Khadakwasla Lake In British Era Poona, 1870 Photo
This is one of the oldest photos of Khadakwasla Lake, taken in 1870, during the British era in Poona (Pune). After the third Anglo-Maratha War of 1818, the British East India Company got control of Poona. A small town at the time, developing it into a large cantonment area. The British saw Poona not only as a strategic location but also for its cool weather all year round.
This was because it was on the Deccan Plateau where the weather was always cooler than the plains. The city, was also closer to Bombay (Mumbai) in distance, just 150 km away. Like Bangalore (Bengaluru) the British developed Poona into a major city in the western region. One of their prime tasks was to ensure an uninterrupted supply of drinking water to the city. Khadakwasla Lake was the nearest freshwater body (21 km away from the city) and an ideal source for the supply of drinking water.
Shown in this photo is a British man and lady with the huge Khadakwasla Lake in the background. It also shows an undammed lake, which would subsequently be dammed in the 1880s, for irrigation and drinking water purposes. There is also a smaller photo from the 1960s, where Indian military vehicles, are seen speeding up the slope. The area is exactly where the European man and women were standing. The background of the later photo shows the dam had burst sometime in that period. The National Defence Academy (NDA) was established on the opposite bank of the lake in 1955.
Read more National Defence Academy, Cradle of Leadership. See post Khadakwasla Dam Pune – Old Postcard 1905.
Did you know- the beautiful Rajgad Fort was the capital of Shivaji’s Maratha Empire which was just 156 km away from Poona.
From the collection- Vintage Raja Ravi Varma “Shivaji” Oleograph Print., Public Works Office Building Mumbai 1872 Old Photograph.
