Shinde Chhatri (Shindechi Chhatri)

Shinde Chhatri (Shindechi Chhatri) Review

After visiting the Osho ashram in Koregaon Park, head by car to the charming, tiny shrine Shinde Chhatri, about 15 minutes away. (A chhatri is a cenotaph or a monument to someone dead and revered.) From Koregaon Park, go past the civil lines (non-army areas) and the British landmarks, and right through the old-style cantonment or camp area. That journey will give you a feel of the old British cantonment Pune. The chhatri, with its striking gold-embossed roof, is the Hindu "chapel" of the Scindias, a famous royal family who once ruled Gwalior in Central India and who today are a political dynasty. The chhatri is a monument to one of the more famous Shindes (from whom the Scindias descended)—Mahadji Shinde, the commander of the Peshwa army. Give the gatekeeper a few rupees and he may allow you in to see the intriguing inner sanctum. Incidentally, one of their lesser palaces is across the street.