Aga Khan Palace
Where Gandhi Was Interned
Overview
The Aga Khan Palace is a grand Italianate mansion in Pune, Maharashtra, India, built in 1892 by Sultan Muhammed Shah Aga Khan III as a famine-relief project that employed thousands of the local poor. Its greatest significance is to India's freedom movement: during the 1942 Quit India Movement the British interned Mahatma Gandhi, his wife Kasturba, his secretary Mahadev Desai and others here. Both Kasturba Gandhi and Mahadev Desai died in captivity at the palace, and their memorials stand in the grounds. It now houses the Gandhi National Memorial. MyTripMyTravel arranges an escorted, contemplative visit.
The Aga Khan Palace is a monument to two very different acts of conscience. It was raised in 1892 by Aga Khan III not as a residence to enjoy but as famine relief, a huge building commissioned expressly to give work and wages to the starving poor of the surrounding villages.
Half a century later it became one of the sacred sites of India's independence struggle. After the Quit India resolution of 1942, the British interned Mahatma Gandhi here with his wife Kasturba and his secretary Mahadev Desai. Both Kasturba and Desai died during the imprisonment, and their samadhis (memorials) now stand quietly in the palace grounds, making this both a heritage house and a place of mourning.
MyTripMyTravel visits it slowly and reflectively. The building today holds the Gandhi National Memorial, photographs, personal effects and the rooms of the internment, and our escort gives it the historical weight and the dignity the site asks for.
At a glance
Aga Khan Palace in brief
What to see
Highlights
The Italianate mansion
The arcaded palace of 1892, with its sweeping verandahs and manicured grounds.
Gandhi's internment rooms
The chambers where Mahatma Gandhi was held after the Quit India Movement.
Kasturba & Desai samadhis
The memorials in the grounds to the two who died during the imprisonment.
Gandhi National Memorial
The museum of photographs, letters and personal effects of the Mahatma.
The gardens
The calm lawns that make the palace a place of reflection rather than spectacle.
Visitor information
Our tips
Visit unhurried, this is a place of memory as much as a monument.
Read the internment rooms and samadhis with our escort for the full weight of the story.
Pair it with Shaniwar Wada for a complete Pune heritage day.
Mornings are quietest and best suited to a reflective visit.
Good to know
Aga Khan Palace, your questions
Why was the Aga Khan Palace built?
Aga Khan III built it in 1892 as a famine-relief project, commissioning the large structure specifically to provide paid work to thousands of poor people in the drought-hit villages around Pune.
What is its connection to Gandhi?
After the 1942 Quit India Movement the British interned Mahatma Gandhi here with his wife Kasturba and secretary Mahadev Desai. Both Kasturba and Desai died in captivity, and their memorials stand in the grounds.
What is inside today?
The Gandhi National Memorial, a museum of photographs, letters and personal effects, together with the internment rooms and the two samadhis in the garden.
How long should I allow?
About 1 to 1.5 hours to take in the memorial, the rooms and the grounds at a reflective pace.
More in Pune
Visit with us
See Aga Khan Palace, properly.
A private, chauffeured visit with a licensed expert guide, timed for the best light and the smallest crowds. We fold Aga Khan Palace into a wider Pune and West India itinerary, built entirely around you.
- Skip the queue where possible, at the right hour
- Licensed local guide who brings the story to life
- Private car and chauffeur, door to door
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