Shaniwar Wada

There are many forts in Pune that are centuries old. Shaniwar Wada was a palace fort that was built by the Peshwas in 1736 who ruled the Maratha Empire until their surrender to the British in 1818. The entrance was designed to be large enough for elephants with canopies to enter. To prevent elephants from charging through the gate, the gates were fortified with 72 steel spikes at about the height of an elephant’s head.