The labyrinthine lanes of old peth areas hide the old world charm - Wada's of Pune

Pune is today known as the cultural capital of Maharashtra, Earliest known records of its existence come from the copper plate of the 8th century found at Pataleshwar cave indicates it was an agricultural settlement named "Punaka". Pune has been ruled by Rashtrakuta's, Yadava's of Devagiri, Nizamshahi sultanates of Ahmadnagar, Adilshahi dynasty of Bijapur as well as Marathas and the British. But the patronage of Maratha Peshwa resulted in the great expansion of Pune, Numerous localities also known as "Peths" were established mainly under Peshwas. A total of seventeen peth's constituted the old city of Pune. Each peth's has its own traders and craftsmen who would conduct business and weekly bazaars hence the seven peth's are named as per the days of the week. Other peth's are named after its founders. Most of these peths were established between the 17th and 19th centuries on the eastern banks of the Mutha river which today is known as the "old city of Pune". 

It was Peshwa Bajirao-1 who decided to move his seat of power from Saswad to Pune as it was the central hub or a junction from where different trade routes passed. He built the fortified Wada in 1732 called "Shaniwar Wada" which became the center of Indian politics in the 18th century. With Peshwas came their ministers, administrative heads, their military personals as well as influential traders who built huge Wada houses in the old city of Pune. This wada was once a seat of power, intrigue, and grandeur. A typical Wada would consist of a fort-like structure that would accommodate a cluster of houses with a central courtyard, forming the focus of the community's social activities. 

These wada houses would have intricately carved wooden doors and windows, they reflect the exquisite craftsmanship of their time and feature some characteristic architectural elements. It is said that grandeurs of wada houses would depend on the position or the influence the person would command. These wadas continued to be built post 350 years of Maratha power when the city came under the British empire. A few years back when this heritage structure count was initiated, it was known that these peths had over 450 wadas. 

Today in the rapidly changing times, the labyrinthine bylanes of peth areas continue to retain the old charm. Some of them have paved the way to modern buildings, some are crumbling and in a dilapidated state while some of these old architectural marvels have been preserved by their proud owners. A stroll in the old lanes across the narrow paths of a few peths like Shaniwar peth, Kasba peth, Budhwar peth, and the adjacent areas reveal a plethora of architectural marvels, some crumbling, some standing tall. These buildings clearly shout out "heritage", The narrow street adorns not only wadas but also multi-storied buildings of the British era with their characteristic balconies made of wood, having multiple doors and windows, and above all the old world charm.

Before I drift in the labyrinthine lanes of old peths to get lost and explore the interesting heritage of old Pune city, My first stop was to explore the historical fortification of the city which has been made famous by the two recent blockbuster movies on Bajirao and Battle of Panipat. But Shaniwar Wada attractions turned out to be much more than I had expected and I wrote a separate post on it. (Exploring Shaniwar Wada)

Budhwar Peth: One of the oldest localities of Pune, As per records when Aurangzeb attacked Pune in 1660, He stayed at Budhwar peth and named it "Mohitabad". Thorale Madhavrao Peshwa renamed it, Budhawar Peth when he got powers in his hand. It encompasses a huge area and includes some landmarks places like the richest Ganpati temple - Dagduseth Ganpati as well as Goddess Jogeshwari temple. Walk-in this old neighborhood revealed some really beautiful wadas and old houses, many interesting tales about the temples in the locality. (will do a separate post on it soon :-) )

While searching for the parking gate of Shaniwar Wada, I took a wrong turn and stumbled upon these wadas, One mentioned here is of Maharshi Annasaheb Patwardhan wada who was from Patwardhan dynasty and a renowned Ayurvedic guru.

What caught my eye was this balcony of an old building. It showcases the rustic feel.

Another wada that I stumbled upon in Budhwar peth was this "Biniwale wada" owned by Visaji Krushna Biniwale. He was the military commander in the Peshwa army and was showered with golden flowers on his arrival in Pune after the success in the Rohilkhand war. He brought a huge booty from the war and is said to have avenged the defeat in the Battle of Panipat.

Today one section of Biniwale wada has the office of Marathi newspaper "Sakal".

Nana wada buildings today have a municipal schools, some offices as well as a museum. This was built by Nana Phadnavis who was a stalwart fighter and great administrative officer of Peshwas.

Nana wada though closed for now for some restoration workhouses a museum, an open theatre. Some paintings here are said to have been painted with liquid gold. The highlights of the wada include timber ceiling arches, ceiling chandeliers as well as the carved patterns on the walls.

Though out of bounds for the general public now. We sneaked in when the gates were open and got a glimpse of the interiors of the wada even when the gatekeeper tried his best to make us leave as soon as possible.

