Aga Khan Palace

The Aga Khan Palace in Pune was built in 1892 by Sultan Muhammed Shah, Aga Khan III, spiritual head of the Shia Ismaili Muslims. The main building is known for its Italian-style arches and five large halls.

The palace gained national importance during the Quit India Movement of 1942, when the British held Mahatma Gandhi here for about two years along with Kasturba Gandhi, Sarojini Naidu and Mahadev Desai. Kasturba Gandhi and Mahadev Desai both died during the detention, and their memorial tombs stand in the grounds, where some of Gandhi's ashes were also laid. Today the building is a museum on the freedom struggle, showing Gandhi's spinning wheel, letters and bed and the room he shared with Kasturba, and it is the headquarters of the Gandhi Memorial Society.