Shaniwar Wada, Fortification in Kasba Peth, Pune, India

Shaniwar Wada is a fortification in Kasba Peth, Pune, whose 21-foot-high perimeter wall, 950 feet long, holds five gates and nine bastions. The Delhi Darwaza, the main north-facing gate, is 21 feet high and 14 feet wide, with a studded teak door and a nagarkhana above. Inside, foundations and gardens remain.

The complex was built starting in 1732 under Peshwa Baji Rao I as the administrative center of Maratha rule. It remained a political hub until 1818, when British forces took control of the region.

The name combines Shaniwar (Saturday) and Wada (residence complex), since the foundation was laid on Saturday, 10 January 1730, and the house-warming rite held on Saturday, 22 January 1732. The Maruti temple in the courtyard, built by the Kenjale family who constructed Lloyd's Bridge, received its idol on 19 March 1924 and is known as Batatya Maruti.

Visits are possible daily, with main entrances clearly marked and some areas offering wheelchair ramps. Evening light and sound shows bring the fortress history to life, though pathways between ruins can be uneven.

A devastating fire in 1828 burned through the wooden structures for seven days straight, leaving only the stone outer walls standing. The ruins are inhabited by bats at night, which roost in the old niches and hollow spaces.