India · 19th century
The Aga Khan Palace was built by Sultan Muhammed Shah Aga Khan III in the city of Pune, India.
The palace was an act of charity by the spiritual leader of the Nizari Ismaili Muslims, who wanted to help the poor in the neighbouring areas of Pune, who were drastically hit by famine by offering them work. The construction took place over 5 years and involved one hundred thousand people. It cost approximately 1.2 million rupees.
The palace is closely linked to the Indian freedom movement as it served as a prison for Mahatma Gandhi, his wife Kasturba Gandhi, his secretary Mahadev Desai. Sarojini Naidu and several others were also imprisoned during the Quit India Movement that demanded an end to British rule in India. It is also the place where Kasturba Gandhi and Mahadev Desai died. In 2003, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) declared the site as a monument of national importance. Aga Khan Palace is major attraction of photographers for various kind of photo shoot because of its special architecture, greenery and perfect for photography lighting.
Text adapted from “Aga Khan Palace” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Aga Khan Palace ranks #692 of 9,079 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #28 of the 224 mapped in India. Founded 1892 — one of 717 atlas entries founded in the 19th century. Its Wikipedia articles were opened 10,067 times in the last 60 days, more than 94% of the atlas. 1 more atlas landmarks stand within 25 km. The nearest day-trip guide is Pune, 6 km away. See how India compares in the castle statistics.
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