Lal Mahal

Lal Mahal, the red palace, stands in central Pune opposite Shaniwar Wada, on part of the land of the house where Shivaji Maharaj spent his boyhood. The original was built by his father, Shahaji Bhosale, as a residence while he worked to revive Pune, and Shivaji lived there until he took Torna, his first fort, in 1645.

In 1663 the Mughal general Shaista Khan occupied the palace. In a surprise raid Shivaji's men killed his son, and Shaista Khan fled through a window after Shivaji cut off his fingers. The building later fell into ruin; the Pune Municipal Corporation rebuilt it in 1988 without copying the old design. It now serves as a memorial with oil paintings of Shivaji's life, a statue of Jijabai, a fibre model of Raigad fort with mounted figures and a large map of his forts.