Pune: Marathi Literary Icon G D Madgulkar’s Historic ‘Panchavati’ Home at Centre of Family Feud; Grandson Alleges Pressure From Relatives to Sell Property to Builder

Pune, 12th May 2026: A controversy has erupted over the proposed demolition of “Panchavati”, the iconic residence of noted Marathi poet and lyricist G. D. Madgulkar, popularly known as Gadima, in Pune’s Shivajinagar area. Sumitra Madgulkar, grandson of the writer, has alleged that some close relatives are pressuring him to demolish the bungalow and hand over the property to a builder for redevelopment.

In a strongly worded Facebook post, Sumitra Madgulkar claimed that he and his family have been facing threats and a “defamation campaign” for opposing plans to raze the historic house where Gadima is believed to have written the legendary Geet Ramayan and several other literary works.

Calling Panchavati a “sacred structure”, he said the bungalow was not merely a property but a cultural landmark associated with Marathi literature and Gadima’s legacy.

“Some relatives want to demolish Panchavati and sell it to a builder for money. I will never allow this to happen,” he wrote in the post, adding that even people who publicly claim to preserve Gadima’s legacy were allegedly part of the effort to redevelop the property.

Sumitra Madgulkar further alleged that he had been under pressure for the past several months because of his opposition to the demolition. He claimed that false allegations and social media posts were being circulated to malign him and his family.

He also stated that Gadima had once said that his existence would continue in the world as long as Panchavati stood.

“The house where Geet Ramayan was written and which witnessed many literary creations is like a temple to me. Even if I lose my life, I will not allow this structure to be demolished,” he said.

In the lengthy post, he accused certain relatives of orchestrating attempts to tarnish his image by making “false accusations” against him and his wife. He also claimed that his family’s safety was under threat because of his stand on preserving the bungalow.

Sumitra Madgulkar said he had spent the last decade fighting for a memorial dedicated to Gadima and that construction of the memorial building had now been completed. However, he insisted that preserving Panchavati was equally important.

“Do whatever you want — defame me or file court cases — but I will continue to fight. I will not allow Panchavati to be sold to a builder,” he wrote.

Ending his post with a warning to those allegedly involved in the redevelopment push, he challenged them to “touch Panchavati if they have the courage”, expressing confidence that admirers of Gadima and Marathi literature would support his cause.