Shinde Chhatri
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Shinde Chhatri (
Marathi Marathi may refer to: *Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India *Marathi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people *Palaiosouda, also known as Marathi, a small island in Greece See also * * ...
: शिंदे छत्री) at Wanawadi in
Pune Pune (; ; also known as Poona, (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name from 1818 until 1978) is one of the most important industrial and educational hubs of India, with an estimated population of 7.4 million ...
,
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
is a memorial dedicated to the 18th century Maratha military leader
Mahadji Shinde Mahadaji Shinde (b. 23 December 1730 – 12 February 1794), later known as Mahadji Scindia or Madhava Rao Sindhia, was a Maratha statesman and ruler of Ujjain in Central India. He was the fifth and the youngest son of Ranoji Rao Scindia, the fo ...
who served as the commander-in-chief of the
Maratha The Marathi people (Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a M ...
army under the
Peshwa The Peshwa (Pronunciation: e(ː)ʃʋaː was the appointed (later becoming hereditary) prime minister of the Maratha Empire of the Indian subcontinent. Originally, the Peshwas served as subordinates to the Chhatrapati (the Maratha king); later, ...
s from 1760 to 1780. It is one of the most significant landmarks in the city and is reminiscent of the Maratha rule. It is a hall that marks the spot of Mahadji Shinde's cremation on 12 February 1794. In 1794, the complex of the memorial only had a temple, dedicated to
Lord Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...
, which was built by Mahadji Shinde himself. He died the same year and his last rites were performed in the premises. The memorial to Mahadji was commissioned by one of his descendents. In 1910, a ''samadhi'' (memorial) was constructed outside the sanctum of the Shiva temple, in memory of Mahadji Shinde, exactly where he was cremated. Maharaja
Madho Rao Scindia Maharaja Sir Madho Rao Scindia of Gwalior (20 October 1876 – 5 June 1925), was the 5th Maharaja of Gwalior belonging to the Scindian dynasty of the Marathas. Biography Madho Rao acceded to the throne in 1886 and ruled until his death in 1 ...
of Gwalior (1876 – 1925) commissioned the building of the complex, along with the memorial of Mahadji Shinde.The Architects of the monument were the firm of Shapurjee N. Chandabhoy of Bombay. The
Scindia The Scindia dynasty (anglicized from Shinde) is a Hindu Maratha dynasty of maratha origin that ruled the erstwhile State of Gwalior. It had the Patil-ship of Kumberkerrab in Wai. It was founded by Ranoji Scindia, who started as a personal servan ...
of
Gwalior Gwalior() is a major city in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh; it lies in northern part of Madhya Pradesh and is one of the Counter-magnet cities. Located south of Delhi, the capital city of India, from Agra and from Bhopal, the s ...
are the descendants of
Daulat Rao Sindhia Shrimant Daulat Rao Shinde (also Sindhia; 1779 – 21 March 1827) was the Maharaja (ruler) of Gwalior state in central India from 1794 until his death in 1827. His reign coincided with struggles for supremacy within the Maratha Empire, and war ...
, adopted son of Mahadji Shinde. It is maintained by Shinde Devasthan Trust, Gwalior.


Architecturing at Shinde Chattri

The major attraction of the Shinde Chhatri of Pune is its exquisite architecture, reflecting the style used in
Rajasthan Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern si ...
, India. The Anglo-Rajasthani style of construction exhibits a fine blending of two different cultures. The architectural grandeur of the building is appreciable with beautiful carvings and the building is the lively specimen of a structure constructed following the
Vastu shastra ''Vastu shastra'' ( hi, वास्तु शास्त्र, ' – literally "science of architecture") is a traditional Indian system of architecture based on ancient texts that describe principles of design, layout, measurements, groun ...
rules. The memorial retains its architectural design and beauty till date. The fine carvings and idols of saints on the steeple of the Shiva temple are made of yellow stone and the base and the sanctum sanctorum are constructed in black stone. The Chhatri (hall) not only has carvings and painting, but also houses a gallery in it. Coloured window-panes used for the windows are of English style. The hall is beautifully adorned with paintings and photographs of members of Shinde family.


Renovations

Unfortunately, this memorial was overlooked for several years and was in a bad condition. The structure had gathered moss on the hall, due to the seepage of rain water. Rain and moisture had damaged the upper storey of the building, constructed in yellow stone, which had acquired a grayish look. The roof was also damaged, allowing the rain water to seep into the hall, damaging the carvings. The beautiful structure is now getting restored to its original looks. The moss from the delicate and porous yellow stones was cleaned using pressure machines. The building's supporting terrace is completely restored now. A water repellent roof was reconstructed to ensure that water does not seep inside, in future. The first phase of the restoration is over. In second phase, it has been planned to replace the old English styled window panes, with newer ones. Second phase will resume after the monsoon season.


Future Plans

There is also a tentative plan by the Shinde Devasthan Trust to come up with a small
museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these ...
in the gallery of the hall at Shinde Chatri, after the restoration work is completed.


Etiquette

''Chhatri'' means umbrella in
Marathi Marathi may refer to: *Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India *Marathi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people *Palaiosouda, also known as Marathi, a small island in Greece See also * * ...
. As a sign of respect to the great warrior, visitors are required to close their umbrellas inside the premises, even if it is raining..........


References

{{Pune topics Culture of Pune Tourist attractions in Pune Buildings and structures in Pune Monuments and memorials in Maharashtra Maratha Empire Cenotaphs in India