The Aga Khan Palace is such a tourist destination in Pune, Maharashtra that appeals to both history aficionados and architecture fanatics. It is a beautifully built and well-maintained structure that we should mention in the context of India’s struggle for independence. Canadian travelers who book Canada to India flights visit this place that takes them down the history lane of India. Before we go into the history and heritage of this 128-year-old structure, let’s go over the essential information about the palace that every tourist wishes to understand in the first place. The Aga Khan Palace is located in Kalyani Nagar, Pune, on Pune Nagar Road (2 kilometers from the Bund Garden). To get to this palace, you can take municipal or private buses, autos, or rickshaws.
Origin Of The Palace
Constructed in 1892 at the behest of Mawlana Sultan Mahomed Shah, the Aga Khan Palace spans 19 acres with a built-up area of seven acres. Its two-story building features beautiful Italian arches with timber frames and stone and wood floors. A vast park encircles the Palace area, housing the samadhis or tombs of Mahatma Gandhi’s wife, Kasturbha Gandhi, and his personal assistant, Mahadev Desai. People believe that Mawlana Sultan Mahomed Shah made a generous gesture by building the Palace at a cost of 1.2 million rupees at the time to assist the downtrodden who had been ravaged by a recent famine. During a visit to India in February 1969, Mawlana Hazar Imam (Aga Khan IV) gifted the Palace to the Indian government. The ASI designated it a memorial of national significance in 2003. Travelers who book Canada to India flights mostly land in Mumbai or Pune to visit this monument.
Architecture
The Aga Khan Palace sits on a sprawling estate with five magnificent big halls and various lawns. The building, with its reminiscence of Italian architecture, exudes elegance, complexity, and spectacular beauty. The palace is notable for its large, well-kept gardens spread across 7 acres. Furthermore, a 2.5-meter-wide hallway encircles the two-story palace. Charles Correa, a well-known architect, designed the mansion. The palace’s arches are among the most gorgeous, almost captivating to the eyes, of all the halls and features. The Aga Khan Palace includes two enormous levels, as well as a corridor that runs the length of the structure.
With a built-up area of about 28,000 square meters, the abundance of exquisite French gardens, fountains, lengthy halls, vast chambers, rose-style windows, and Italian arches add to the palace’s richness. The Palace is perfect not only for Canadian historians but also for those who admire its aesthetics and architectonics.
Gandhi And His Relation To The Palace
The connections between Mahatma Gandhi and the Palace are widely recognized. His memorial is located on the palace grounds, and the palace itself has archives of images and portraits of Gandhi during the freedom campaign. The link dates back to 8 August 1942, when Gandhi launched the India August campaign and asked his fellow Indians to unite “in the common cause for independence” in an inspiring speech at Gowalia Tank Maidan in Mumbai. Many Canadian travelers come on flights from Toronto to Mumbai, visit this Maidan and then travel to Pune by road to visit this historical monument. From 9 August 1942 to 6 May 1944, Gandhi and several of his followers were incarcerated at the Palace. Keeping the involvement of the Palace in mind during Gandhi’s final years, the palace has become a persistent feature of his life and ideology.
While Raj Ghat in New Delhi marks the place of Gandhi’s cremation, there are claims that his ashes were donated in 1992. Subsequently, the Ismaili community in Pune provided funds to create the memorial that now houses them on the grounds of the Palace. For numerous years, the memorial suffered neglect and decay, but the current efforts of the ASI are repairing both the estate and the historical artifacts it houses.
Things To See In The Palace
The five halls displaying Gandhiji’s belongings provide travelers with insights into his modest existence throughout his life. Throughout the year, the palace hosts a variety of exhibitions and programs. The majority of these represent Gandhi’s lifestyle Canadian travelers can plan a trip and search for affordable flight tickets from Canada to India. The visitors will get a detailed look into the Mahatma’s existence. Inside the rooms, visitors can view Gandhiji’s personal things such as his clothes, cutlery, slippers, and so on. Images of ancient freedom fighters and various artworks depicting significant events during the liberation campaign adorn the walls. A painting depicting Kasturba Gandhi’s final moments in Mahatma Gandhi’s lap hangs in the chamber where she breathed her last.
Additional black-colored sculptures of Mahatma Gandhi and Kasturba Gandhi (Bapu and Ba) are present alongside a monument of Gandhi and a child representing the concept of Anthyodaya. The exhibit also includes a letter Gandhi wrote about the death of Mahadev Desai and several photographs that display Gandhi’s philosophy. In order to travel backward in time and gain wisdom from Gandhi’s life, tourists such as from Canada can book Canada to India flights which are available from various locations in Canada, like Calgary, Toronto, and even Vancouver. Check out flyopedia.com for flights from USA to India.
Presently, the palace serves not only as a museum but also as the Gandhi National Memorial Society’s headquarters. The visitors can visit the Khadi and Handloom Textiles Shop, the Library and Documentation Center, the Kasturba Mahila Khadi Gramodyog Vidyala, and other training institutes. Aga Khan Palace is a must-see for anyone with an interest in Indian history and Gandhi.
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