Peshwa Daftar stands tall with historical data

Pune: Amid the changing skyline of the city, a structure has stood the test of time. No surprise then, the building was made to ensure the documents stored inside it remained safe.
The building, Peshwa Daftar, is the residence of Pune Archives - a vast collection of Maharashtra's historical records dating back to the reign of Shivaji Maharaj. It turns 125 on Thursday.
The structure opposite the Council Hall may not attract the eye of anyone other than architecture enthusiasts and history buffs, but there is much hidden behind its façade.The square building has an 80-foot spire in its central yard with a water tank on top.
Celebrations
The Pune Archives will celebrate the building's completion of 125 years of existence with a book containing abstracts of all its records. A heritage walk will also be supervised by former employees knowing all about the building's history and its contents. The programme will begin at 11am on Thursday.
History
The construction of Peshwa Daftar was completed on September 1, 1891. Before that, all the records of the Peshwa period were kept at a Daftar in Shaniwarwada - the headquarters of the kingdom then.
"The earlier building had caught fire and many records were lost. The British, who were then in control of the city, had ordered a building to be constructed specifically for preserving the remaining documents. Accordingly, the project was sanctioned and the construction began on July 7, 1877," said assistant director of Pune Archives Aryan Jagtap.
"The new building was built to ensure no untoward incident like fire took place. Hence, it was made of stone and nearly no wood," he added.
Extra care
Research assistant at the Daftar Kailas Patil said, "Utmost care was taken to avoid any risk to the ancient documents. Hence, most of the storage rooms have no lights or electrical lines to ensure that there is no fire due to a short-circuit."