In the 18th century, Bajirao I built the Shaniwar Wada as his residence. The general of Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj, Bajirao commenced the work of this 7-storied edifice in 1730 and completed it in the year 1732. During the construction of this fort, many people objected that the stone forts were only built by the King, not by his Peshwas. Due to this, it was decided that only the base ground will be of stone, and the remaining part was constructed by the bricks.
The Peshwas made many additions over the years to this mansion after its completion such as walls, bastions, fountains, court halls, and reservoirs. During the third Anglo-Maratha war in the year 1818, the walls of the fort got demolished by the attacks of the Britishers. A mysterious fire started inside the fort on February 27 in 1828. The fire caused great damage to the courtyards, and compounds only fountains, a few ramparts, and few gateways remained of the grand mansion.

The Shaniwar Wada architecture is the perfect piece of Maratha Imperial-style architecture. From the Junnar Jungles, the teak was exported, while from the Jejuri lime was brought and stones were from Chinchwad, for the construction of this splendid fort. On Saturday, January 10 in 1730, the foundation stone was laid by the Peshwa Bajirao I of the Shaniwar Wada. 

The palace had five entrances and nine bastion towers. At that time the construction cost around INR 16,110 which was considered pricy in those times. The scenes of Ramayana and Mahabharat are painted beautifully on the walls of the fort. Marble floors were covered with Persian rugs and teak wood doors were added to the whole palace. The Ganpati Rang Mahal was erected inside the palace in a separate place for religious functions and the Lord Ganesha statue rests in there. The architectural beauty of the Shaniwar Wada Pune attracts millions of travelers, history buffs, and families around the world.

• Light and Sound Show- To educate the people about the rich history of Peshwa rulers a light and sound show has been started in the Shaniwar Wada. The price of the ticket is INR 25 per person for the show. There are two timings of the show, i.e, 
• Marathi Timing- 7:15 pm to 8:10 pm
• English Timing- 8:15 pm to 9:10 pm
• Take a stroll around the garden of the fort which was left unharmed after several fires that harmed various sections of the fort. The garden is a beautiful piece of Mughal architecture. 
• Click pictures around the fountain, boundary wall, and the main gate as these are popular selfie points.

• Wear comfortable clothes and shoes as you have to do a lot of walking. The path of the Wada is rugged and it is not suitable for strollers and disabled persons. 
• Carry a water bottle and some snacks with you. There is no water available inside the premises. 
• To get the best of Shaniwar Wada, visit either early in the morning or in the evening to avoid the crowd. 
• Do not litter on the premises and follow all the rules and regulations. 
• Don’t forget to watch the light and sound show at Shaniwar Wada in the evening.

The best time to visit the Shaniwar Wada is considered from October to March as the weather remains pleasant, neither too cold nor too hot. Avoid the summer and monsoon season for your visit. As the summer season gets very hot and humid while monsoon brings heavy downpours in Pune. Just after the monsoon, the gardens of the Wada flourished, and flowers started blooming making it the best time to explore the city.

• Pataleshwar Caves
• Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum
• Lal Mahal
• Parvati Hill
• Vishrambaug Wada
• Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati Mandir

• Shaniwar Wada is coined from the two Marathi words- Shaniwar meaning Saturday and Wada meaning residential space. 
• The construction cost of this fort is INR 16,110 which was a costly affair back in those days. 
• This famous fort has been featured in Bollywood movies. Bajirao Mastani a popular Bollywood flick based on the Peshwa ruler Bajirao featured this beautiful fort. 
• The name of the main gate is ‘Delhi Darwaza’ as the Peshwa ruler Bajirao was determined to conquer Delhi. 
• According to legends, it is said that the Peshwa Narayan Rao’s screams saying ‘Kaka Mala Vachwa’ can still be heard and this is what makes the place a haunted fort.