The industrial city of Pimpri-Chinchwad in Pune district is known for its automobile, manufacturing and IT industries. It is called the 'Detroit of the East'. But few know the historical importance of the city which was once a small village.
Morya Gosavi, a saint and devotee of Lord Ganpati, travelled from Morgaon to Chinchwad. Morya established the Mangalmurti Wada Ganpati Mandir and Patshala nearby. Morya Gosavi attained Sanjeevan Samadhi on the banks of the river Pawana where he used to meditate. His son built a temple on the Samadhi, now called the Morya Gosavi Ganpati Mandir, as a Ganesh idol appeared over his Samadhi. Built in the sixteenth century, this temple's black basalt stone structure stands till date. Further, we will visit the Mangalmurti Wada, a few 100 meters away. This temple is built in the typical Wada architecture style and boasts of intricate wooden carvings from the Peshwa era.
Chinchwad was also home to freedom fighters Chapekar brothers. They were the first civilian revolutionaries of India who picked up arms against the British during the Plague epidemic of Pune in 1896. They killed British civil servant W.C. Rand, who was appointed as the Plague Commissioner, for his oppression and mishandling of the situation, and his military escort Lt. Ayerst in 1987 on the Ganesh Khind Road in Pune. During the walk will visit the Chapekar Wada, their residence which has now been converted into a museum and library, and get to know more about these unsung heroes of the Indian freedom struggle.
The guided tour is free.
