Maharshi Karve Museum of Pune

One of the western suburbs of the Pune city, Karvenagar, was earlier known as 'Hingne Budruk' village. Late Dr. D.G. Alias Annasaheb Karve had started in 1896 his institution for giving education to widows in this very village.. This institution today has bloomed into a major education center for women and is known as 'Maharshi Karve Institute for education of women'. The institute campus today is vast and quite picturesque. As we enter this campus, the first thing that we see is a huge playground with two small, but well laid out, buildings on the north side, one of which looks like a chapel.

This chapel alike building with a terracotta tiled roof, is actually a memorial to Late Dr. Annasaheb karve, founder of this institute, his wife Baya Karve and Baya's sister and first life member of the institute, Late Parvatibai Athavale. 

 

As we enter the memorial, we see first, on the right side, a mini sized but full statue of Late Dr. Karve.

On the other side, we can see bronze reliefs of the portraits of the two sisters.

Next to this memorial, there is a distinct looking building with black basalt stone construction, that catches our eye. This is a museum that tells us Late Dr. karve's remarkable life story and also houses some of his personal belongings, the citations and awards received by him and photos of Dr.karve's associates in his work.

 

As we enter through the main gate, we  first see the museum name plate, which also contains an  engraved facsimile of Anna's signature.

Before proceeding further, we need to remove our shoes because the interiors are maintained in immaculately spic- and- span conditions. The interior of this museum carries same amount of respect and almost religious fervour for thousands of women, who have studied in this institution. The procedure of removing shoes at this point, therefore appears to be most appropriate and keeping with the inner feelings of many of the visitors. 

 

Next come series of large sized panels describing Anna's life story with photograph and document facsimiles.

The highest award from the state and people of India, 'Bharat Ratna'

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Honorary degree of 'Doctor of Letters' by Pune University.

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Many citations and awards received by Late Dr. Karve, are well arranged in the show cases here.

Though Anna's life achievements have been towering above all, as a person, he was very simple and modest. His cap and spectacles.

As we exit the museum, we automatically bow to this giant of a human, who has spent his life to uplift the widows of nineteenth century India, and has single handedly brought equality for countless number of women in this country.