A new beginning for 81-year-old symbol of Maharashtrian culture

PUNE: The city’s quaint locales bustle with bijou gems; waiting to be discovered, ready to take one on a journey of tradition and culture. Recently, a post online by 15-year-old Shaunak Sarpotdar, announcing the reopening of 81-year-old Poona Guest House (PGH) after it closed for renovations for the first time since its inception, symbolised a new lease of life for the legendary lodging-boarding facility.Pune Times checks into the place to take note of the new and the timeless.
Old wine in new bottle
PGH’s edifice basks in the morning sun, with its fresh paint coat. Located at Belbaug Chowk, a little away from Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati , it boasts of a rich legacy. The third generation owner, Kishor Sarpotdar, gives us a tour of the renovated place, sharing, “We decided to give it a Puneri makeover to complement the Maharashtrian meals served here.” Whenever guests from out of Pune visited, they’d ask Kishor about places to visit in the city. This gave him the idea for the theme. The waiting area bears a collage of the five Manache Ganpati and other revered ones. The entrance bears images of the city’s heritage spots – Shaniwarwada, Vishrambaug Wada and statues of Rani Laxmibai and Shivaji Maharaj to name some. “These serve as ready reckoners for visitors wanting to discover Pune’s heritage,” Kishor explains. The entire project, including new tiling, furniture in the dining area and Marathi signboards, took over five months. While the major work is done, Kishor plans to enhance the guest house’s ethos. “It’s not about the stay or food, but the experience we want guests to leave with. We plan on playing traditional folk music in the dining area to complement the experience. We’re also thinking of keeping traditional attire like the Puneri pheta and nauvari sari for guests to wear and take photographs in,” Kishor says.
Offerings from the Mudpakhana
This said, one would expect PGH’s menu to undergo a sea change too, but this aspect, marrying the ethos of the place with the experience it endeavours to give, remains the same; a humble and intimate one. “Around 1940, we started serving guests in steel plates owing to difficulty in maintaining our previous brassware. The seating changed from paats to tables and chairs around 1965,” Kishor shares. Be it the Mastani Misal topped with the kismis and kaju-laden Bajirao Chiwda: a moreish love story conjured by PGH since its ‘Refreshment House’ days, or the Maharashtrian Thali, epitomising a melting pot of fare from various regions, including Marathwada-Vidarbha (wada bhaat and chincheche saar), Khandesh (vangyache bharith), Konkan region (dalimbi usal and dadpe pohe) and Pune (aluchi patal bhaji and panchamrut), one visit to PGH wouldn’t do justice to its vast fare. “The thali was initially ‘Puneri’, but we gradually introduced dishes from other regions to give patrons a collective taste of Maharashtra’s fare. We didn’t want people coming to Pune from these regions to miss their home food,” Kishor says. The Gramin Thali and Shahi Thali (designed for the health conscious) are must-tries too. Lack of parking space on Laxmi Road poses a major hindrance to footfall but Sanat and Shaunak Sarpotdar, PGH’s youngest caretakers, have plans to tackle this. “If patrons find it difficult coming here, we’ll reach out to them. We’re working on making our food available at various stores in the city. We’re also thinking of developing an app where people can connect with us, be it to order food or to learn more about our legacy,” says Sanat. Shaunak adds, “Making our thali available online and having packed meals available, especially for students, is something we’ll work on.”
A home away from home
The very purpose of PGH’s inception was to serve as a ‘Kalakaranche Maherghar’, a place of homeliness and bonhomie for artistes, especially during their struggling years. “My grandfather, Nanasaheb Sarpotdar, started the facility in 1935 to cater for staffers in his studio, Aryan Film Company,” says Kishor. The facility hosted artistes, particularly women beginning to make a foray in films. Nanasaheb’s wife, Saraswatibai, ably managed the guest house that came to be known as Pune’s first working-women’s hostel. The 14-room guest house played host to various veteran luminaries including Bal Gandharva, Shahu Modak, Madhu Apte and Durga Khote, many of whom were launched by Nanasaheb himself, and prolific writers like PL Deshpande and GD Mudgulkar. “Ga Di Ma penned his renowned Geet Ramayan here,” mentions Kishor. His father Charudatta (aka Charu Kaka), has fond memories of Dada Kondke’s mannerisms during his stay there. Even today, the family has reserved rooms there, willing to let them out to aspiring artistes and writers. “Leaving home is difficult, and we want to give artistes a feeling of never having left at all,” Kishor reckons, signing off.
As a child, I heard many stories about the place and how it served as a hub for Marathi film artistes. We’ve known the Sarpotdars for over three generations now and I can’t remember a single family occasion where they haven’t catered. I continue to go back to PGH, particularly when I crave for thalipith-loni, ambyachi dal or aam panna.
— Mrinal Kulkarni