People from all over are flocking to the village where Mastani's tomb is situated
Drive a few kilometres ahead of Pune on the road to Nagar and ask the way to Pabal.
You'll get clear directions to Mastani's tomb, which the village houses. Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Bajirao Mastani is yet to hit the screens, but it has already turned this quaint village on the outskirts of Pune into a hit.
As the release date of the Ranveer Singh-Deepika Padukone starrer nears, the number of people visiting the place has shot up so much that villagers tell any outsider entering Pabal: "Mastani's dargah is this way."
"People are coming from all over. With the movie making so much buzz, people want to know more about Mastani. This grave has shot Pabal into the limelight, too," says Mohammad Inamdar, whose family has been looking after the tomb for generations.
Located around 60 km from Pune, Mastani's 275-year-old tomb is housed in the middle of a courtyard, surrounded by a boundary wall and three doors. One end of the courtyard has an elevated platform, which is used for namaz. One of the walls has Mastani's painting, too. According to local villagers, Muslims call the place 'Mastani chi Masjid' and Hindus 'Mastani's Samadhi'.
The courtyard is still under renovation and recently got a fresh coat of paint. In the middle of the courtyard is a stone tomb, where Mastani was buried over two centuries ago. Next to the tomb stands a diya kund (lamp), which Inamdar lights every day.
"Since the movie is making so much buzz, I thought of visiting Mastani's grave. It's fascinating that such an old love story is still alive. The painting and the grave rekindle the mystery around Mastani. Watching the movie after visiting Pabal will be more exciting," says Vaibhav Saklani, an entrepreneur from Hrishikesh.
Historians say Mastani was the second wife of Peshwa Bajirao I of the Maratha Empire. Legend goes that the king of Bundelkhand, Maharaja Chhatrasal was attacked by Mohammad Khan Bangash. Chhatrasal sought the help of Bajirao I, who rescued the king. In return, Chhatrasal gifted Bajirao I, a third of his empire as well as his daughter, Mastani, born of his Persian wife Ruhani Bai.
Though Bajirao was already married to Kashi Bai, he married Mastani, too. However, since she was a Muslim, she was not welcomed by the Bajirao family. Though she stayed at Mastani Mahal in Pune's Shaniwarwada, she was later shifted to a palace, specially made for her in Pabal.
While the grave was in complete ruins, the state archaeology department started restoration work after miscreants dug it up in 2009. "Some records also say that Mastani was on her way to meet Bajirao, who was holed up further north. It's true that she died at Pabal, where her samadhi/tomb stands today," says Pandurang Balkawde, a Pune-based historian.
Locals said the tomb was dug up when people tried to find a diamond that Mastani swallowed to commit suicide. Testimony to an ever-lasting love story, Mastani's tomb is now a weekend getaway, too.
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 "Bajirao Mastani poster")
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