More visit Shaniwarwada than Elephanta Caves

PUNE: Rusting fountains and moss-ridden tanks clearly have no bearing on Shaniwarwada's charm. The historical monument has once again pipped the popular Elephanta Caves in Mumbai in tourist footfalls last year. Its poor upkeep notwithstanding, the palace fort has retained its top slot among the 10 ticketed monuments in the Mumbai Circle of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
In fact, Shaniwarwada has been ruling the must-see list of tourists for the last few years. If in the current fiscal, over 1.5 lakh more tourists have visited it compared to Elephanta Caves, in 2010-11 the monument recorded over 2 lakh more visitors than the caves. The monument recorded almost double the number of Elephanta Cave visitors in the next financial year. It was only in 2012-13 when the Elephanta Caves recorded higher tourist numbers than Shaniwarwada.
The other ticketed monuments in Mumbai circle include Kanheri caves, Aga Khan Palace, Lenyadri caves, Raigad fort, Karla caves, Bhaja caves, Kolaba fort near Alibaug and Solapur fort.
An ASI official told TOI that Shaniwarwada being in the heart of the city makes it easily accessible to people. "Pune is Maharashtra's cultural capital and has Shaniwarwada, the seat of the Peshwas, located in its heart. With the IT sector burgeoning here, the city has become popular among tourists who also go in large numbers to visit Shaniwarwada once they are in Pune. Also, Elephanta caves are closed during monsoon, which is another reason why it is second to Shaniwarwada," the official said.
The fort's history plays a major role in drawing in the crowds. Conservation expert Kiran Kalamdani reasoned, "Shaniwarwada was the undeclared capital of the Maratha confederacy under Shahu Maharaj, of whom the Peshwas were prime ministers. Briefly, the Shaniwarwada ruled Delhi for 100 days. The Marathas were probably the only people who had the guts to storm the citadel of Delhi."
Kalmdani added that the monument symbolizes pride. "People want to go and see the stones and plinths of Shaniwarwada, for these aspects symbolize the adventurous spirit that Marathas nurtured in the mid-18th century," added Kalamdani.
Tourists visiting the Shaniwarwada feel there is much more to the monument than its current condition. On Monday, alternative healer Baljit Sachdeva was visiting the monument along with her brother Jaspal Singh Dhillon and his wife, Brigitte. "Even if it is poorly maintained, it is remarkable. It amazes me that the British ruled India and yet, the Peshwas could fight them from such a small place. This place still has an energy that inspires courage. The most important aspect is the sense of belonging and pride that I feel here. Anybody struggling in life will come here again and again to take some courage from this place," said Sachdeva.
The rust and moss haven't disillusioned visitors like Sanjay Shinde of Karmala. "This monument is like a mother to us. No matter how old the mother gets, her children still love her. Though Shaniwarwada is poorly maintained, we love it for what it is and what it gave to the country," he said.
Other visitors like Latifa Nadaf and her sister Shabana said they had always read about Shaniwarwada in history books, but decided to take a look at the real thing on Monday. "We love the wada. Our only grouse is its bad upkeep by authorities. The government should use the ticket money on the monument's refurbishment, or else gradually there would be no Shaniwarwada for us to visit," said Latifa.
Graphic BOX: Shaniwar wada, still in shambles:
*** TOI reported in January last year about how the fountains, wells and cisterns here lie in moss and rust.
*** A visit on Monday (a year later), showed the same apathy towards these heritage assets
*** Fountains here, i.e Pushkarni Haud, Khajina Vihir and the Hazari Karanja (fountain of a thousand jets), have gathered rust and fungus, while they stagnate in dirty water
*** The structure comes under ASI but the fountains and wells dotting its four courtyards are maintained by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), courtesy its light-and-sound show which began in 2002.
*** A memorandum of understanding had been signed between the ASI and the PMC, after which the civic body was allowed to run the light-and-sound show in Shaniwarwada. The light and sound show has been temporarily suspended.
*** A committee headed by late B G Deshmukh, the former union cabi-net secretary, was formed a few years ago and the revitalization of the monument picked up pace. But after Deshmukh's demise in 2011, no meeting of the committee took place except two months ago, under the new chairman Ajit Nimbalkar.
*** The light and sound show will now be revamped and work on foun-tains will also be undertaken, as per a senior PMC official. Budget allo-cation will be decided after an estimate of works to be done here is prepared. Works are expected to start in 2015.
*** Last time some renovation in Shaniwar wada took place 10 years ago.
Graphic Box: Tourist foot fall in the 10 ticketed monuments in ASI's Mumbai Circle:
2009-10---2010-11---2011-12---2012-13--2013-14(uptil December 2013)
Shaniwarwada---3.78 lakh---5.79 lakh---7.50 lakh---5.12 lakh---5.91 lakh
Elephanta caves---3.22 lakh---3.47 lakh---3.96 lakh---5.63 lakh---4.42 lakh
Lenyadri caves---3.04 lah---4.06 lakh---3.68 lakh---3.90 lakh---3.02 lakh
Karla caves--- 1.29 lakh---2.12 lakh---2.12 lakh---2.08 lakh---1.58 lakh
Kanheri caves---1.03 lakh---1.69 lakh---1.90 lakh---1.95 lakh---1.31 lakh
Raigad fort---1.86 lakh---1.82 lakh---1.76 lakh---1.75 lakh---1.21 lakh
Aga Khan palace---91,291---1.08 lakh---1.13 lakh---1.06 lakh---88,281
Kolaba fort---62,467---51,616---55,370---42,552---36,687
Bhaja caves---27,238---47,518---47,451---45,462---29,882
Solapur fort---25,006---17,860---14,767---15,238---13,828
Eom/neha