Shinde Chhatri

Shinde Chhatri in Wanawadi, Pune, marks the place where Mahadji Shinde, who led the Peshwas' Maratha army as commander-in-chief, was cremated on 12 February 1794. At the time the site held only a Shiva temple Mahadji had built himself. In 1910 a samadhi was raised outside the temple sanctum on the exact spot of the cremation, as part of a complex commissioned by Maharaja Madho Rao Scindia of Gwalior and designed by the Bombay firm of Shapurjee N. Chandabhoy.

The building follows a Rajasthani style and the rules of Vastu shastra. The temple spire, with its carvings and figures of saints, is of yellow stone, while the base and sanctum are of black stone. The hall has carvings, English-style coloured window panes and a gallery of paintings and photographs of the Shinde family. Neglect left moss and water damage, and restoration is under way. As a mark of respect, visitors close their umbrellas inside even in the rain, chhatri being the word for umbrella.