Citizens explore colonial architecture of Pune

Despite living in the city for years how many of us know about the beautiful chhatri carved in stone at the Dashnaam Gosavi Sanstha in Somwar Peth dating back to the era of Peshwas? How many have noticed the huge banyan tree opposite the collectorate which is hundreds of years old?

In the hustle of daily life, we miss out on so many monuments and objects of heritage which have been adorning the city for years. It was a walk down the lanes of history when a group of citizens set out to visit some of the heritage sites in Camp area on Sunday morning, organised by the city organisation, Aranyavaak.

This walk threw light on the history of colonial architecture in Pune.

A group of 25 citizens gathered at the General Post Office at 7am.

They were accompanied by well-known architect Kiran Kalamdani, who educated them about the architectural significance and the history of the heritage sites.

The walk started with General Post Office building. The group then visited St Paul’s Church, which was constructed in 1860s, a fine example of Gothic architecture.

The group arrived at David Ohel Synagogue, also called Lal Deval because it is built with red bricks. With its clock tower, it is perhaps the only one to be built like a church. The synagogue has been constructed in a neo-Gothic style with beautiful stained glass windows and an imposing 90-foot tower.

The group then walked down towards Somwar Peth and stopped to have a look at the old sanatorium building opposite the Collector’s office. The old tree standing on the premises is a witness to changes in the city across centuries, and still stands magnificently on the road with heavy traffic.

“It is a part of natural heritage which too should be preserved along with monuments. But sadly we hardly care to notice these old treasures,” said Rishikesh Talwalkar, founder of Aranyavaak.
Kalamdani attracted the attention of the group towards the typical structure of the Bolaimata temple on the side of the subway near the collectorate. He then took visitors to the premises belonging to the Dashnaam Gosavi Sanstha. The soothing silence in the premises, which is situated on the busy road, was amazing.

The visitors were ignorant of the place with two beautiful temples and the memorials of the Gosavis built in the Peshwa era. “The Gosavis were actually pujaris, but they also served as spies for the Peshwas. The rulers, therefore, allotted this land to construct memorials of the Gosavis who passed away,” said Kalamdani.

There are stone structures serving as memorials. One of the memorial has a beautiful chhatri (umbrella structure) carved in stone covering it.

Kalamdani explained that the architecture used in the temples and the chhatri were a mixture of local art and designs borrowed from North India.

Aranyavaak also runs course for nature and heritage conservation. It can be contacted on 25450517.