Only traces of the beautiful arches and columns remain. And a canopied window in the west wall portion. The structure is the legacy and the only permanent structure of Ghashiram Kotwal - the controversial historic figure who went on to capture the limelight almost two centuries after he was history in Vijay Tendulkar's play Ghashiram Kotwal. The monument is in stark contrast to the regular army barracks built during the British era. Repairs of medical equipment were undertaken on a regular basis here. Interestingly, this is the only depot of its kind in the country involved in repairs of equipment of all the command hospitals.

Stepping into the portals of the massive stone structure, is a journey into the past. Unfortunately, only the main entrance of the mansion remains. A panel erected by the Archaeological Survey of India more than four decades ago says the mansion was in a very dilapidated condition when the British occupied it in 1818. Its major portion was dismantled and the site was used to erect a godown and later converted into a workshop.

The signboard also gives a spine-chilling account of how Ghashiram had once confined a number of Telangi Brahmins in a small room where they all died of suffocation. This tragedy had driven all the Brahmins to revolt and they bitterly complained to the Peshwa. As a result, Ghashiram was paraded through the streets of Poona and handed over to the furious mob. He was stoned to death in 1791. The cell now stacks regular army records and looks pretty innocuous. A gap in the arch above is perhaps the only telling evidence of the past.

Outside the cell, the high stone walls remain. A portion which is rumoured to contain an underground tunnel leading to Shaniwar Wada has long since been sealed by the Archaeological Survey authorities.

The Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency, Poona District, originally printed in 1885 refers briefly to Ghashiram Kotwal. The Gazetteer reveals that in such was Ghashiram power that as the head of the city police was able to, without check, to commit a series of murders. Even when his guilt was proven, the law could not punish him. The townsmen stoned him to death.

Apart from the curious unitmen, this monument has seen few visitors. The only celebrity who visited this site was cine actor Mohan Agashe who portrayed Ghashiram in Tendulkar's play way back in the seventies. ``The play went on stage in 1973. After 19 performances, it was ground to a halt because of the controversy. This aroused my curiosity and I wanted to know the real Nana and Ghashiram,'' Agashe reveals.

The play revolves around Nana Phadnis and Ghashiram Kotwal. Nana, a brilliant statesman, also had a darker side to his character. Ghashiram held the entire city in terror due to his atrocities over the Brahmins. He was also known for his debauchery.

"However, Nana, a shrewd politician was also timid. When the Brahmins approached him seeking justice, he was only to willing. The play has a scene where after Ghashiram's death when Nana says that the city was free of Narakasura and called for celebrations,'' Agashe remembers. The actor however, prefers to describe both Ghashiram and Phadnis as creations of socio-political forces beyond time and place.