Aga Khan palace was built in the year 1892 by the Sultan Mohammed Shah Aga khan III. It is one of the biggest landmarks in Indian history and it is considered to be one of the greatest marvels of India. The palace is closely related to Indian freedom movement as it served as a prison for Mahatma Gandhi, his wife Kasturba Gandhi, his secretary Mahadev desai and Sarojini Naidu. It is also the place where Kasturba Gandhi and Mahadev Desai died.
In 1969, Aga Khan Palace was donated to the people of India by Aga Khan IV as a mark of respect to Gandhi and his Philosophy. Today the palace houses a memorial on Gandhi where his ashes were kept. It is located at about 2 km away from Bund Garden in Yerwada on Pune-Nagar Road. The speciality of this structure is its corridor of 2.5 meters around the entire building. Prince Karim Aga Khan donated this palace to Gandhi Smarak Samitee in 1972 and since then the Parks and Gardens organization is maintaining it. Other than yearly events, morning prayer sessions are being held daily at the Samadhi for decades. The prayer draws huge crowds every day, and the number goes up threefold on 2nd October, the Birth anniversary of Gandhi as people visit the place to pay tribute to the Father of the Nation.
Gandhi Memorial society celebrates the following public functions at the palace:
• Martyr's Day – 30th January.
• Mahashivratri – Kasturbha Gandhi's Death Day Celebrated As Mother's Day.
• Independence Day – 15th August.
• Republic Day – 26th January.
• Mahatma Gandhi's Birth Anniversary – 2 October.
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