Pune: The historically significant Bhide Wada, the site of India’s first school for girls founded by Mahatma Jotiba Phule and Savitribai Phule in 1885, is set to be transformed into a national memorial.

Despite the absence of a formal groundbreaking ceremony, construction has already begun, with soil testing currently in progress. The work is expected to gain momentum after the upcoming Ganesh Festival.

The movement to establish a memorial at Bhide Wada has been ongoing for several years. Activists had long advocated for the recognition of this iconic location where the education of girls in India took its first steps.

However, the memorial's development faced legal hurdles when the landowners filed a petition in court opposing the acquisition of the site. The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) fought a protracted legal battle, ultimately winning the case in the Supreme Court, allowing them to proceed with the project.

Initially, the memorial’s groundbreaking was scheduled to take place before the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. However, delays occurred due to extensive discussions on how to preserve the historical significance of the site through appropriate architectural design.

Several design proposals were considered, but it took time to reach a consensus. Ultimately, a design was approved, and the tendering process was completed.

The total cost of the memorial project is estimated at ₹6.25 crore. It is expected to become a prominent historical and cultural landmark, celebrating the pioneering work of the Phules in promoting education for women in India.

Plans for a grand ceremony to mark the beginning of construction, which would have included prominent state leaders, were canceled. Instead, following the advice of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, the PMC commenced work on the memorial last week without any formal ceremony.

Yuvraj Deshmukh, head of the building department, said, "The Bhide Wada Memorial project is officially underway. We are currently conducting soil testing and other preparatory work. The project will accelerate after the Ganesh Festival, and we hope to make significant progress in the coming months."