BJP’s Rajya Sabha MP Medha Kulkarni came under fire last week for leading a march of Hindu activists and “purifying” a site at the historic Shaniwar Wada in Pune, days after a few Muslim women visitors offered namaz there. Opposition parties have called for Kulkarni’s resignation .

Here is what to know about Shaniwar Wada.

The Peshwa’s seat of power

Shaniwar Wada was the home of the Peshwas, the trusted and powerful Prime Ministers of the Chhatrapati rulers of the Maratha Empire and the leaders of the Maratha Confederacy. The Maratha Empire began with the coronation of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in 1674, and by the 18th century, it dominated large parts of the Indian subcontinent.

Chhatrapati Shahu, the grandson of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, appointed Balaji Vishwanath Bhat as t

See Full Page