The Aga Khan Palace, Pune

The Aga Khan Palace of Pune was built in 1892 by Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah Agakhan III. He was a well known personality in the fields of politics and sports. He was even elected as the President of the League of Nations in 1938. In 1969 he donated the palace to India as a symbol of admiration to Mahatma Gandhi and his philosophies.

This palace is of great historical importance for India. It is a national monument of India’s struggle for freedom. After the launch of the Quit India movement, Gandhiji along with his wife and secretary were put behind bars in this palace. His wife Kasturba Gandhi and Secretary Mahadevbhai Desai passed away during the imprisonment period. Their samadhis are also located in the campus itself.

In1980 the administration of the palace, its museum and the samadhis within the campus, were handed over to the Gandhi Memorial Society. Since then the society has dedicated itself to make the palace a living memorial to Mahatma Gandhi and Kasturba Gandhi for which they organize a number of activities all through the year.

Now, the palace has become a place of national and international pilgrimage where every year over a lakh of visitors, visit to pay their respect to the samadhis. The palace is surrounded by a big garden which beautifies the palace complex.