The Shaniwarwada Fort in Pune is a historical delight in addition to being one of the ghostly places in India. In fact, there are many who are of the opinion that the story that is associated with this fort is one of the most chilling stories. Lauded for its architectural brilliance, this fort has witnessed various strange occurrences.
Legend has it that during a full moon, the level of supernatural activity increases. The mysterious story surrounding this fort talks about how a young prince was brutally murdered by one of his very own relatives in the fort. Therefore, his spirit still haunts the place and in the night, sounds of him shrieking almost violently can be heard. There are many locals who actually camp at night on the fort grounds just to hear that little boy’s scream for help. A chilling story indeed.
Story is that Raghoba sent Ghardi assasins to kill his relative Peshwa Narayanrao to capture throne.Prince on seeing the Gardis baying for his blood began running for his life. He ran towards his uncle Raghoba’s chambers screaming “Kaaka! Maala vaachva!” (Uncle, save me!). The assassins caught hold of Narayanrao and hacked him to pieces with swords.
Here there are two interpretations of the legend. One was that Raghoba believed that Peshwa Narayanrao was just being taken captive, as Anantibai had intercepted Narayanrao and his screams were considered by Raghoba to be just a boy being captured. Another was that the young boy was slaughtered mercilessly in front of a mute, emotionless Raghoba as the boy kept on wailing “Kaka, maala vaachva”. Legend says that the boy was hacked into so many pieces that his remains had to be carried out in a vessel. This vessel was taken to the nearest river and the pieces were dumped there.
However, most visitors prefer to visit the fort during the morning hours as it is desirable. In fact, the fort is deserted at night except for maybe a caretaker doing the rounds.
The fort in all its glory included fortified walls, high gates, numerous halls, gardens, and fountains too. It included five gates which have stood the test of time and weather. It is said that the grandeur of the majestic architecture was lost when in 1828, there was a sudden fire inside the palace complex. It took a week to douse the fire.
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It is said that Shaniwarwada is haunted! On full moon nights, locals can hear a boy yelling, “Kaka, mala vachva!”(Uncle, save me!) The story that goes around says that Narayanrao, an erstwhile Peshwa’s youngest son had to take up the responsibilities of his elder brothers, who had died under tragic circumstances. His uncle, Raghoba and his aunt Anandibai could not accept this. They hatched a conspiracy and as a result the young Narayanrao lost his life, all the while crying for his uncle’s help.
What we see today is bare remnants of the erstwhile palace. There is a dargah outside the Wada that caught my attention. Parking outside the palace premises is free but it cannot accommodate more than ten cars. The garden inside is not well maintained either. The interiors of the palace are not accessible to visitors entirely, but whatever we got to see was haunting indeed. There were rooms with carved arches and what I liked best was the atrium outside. The palace has an impressive gate with spikes and I am sure in the Peshwa’s heydays, this would have kept away quite a few enemy armies.
The fort is located in the hub of Pune’s busy area and is easily accessible via public transport too. Do visit it and have a dekho!
Legend has it that during a full moon, the level of supernatural activity increases. The mysterious story surrounding this fort talks about how a young prince was brutally murdered by one of his very own relatives in the fort. Therefore, his spirit still haunts the place and in the night, sounds of him shrieking almost violently can be heard. There are many locals who actually camp at night on the fort grounds just to hear that little boy’s scream for help. A chilling story indeed.
Story is that Raghoba sent Ghardi assasins to kill his relative Peshwa Narayanrao to capture throne.Prince on seeing the Gardis baying for his blood began running for his life. He ran towards his uncle Raghoba’s chambers screaming “Kaaka! Maala vaachva!” (Uncle, save me!). The assassins caught hold of Narayanrao and hacked him to pieces with swords.
Here there are two interpretations of the legend. One was that Raghoba believed that Peshwa Narayanrao was just being taken captive, as Anantibai had intercepted Narayanrao and his screams were considered by Raghoba to be just a boy being captured. Another was that the young boy was slaughtered mercilessly in front of a mute, emotionless Raghoba as the boy kept on wailing “Kaka, maala vaachva”. Legend says that the boy was hacked into so many pieces that his remains had to be carried out in a vessel. This vessel was taken to the nearest river and the pieces were dumped there.
However, most visitors prefer to visit the fort during the morning hours as it is desirable. In fact, the fort is deserted at night except for maybe a caretaker doing the rounds.
What we see today is bare remnants of the erstwhile palace. There is a dargah outside the Wada that caught my attention. Parking outside the palace premises is free but it cannot accommodate more than ten cars. The garden inside is not well maintained either. The interiors of the palace are not accessible to visitors entirely, but whatever we got to see was haunting indeed. There were rooms with carved arches and what I liked best was the atrium outside. The palace has an impressive gate with spikes and I am sure in the Peshwa’s heydays, this would have kept away quite a few enemy armies.
The fort is located in the hub of Pune’s busy area and is easily accessible via public transport too. Do visit it and have a dekho!
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