Of leisure and history

PUNE: At the Hirabaug Town Hall, leisure has been a serious pursuit for well over two-and-a-half centuries, since the time when the third Peshwa, Balaji Bajirao, had a resort here. In those days, the site lay on the periphery of the erstwhile 25-acre Parvati Lake (some of which is present-day Sarasbaug) formed by the Katraj aqueduct passing in its proximity.
Bajirao, who ruled between 1740 and 1761 and lived atop Parvati hill, would regularly visit the Ganapati shrine on the lake island (Talyatla Ganapati) and then boat across to Hirabaug to spend the afternoon there. It was also the venue for important Peshwa deliberations, like the parleys between Bajirao II and the British following the Peshwa defeat in the battle of Kirkee in 1817. Legend has it that the silverware used by the British during the meeting was later melted to cleanse it.
The precinct has since evolved into an important symbol of Pune's socio-cultural history. On June 28, 1874, a Town Hall Committee (THC) was formed in Pune along the lines of the one in Mumbai, with the lead of thinker-activist Mahadeo Govind Ranade. Subsequently, the 16-acre plot of land hosting the present-day building was acquired by the THC from the East India Company. The THC's activities included organising lectures by eminent personalities.
On September 21, 1891, Deccan Club was formed under the aegis of the THC for the promotion of sports. Noted engineer, Bharat Ratna Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvarayya, who was then staying in Pune to oversee the construction of the Khadakwasla dam, was the club's first secretary. With the likes of Lokmanya Tilak among the club's members, Hirabaug soon became one of Pune's intellectual hubs. Swami Vivekananda addressed a gathering here in 1892 before proceeding to Chicago to deliver his famous speech at the World Parliament of Religions in September 1893. This is also where Pune's famous Vasant Vyakhyanmala began.
The two-storey main building showcases a Peshwa-style teakwood arcade, comprising sleek multi-foiled arches. The first-floor hall sports variegated stucco floral motifs on the ceiling, and walls articulated with elegant woodwork. Another hall on the ground floor houses an over 90-year-old billiards table, presumably the oldest in the city. The veranda facing the playfield of the Nehru stadium has a small garden. State-level bridge contests have become one of the club's hallmarks and inspired an exclusive bridge library here. The club also has three badminton courts, two lawn tennis courts, and seven table tennis tables.
In an effort to supplement the club's income from land leased out to the Pune Municipal Corporation and interest from fixed deposits, the first floor of the building was rented to a call centre a few years ago and more recently to a cellular services provider for its training centre, informs Arun Kelkar, secretary, THC and Deccan Club, and managing trustee, THC. The building was strengthened under expert advice over the last couple of years at a cost of around Rs 20 lakh, he reveals.