Defence ministry restores khadki cantonment name matching historic originsPUNE: The Ministry of Defence has officially restored the historic name of one of India’s oldest military stations — Khadki Cantonment. Known in colonial records as “Kirkee” for over two centuries, it will now carry the name of the battlefield that defined its origin. A gazette notification issued by the ministry on August 29 corrected a colonial spelling that was never truly accepted locally. It reconnects the cantonment to November 5, 1817, when British and Maratha forces clashed on its soil in the Battle of Khadki. The outcome of the battle changed the political map of western India, paving the way for the British consolidation of power. “Every parade ground, every barrack in Khadki is layered with history. The name ‘Kirkee’ was a colonial convenience. They struggled to pronounce the original name and hence they tweaked it as per their suitability. But unfortunately, it remained with us for centuries. Now, this restoration is not simply changing the name but it is a restoration of honours for military institutions that came into existence from that battle,” Amol Jagtap, the Senior Director of Principal Directorate of Defence Estates, Southern Command, who was the then CEO of Khadki Cantonment Board and initiated the process in 2017, told TOI. As per the military records, the cantonment was established immediately after the battle, as the British sought to secure their hold over Pune — then Maratha capital. Unable to pronounce “Khadki,” they coined the name “Kirkee.” It soon became one of the earliest permanent military garrisons, present day cantonments, in western India, housing artillery units, cavalry stables, and later, ordnance depots. Sprawling officers’ bungalows, mostly in stone with a peculiar architecture, now serve as the official houses of Indian Army officers. These houses are surrounded by banyans and gulmohars, still dot its leafy avenues, standing as reminders of its garrison-town origins.Over time, Kirkee grew into a hub of military infrastructure — from the Central Ammunition Depot to the Ordnance Factory Khadki, both vital during the World Wars. The Kirkee War Cemetery, where over 1,600 Commonwealth soldiers are buried, bears silent witness to its role in global conflicts. The ‘military town’, which connects the PMC to the twin town, is still relevant in the modern warfare era. It is home to the Bombay Engineer Group (BEG), one of the Army’s engineer groups, with a lineage dating back to the 18th century. Its sappers have served with distinction from World War I to modern UN missions. In addition, Khadki houses workshops, depots, defence establishments, and sports grounds that feed India’s military logistics. Its parade grounds still echo with the footfalls of troops, and its schools, hospitals, and quarters continue to serve generations of soldiers and their families. “The cantonment still holds its rich military legacy as it houses a variety of military units. These establishments play a crucial role in keeping defence land records to modern warfare training. The area has witnessed India’s military evolution, from colonial regiments to the Indian Army,” said Jagtap.Locals are happy with the move. “For us, it was always Khadk,” said Suhas Pawar, a long-time resident. “This change corrects the record. It acknowledges the soil on which both Marathas and British fought. The board should replace all its boards and records at the earliest. It should also advertise the new name to inform citizens,” he added. Historians said that it was a long pending issue and the renaming is both symbolic and historic. “One can say, we took more than 75 years to correct the name. We all knew that it was never ‘Kirkee’ but still it remained on our records for all these years. And most importantly, the battle of Kirkee has a huge significance for Pune. It has changed the history of the city,” said historian Panduran Balkawade.
