Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Taljai Bhoot Bunglow





Taljai Bhoot Bunglow

Legend-Trippin' Perfection! The Talzai hilltop house and environs were built as a pleasuredrome in the 19th century by the Peshwas and gifted to their loyal Sardar (General) Thuve. The rest of the story borders on myth and a lot of handed-down and overheard information (I personally spoke to an old shepherd in the nearby meadow and the watchman of a park further up the mountain road and they had similar concepts about the history). It seems the Thuves fell on black days, and their wealth dwindled so that only this edifice remained, where the last of them drowned himself in women and wine.

An emotional fellow, he marked the end of their line when, after a dancing girl spurned his love, he chopped her up in little pieces and then hung himself in the hallway, perhaps thinking it to seal the final coming-together of their souls in the eternal afterlife. As it turns out, the girl never forgave his Jack-the-ripper impression and the other-worldly consolidation failed to materialise, with the tortured souls causing even more grief to those still battling the cycle of life and death on this terrestrial ball.

Unsuspecting trespassers were soon relating gory stories of ectoplasmic encounters in separate locations in the building. Though never seen together, it is believed the basement 'playroom' still comes alive after dark, with the sound of the dancing girl's ghunghroos (anklets) going "chham-chham", while the love-drunk wino may be observed staggering in and around the house. The building in the day offers a panoramic birdseye of Pune with Parvati Hill appearing just a stone's throw.

A sadder coup de grace in its story was dealt when the roof collapsed in 2004 from the beatings of the monsoons, taking with it the mosaic floor of the open-air bathing pool contained by it. The authorities, hopefully, are working on restoration measures. Spooky at night, yet beautiful by day, offering a view of the city amid the greens of the hills and the ruins of history - this is a not-to-be-missed heritage sight for all eyes sore or otherwise from the maudlin, antithetic glares of love-celebrationary marble monuments.


6 comments:

ashishchandorkar said...

Good article. Can u imagine i have done lunch and dinner for about 3-4 days few years back. It was so that i was associated with RSS in my college days. that time on Taljai Top we had on camp of RSS. That time our kithchen was there in Thube Bunglow which is now known as Bhut Bangla...
Haaaa Haaaaa Haaaaa....
Good na...

Ashish said...

please so we may vi provide the adress...clearly, so we may visit

Unknown said...

We had been to this place just on th day of Christmas 2012. This place is truly horrifying in the dark and the has a very Dark grieving feel even when you are just standing outside the bungalow. The whispering wind was there, night crickets, and other insects sounds very clearly audible, which were adding more of the horrifying feeling.
The most horrifying moment was when everything just went SILENT No Gushing of Wind, no Night crickets, nothing.....
We waited there till the early morning and then left for the Shinhagad Fort.

Unknown said...

@Ashish.. It was pretty easy to reach over there with the help of the Google Navigation App in my Smart Phone...

Unknown said...

This all are roomers about "Bhoot Bungalow" in Taljai.We are always going to Taljai from last 20 years.This place is superb and the roof of bungalow is fall down because the construction was very old.When I was in 11th stranded (in 2002) that time i was attend RSS (Rashtry swayam sevak sangh)camp in Taljai Forest and spend more than 4 days in the forest. we enjoyed it lot of.And the bungalow was our kitchen.We all people live in that bungalow. That day was a winter day and we spend more time with fresh and cool environment. So guise i suggest you , you people also come to Taljai forest and do Tree Plantation in every month. so it help-full to our future.Give protection to trees and animals also.People always see peacock,Quirinal,turtle,rabbit,dear,Wild pig , and much more birds in this forest.Lots of unseen tree are get in this forest which declare as a use-full medicine in Ayurveda. daily more than 2000 peoples are come to Taljai for Jogging and Exercise.There is a Taljai mata mandir" situated in this forest.PMC did Baba Ramdev Krida Sankul in this area. So don't make miss understanding about Taljai Forest.Please give visit to this beauty full place and try to keep the beauty of Taljai Forest as it is. "Taljai Mata" bless you and also protect you...So proud on pune and Taljai forest... Your (Swapnil J. Patil)

Unknown said...

Hi people,

HAPPY WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY !!!

Let's go for a walk in the woods this SUNDAY on 7th June.

Mega TREE Plantation Drive on 7th June, 2015 in PUNE.

Please come forward to help us preserve Pune's beauty. You can contribute by joining as a volunteers OR by donating Rs 50 for a tree.

Find more detail about the drive on
http://www.splendidevent.in/treeplantation/
Feel free to call 9673459667 / 8087099919/ 9860940206 for more details. Taljai Mata Mandir Pune.