Tulshibaug, the name says it all. This place is chaotic and dusty yet it is charming and quaint with its own beauty. This place seems to have answers for all your needs.
Tulshibaug is always overflowing with people.Tulshibaug is located centrally to Pune city. Every visitor coming to Pune visits this place to buy fashion clothes, footwear, purses and other household items.
brass-Kids’ kitchen-set
Kitchen-Utensils
Items-for-sale
But with the chaos of the outside place they hardly come to know of Tulshibaug Ram Mandir, this quieter place.There are however, regular visitors to this place, mostly residents of Pune from many years.
Daily-Visitors
This temple is a historical temple constructed in the Peshwa Era. It could be compared to a soul of a body. Located in over crowded Tulshibaug it is like like finding peace of mind in the hustle and bustle of the city crowds. The temple premises are big. There is Nagarkhana at the north entrance gate. It is typically a music gallery situated at the entrance of the palace. There is Hanuman temple and opposite to that there are beautifully carved marble idols of Shreeram,Sita and Laxman inside the temple sanctum sanctorum. This temple has wooden structure from inside. It has huge towering peak (Shikhar) It is approximately 140 metres in height and has sculptures of deities.
Mandir-Kalas
There are many temples in this premises such as a Ganesh temple, Shankar or shiva temple, dattamandir, Vitthal Rakhumai etc.
Dashawatar
There are scenes from Ramanyana are painted on the walls and few Dashawatar scenes are also there.
Scenes-from-Ramayana
History of the place: This place initially belonged to Sardar Khasgiwale. He had a big garden of Tulsi (the holy basil plant). Naro Appaji Khire bought it from Sardar Khasgiwale and he constructed a big Ram temple here. This temple became so famous that his earlier name khire was replaced by Tulshibagwale. This temple construction took place between 1761 to 1795.When Nanasaheb Peshwe was ruling the construction was started but completed much later. Even today at the Nagarkhana they play Sanai Chaughda on every Saturday afternoon around 3 as a tribute to Bajirao Peshwe(1st)
Nagarkhana
When we visited this temple recently (actually after 4, 5 years) we saw beautiful marble flooring and even some restoration done on the columns as well. All this work has maintained the beauty of the place and in fact added to it I would say. There is also a big board posted in front of the temple which gives a historical account of this place.
This Ram Mandir also works as a breather in between your shopping sessions of Tulshibaug. You can take darshan, relax here for a while and get moving. But please don’t restrict it to just one experience, but let the visit become a habit.
At this Ram temple, a big celebration takes place during Ram navmi festival which occurs in the first month as per Hindu calendar (Chaitra Shuddha Navmi). People gather here in huge numbers and the atmosphere is full of devotion and sacred chants.
During our recent visit we got an opportunity to attend Aarti of Tulshibaug ganapati. The idol is huge and beautiful. Just by the sight of it, all our troubles and problems seem to fade away. We really experienced “Darshan matre man kamana purti”
Tulshibaug-Ganapati
Quick notes:
Do visit Shrikrushna Bhuwan which is right there in Tulshibaug and taste the best misal of Pune (not too spicy just the perfect taste)
Every Saturday 3 pm in the afternoon, experience a recital of Sanai and Chaughada being played by local artists.
Best way to reach this place is to catch an autoriksha from your place in Pune and they will drop you just outside Tulshibaug.( It is too tough to get a parking space)
Questraveler 