| The Aga Khan Palace | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | Pune,Maharashtra, India |
| Coordinates | 18°33′08″N73°54′05″E / 18.5523°N 73.9015°E /18.5523; 73.9015 |
| Area | 7.7 hectares (19 acres) |
| Built | 1892; 133 years ago (1892) |
| Governing body | Gandhi National Memorial Society |
  Location of Aga Khan Palace in Maharashtra | |
TheAga Khan Palace was built bySultan Muhammed Shah Aga Khan III in the city ofPune, India.
The palace was an act of charity by the spiritual leader of theNizari Ismaili Muslims, who wanted to help the poor in the neighbouring areas of Pune, who were drastically hit by famine by offering them work.[1] The construction took place over 5 years and involved one hundred thousand people. It cost approximately 1.2 million rupees.[2]
The palace is closely linked to theIndian freedom movement as it served as a prison forMahatma Gandhi, his wifeKasturba Gandhi, his secretaryMahadev Desai.Sarojini Naidu and several others were also imprisoned during theQuit India Movement that demanded an end toBritish rule in India.[2] It is also the place where Kasturba Gandhi and Mahadev Desai died.[3] In 2003,Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) declared the site as amonument of national importance.[2][4] Aga Khan Palace is major attraction of photographers for various kind of photo shoot because of its special architecture, greenery and perfect for photography lighting.
Historically, the palace holds great significance.Mahatma Gandhi, his wifeKasturba Gandhi and his secretaryMahadev Desai were interned in the palace from 9 August 1942 to 6 May 1944, following the launch ofQuit India Movement. Kasturba Gandhi andMahadev Desai died during their captivity period in the palace and have theirSamadhis located over there. Mahatma Gandhi and Kasturba Gandhi have their memorials located in the same complex, nearMula river.[5] Legend goes that the Sultan built the palace to provide employment to the famine struck villagers of the surrounding region; so he employed 1000 people, and the palace was constructed in five years. It was built in Rs 12 lakhs. The total area is 7.7 hectares (19 acres) and built up palace covers 2.8 hectares (6.9 acres), and the rest is a well maintained garden.[citation needed]
The palace housed a residential co-education School from 1953 - 72. In 1969, Aga Khan Palace was donated to theIndian people byAga Khan IV as a mark of respect to Gandhi and his philosophy.[1][2] Today the palace houses a memorial on Gandhi where his ashes were kept. The then prime ministerIndira Gandhi had visited the place in 1974 where she allotted a sum of₹200,000 (US$2,400) every year, for its maintenance. The amount rose to₹1 million (US$12,000) until the 1990s,[6] after which the national monument of India, was neglected for many years due to improper allocation of funds. There was a protest held at the statue of Mahatma Gandhi nearPune railway station in July 1999 to protest against the worsening condition of the monument. The present condition has improved quite a lot.[7]
The Aga Khan Palace follows theIndo-Saracenic style of architecture and is complete with pediments and turrets.[2] The area of the ground floor is 1756 m2, that of the first floor is 1080 m2, whereas the second floor has a construction of 445 m2. The speciality of this structure is its corridor of 2.5 meters around the entire building. The palace captivates the eye of a spectator with its magnificence and picturesque architecture.[8]
The Gandhi Museum at Aga Khan Palace is spread over six galleries. The galleries exhibit several statues of Gandhi and others. There are several displays complete with charts and diagrams depicting the history of theQuit India Movement.[2]
The complex covers an area of 19 acres (77,000 m2), out of which 7 acres (28,000 m2) is the built up area. The palace is also the headquarters of the Gandhi National Memorial Society.[9] It also hosts a shop that deals inkhaadi and other hand loomed textiles.[10] There is also a canteen. The complex also houses the samadhis ofKasturba Gandhi andMahadev Desai. The marble samadhis contain the shes of both and are octagonal in structure. In 1992 a portion ofMahatma Gandhi's ashes were shifted in the complex and a similar (not replica) samadhi built. The three samadhis are enclosed in a walled complex with marble flooring and surrounded by a low wall.[2]
Gandhi Memorial society celebrates the following public functions at the palace:
Other than yearly events, morning prayer sessions are held daily at the samadhi since decades. The prayer draws huge crowds everyday, and the number goes up threefold on 2 October as people visit the place to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi.[11]
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