the first entrance is so finely built that it makes your mind wonder about the majestic lives of rulers back then.

Upon purchasing the entry ticket and going inside the first thing which blowed my mind away was the grandeur of the palace and how fine it looked even at this date. The Maharashtra government has really taken good care of this place ensuring that it manages to retain it's attraction among tourists. The intricate detail and complex architecture of the place will make your mind go Woah!

The palace houses some really fine sculptures of Mahatma Gandhi as well as different paintings showing the circumstances and conditions of the Freedom movement era. But what I really liked about the place was aura of calmness and stillness which I felt once I entered inside. It kind of felt like I had managed to escape the craziness of the city and transcended into a peaceful and calm haven.

Once you start walking through the huge corridors with the humungus doors adjacently attached you start getting a mystical and majestic vibe and your mind starts imagining of the way things probably were during those old era of Pre-Independence.

The palace houses a good amount of artifacts as well as Mahatma Gandhi's personal belongings which were used by him when we was jailed in here during the freedom movement. The palace also houses the ashes of Gandhiji which is accessible in the "samadhi" area present inside the palace grounds.

The palace grounds are really well maintained with guards posted in proper areas which actually need looking over, while at the same time they are professional enough not to cause hindrance to tourists with arbitrary nonsensical obstacles.

The whole palce is surrounded by lush green gardens with ample space to carry out picnics or to just walk along with your friends and family. Although the place wasnt over-crowded, there were quite a lot of groups who were enjoying a nice picnic in the palace gardens. There's even an area for exhibition along with a canteen where you can sit and relax and have some food if needed.

Although the government is trying it's best to maintain this place to it's highest standards but still walking along the palace you will notice that certain parts of it are in ruins and most of the areas are cordoned off with big locks on the even bigger doors.

Despite a few such shortcomings everything else is in proper order especially the sprawling green gardens and the other buildings surrounding it making this place a nice spot for taking long walks in the wintry blissful weather full of solitude.

Walking around the palace really reminds one of those omniscient times of royalty and oppression and of something which we haven't seen but whose presence in history has shaped our very country and it's diverse set of people.

Although the outside view is mesmerizing and second to none, but the inside surroundings are really nice too with plethora of sculptures and paintings keeping one occupied and before you know it time flies away.

If in Pune, I would recommend one to check this place out atleast once, if not for it's majestic beauty and historical perspective, then definitely for it's sprawling lush gardens and serene atmosphere.

Hope you guys liked the post!................ Happy Reading :)