The
Shaniwarwada Fort is a renowned historical tourist destination, and
quite well known for its mysterious and scary legends. Most parts of
the Fort was destroyed in an unexplained intense fire which erupted
on February 27, 1828 inside the palace. The fury of the inferno raged
for seven days and nights and destroyed every bit of the exquisite
masterpiece except the heavy granite embankment built around the
fort, strong teak entrances, and deep foundations and ruins of the
buildings withing the fort.
According
to the legend, the Full Moon nights are haunted in the Shaniwarwada
Fort. The young prince Narayanrao Peshwa, then thirteen years old was
the heir of the Peswa Dynasty. His cold-blooded, spine-chilling and
brutal murder, ordered by his aunt Anandibai still haunts the walls
of the fort.
The
young prince Narayanrao, then thirteen years old became the heir of
the Peswa Dynasty after the death of his elder brother Madhavrao I in
1772. Narayanrao was made the Peshwa but since he was a minor, his
uncle Raghunathrao was made Regent. Soon Raghunathrao was held
captive by Narayanrao on charges of conspiracy to overthrow him.
In
an effort to free Raghunathrao, Anandibai (second wife of
Raghunathrao and daughter of Raghu Mahadevo Oake of Guhgarh) hired
Gardis as mercenaries on August 30, 1773, who captured the
Shaniwarwada Fort. Soon they reached the chambers of Narayanrao
Peshwa and imprisoned him. Narayanrao tried to appeal to his uncle
and yelled “kaka mala vachava!” (uncle save me) again and again.
However, Anandibai intervened and did not allow his uncle to help
him.
Finally
Anandibai was successful in plotting the death of her nephew and
Naranyanrao was killed brutally by the mercenaries. His appeal to his
uncle was extremely painful and so intense that the natives say that
they still hear his painful soul-shaking cries at midnight on every
Full Moon night.
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