Nanasaheb Peshwa’s samadhi on the Mutha bank is in a state of gross neglect today, covered with dirt and with stray dogs, cattle and drunkards to be found in its vicinity.u00a0The sorry state of affairs has prompted the Peshwa’s 14th descendant Uday Peshwa to urge the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to hand the shrine over to the family for its proper maintenance.u00a0About a decade ago, the PMC had spent Rs 60 lakh on reviving the Nanasaheb Peshwa samadhi, going in for murals and display of information at the site.u00a0

The PMC had roped in architect Avinash Sohoni and well-known mural artist Sanjay Dadarkar for the purpose. Describing Nanasaheb as the ruler who transformed the city into a modern centre of the Maratha Empire, Peshwa said it was sad that the city had now forgotten him.u00a0“It is an irony his shrine is in such bad shape, totally neglected by the civic body,” Peshwa said. “Many mural tile paintings and information about the Peshwa ruler has been stolen and broken by anti-social elements, as there is no guard to look after the place. Instead of keeping this place open, the PMC should enclose it and protect its dignity. The Peshwa family’s Devdeveshwar Trust is ready to maintain the shrine if the PMC give us the permission.”