Situated on the north bank of the Mutha River and immediately east of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Bridge, Ghorpade Ghat is a contender for Pune’s least cared for heritage structure. Despite being only 300m from the main entrance gate of Shaniwar Wada, Pune’s most famous and visited heritage site, I have witnessed no efforts by the local authorities to do anything about this place in the last 18 years that I have been visiting the city.
Viewed from Shivaji Bridge, Ghorpade Ghat resembles a fort-like structure with four bastions running broadly parallel to the river with a series of terraced steps leading down to the waters’ edge. Immediately north-east of the structure are a number of ruins that are best explored by walking down to the ghat itself.
The ghat can be reached from Congress Bhavan Road in Shivaji Nagar, behind the bus stop, through a mud trail that leads down to the riverbank. This area was once known as Bhamburda village, but the notion of any rural village setting has long since disappeared. Today the landscape is dominated by the construction of Pune’s metro line, one of the main stations is being built just 100m away from the ghat. It is only by visiting the ghat on foot that one can appreciate just how uncared for this site is, essentially a dumping ground for garbage and often used as a open-air toilet, it’s an assault on the eyes and nose that is best not to elaborate on any further.
Ghorpade Ghat is said to have been built by Daultrao Ghorpade, a descendant of Peshwa Sardar Yashwantrao Ghorpade, in 1831 CE. A foundation stone was once reported to have been discovered here giving us an exact date of 10th February 1831, but I was unsuccessful in finding it if it still exists here. Prior to 1831 this area was called ‘Garden of Kalki’, and housed a mausoleum to Shri Byabai Ghorpade, Daulatrao Ghorpade’s mother. The land of eight acres and forty knots was given as a reward to Daulatrao Ghorpade by the British Government.
As you approach the main structure it becomes clear the adjacent ruins have been subjected to some major upheaval. Whole blocks of mortared masonry, including a floor, have been displaced and deposited at strange angles. Anyone unaware of Pune’s recent past might not appreciate how this has come to be.
A significant part of Ghorpade Ghat was destroyed by the great flood of 1961, when the earthen-built Panshet Dam situated 50km south-west of Pune broke it’s banks on the 12th July causing massive floods in the city that killed over 1,000 people. The failure of the dam was a result of bad estimations and negligence, no reinforced cement concrete was used due to a shortage of steel at the time, and so unenforced concrete blocks and earth was used instead.
At the intersection of Baba Bhide Bridge Road and NC Kelkar Road in Pune one can see just how high the water levels reached, it’s clearly marked on the side of a building (above “Gaurav Electronics”). The level of destruction that must have occurred is unimaginable.
Right – The resulting damage done to Ghorpade Ghat
What remains today are the foundations and strewn masonry of two temples. One we know was a Mahadeva Temple, the other is probably a ‘Trimbakeshwar Temple’, as records between 1773 and 1810 record such a temple residing at Ghorpade Ghat. This is further backed up by records of Bhamburda village from the Peshwa period that state only two shiva temples, Vruddheshwar and Trimbakeshwar, existing in the area. Early sources also mention the remains of a stunning stone lamp here, but it seems that has long since disappeared, perhaps washed away or buried by the flood waters.
Right – The eastern extent of Ghorpade Ghat, meeting the hyacinth chocked Mutha river.
Presently, there is a single Shiva temple that appears to have been constructed on the foundations of an earlier structure.
It’s sad to see so much neglect at Ghorpade Ghat, and what great potential this site has for renovation and regeneration. There have been several initiatives by locals to clean the ghat, but they are sporadic at best with the last major effort occurring in 2013. In 2014 the Municipal Corporation started a tender process for the repair and beautification of the ghat, but this all came to nothing. Ghorpade Ghat resides on private land, and permission for any works here was refused by the Irrigation Department. No permission has been granted to erect just a simple information board here either.
So it seems the sad plight of Ghorpade Ghat will continue for the years ahead. A wonderful remanent of Pune’s glorious past, now dilapidated and receding into the background, with no shared vision of the contribution this structure could make to the historical and cultural landscape of the city.
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Categories: Ghorpade Ghat - Pune, India, Maharashtra, Pune, Uncategorized
Kevin Standage 
I have been living in Pune since 1995 and I haven’t heard about this ghat. Thank you for enlightening me and I hope the concerned authorities will do something about this. I am an artist researching on Stepwells of India and I think it’s important for us to conserve our heritage.
I think you are doing some wonderful work and I read all your blogs.
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