An out and out innovation of the Peshwas, precisely Baji Rao I, Shaniwar Wada is in reality a majestic haveli, complete with superlative features, dejectedly to which almost nothing stands today. It now remains just another park of entertainment for evening strolls.

Peshwa Baji Rao I had accredited the Shaniwar Wada in 1729, and some of his epic-styled character is reflected in the magnitude of the creation of Shaniwar Wada, which stands in contrast to the nonindulgence of town planning under the Peshwas. It was a sprawling palace with fountains and tanks, courtyards and fruit trees, offices and audience halls, and a sizeable portion in which people used to lodge in. Shaniwar Wada was burned down in 1827, in a fire that rampaged for 15 days.

Oddly enough, nobody put it out. All that has survived today is an enormous main gate and the extraordinary outer stonewalls, citadels and some smaller gates. Inside the colossal wada (Pune`s equivalent of the haveli) in the city centre, there are pedestals and signs suggesting where various structures may have been once upon a time.

However, most of this information is hypothetical. Unbelievably enough, only one painting, by the Englishmen Wales and Daniels, unremittingly reproduced in books, has survived to furnish the idea of the brilliance this place once boasted of. The painting portrays the signing of a treaty between the Marathas and the British in the huge, well-appointed Ganpati Rang Mahal`s audience hall.

The Son-et-Lumiere here features sound effects and dancing fountains and dramatic representations of episodes from Maratha history. The show does some justice to the Baji Rao-Mastani romance, but is mum about its rather sombre end.

Evenings at Shaniwar Wada are mainly meant for children and families. Inside the wada, groups of people sit and chat, as if in a large fortified park. The grounds outside are given over to cyclists and kids playing games. Much of the heritage in the Old City has this feel - everyday life going on in and around the classical buildings, the old and the new practically overlapping with each other.

Timings to visit are from 9 a.m. - 5 pm, daily. Son-et-Lumiere show timings in Marathi are from 7 p.m. and in English from 8 p.m. The show is casted daily (except Tuesdays).

Across the street is the remodelled Lai Mahal, now reduced to a total lampoon. Woefully, Lai Mahal today is a farcical modern structure with a gallery of huge, flashy paintings that describe moments from Shivaji`s life. Visiting can be done from 10 a.m.- 5 p.m.