Another interesting street in Budhwar Peth is "Tapkir Galli" opposite Dagdu Seth temple which has a few beautiful wadas.

Nagarkar wada or Dagdi wada is hidden in Tapkir lane amidst the electronics shops. The Gothic entrance sets apart this wada. It has a history of 129 years and was established by reformer Raghunath "Daji" Nagarkar. It is called Dagdi wada due to the stone base of the wada. The entrance like another house in the city has a small Ganesha and arch windows just like some Victorian buildings that we see in Mumbai.

Late Haribhau Shingare wada at Budhwar Peth is a private residence and thus does not come to the purview of ASI.

Close to Nana wada lies this British-era building, One of them had Swastik while the other had a clock on it. There are many old and interesting wadas and houses which have been lying vacant due to their dilapidated condition but if they have commercial tenants like shops or offices, they continue to operate.

Another interesting area in which I felt I could spend an entire day getting lost in its narrow alleys and still not be bored was the treasure trove called "Kasba peth". This locality has been a continuously habituated area since the 5th century. It is the heart of Pune city, in fact Pune was known as 'Kasbe Poona" once. The area is home to "Kasba Ganpati" - the gram devta of Pune. Since it is the oldest part of the city, many old housing complexes, wada houses are found everywhere.

The part of this peth also has Kumbhar wada or Pottery makers and Brass and copper utensil makers who have been residents of this peth for a couple of centuries. These Aali's where they are based are photographers' delight and frequented regularly.

At the entrance of Kasba peth lies Ambedkar Wada. Narrow balconies where one person can barely stand face the street, The iron grills as seen on the balcony have Queen Elizabeth's face indicating it should be a British-era building.

Another crumbling heritage in the area is "Mote Wada", This place was built by the "Dikshit family" whose head was a manager in the Peshwa regime. The heirs sold the house to a moneylender Dattatreya Mote whose descendants have the title over the property today. The one and half storied property had collapsed completely trapping the tenants a few years back and still remains in that state.

Some intricately carved woodwork can be seen on the brackets and entrance of the wada. One side of the property which still remains intact has a beautiful jharokha balcony.

As we move further from Mote wada, in narrow bylane lies the heritage property of "Majumdar wada". The yellow & red colored wooden door is eye-catching amidst all the old houses around. The property has a Ganesha temple inside which is opened to the public during the Ganesh festival.

The windows of Majumdar wada overlooking the street have such a rustic look.

Another wada whose exterior facade has beautiful wooden balconies has been converted into a girls hostel. At least in that way, it is getting preserved as one can find from the newly painted exterior.

Further down the road lies a few more wadas, one of them has eye-catching blue and brown paints on it. Built-in 1946, today it is a property of some trust and is used for the Sarvajanik Ganesh festival.

Sinnarkar wada is said to be 200 years old and the seventh generation of the family stays here. The unoccupied portion of the wada was converted into a hotel by the owner's family.

In the same vicinity, lies another old building of the British era, "Maruti Krupa Sadan" built-in 1924. An interesting thing about the building is the grills of the balcony have the "face of Shivaji" unlike the other building which had the "face of Queen Victoria".

Shitole clan of Maharashtra have been revenue collectors for rulers of the region since pre-Shivaji times. In Kasba peth, there is a wada called "Sardar Shitole Wada" built by the Raj Rajendra Shitole family of Gwalior. They were Rajas of Pohri jagir in Gwalior and Deshmukh's of Pune. The external facade of this wada has a majestic entrance and jharokha balconies.

The wada has seen lot of development with buildings built inside. There is an old family deity temple of the owners. Very rarely one finds a temple dedicated to Lord Narshingji and his wife. The temple has intricately carved wooden pillars. A plaque displays the details about the family achievements right from the 16th century. The temple hall is adorned with pictures of members of the Shitole patriarchs.

Kasba Peth Ganpati temple is called the gram devta of Pune. The original temple was built by the mother of Shivaji Maharaj - Jijabai. The temple was extended further by the Peshwas. It is a beautiful temple built in Peshwa style with marble flooring and extensive use of woodwork in the prayer hall. The sanctum is made of stone and the deity is the unique idol of Ganesha smeared in vermilion.

It is said that some children found the idol when they brought the cows to graze. A small temple was built by the guru of Shivaji - Dadoji Konddeo. The temple stands at the very same place where the idol was found.

While I have just been to a few Peths and there was so much to see and explore, Truly the labyrinthine lanes of old Peth areas hide such an amazing plethora of old-world charm in form of wadas, old houses and temples in their belly. I truly hope that these wadas stay forever but with some of them in such a dilapidated condition that it may not be long before they are gone forever.

Hope to continue with my exploring these heritage places. (contd in part 2) (Heritage of Pune)