Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
Balkans road trip
Bosnia and Herzegovina • 9 days, 8 nights
Balkans Road Trip: Serbia, Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Ñaño house with mausoleum skull in foreground.
Ñaño Casa Museo
Honningsvåg Bamse Statue
Honningsvåg Bamse Statue
The salt cairn.
The Lewis and Clark Salt Works
South entrance.
Reigate Tunnel
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Wortley built the wooden backpack she used while retracing Alexandra David-Néel’s journey from a chair she found on the street in London.
How Elise Wortley Climbed Mont Blanc in 1830s Women’s Attire
13 days ago
Simplicity is key: Just a slice of bread with a sprinkling of salt and pepper is the perfect accompaniment.
The Sweet Second Life of Creole Cream Cheese
13 days ago
My rendition of frog legs, popping mushroom curry, pad prik khing with salted egg yolk, and sweet khanom thuai.
Recreating My Favorite Meal From Thailand
13 days ago
Inside London’s Gorgeously Curated ‘Art Restaurants’
13 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All India Tomb of Ishtur Phakda

Tomb of Ishtur Phakda

The final resting place of a British officer killed during the First Anglo-Maratha War.

Vadgaon, India

Added By
Vivek Gadre
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
  Vivek Gadre / Atlas Obscura User
  Vivek Gadre / Atlas Obscura User
  Vivek Gadre / Atlas Obscura User
  Vivek Gadre / Atlas Obscura User
  Vivek Gadre / Atlas Obscura User
  Vivek Gadre / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Along the old Mumbai Pune highway, near the town of Vadgaon Maval, lies a tomb in the middle of a field. As one steps off the road, a tiled pathway leads up to a square enclosure around the tomb.

The tomb belongs to Captain James Stewart, who was locally known as Ishtur Phakda. He was the first commanding officer of the British forces in the Battle of Wadgaon during the First Anglo-Maratha War (1775-1782). According to sources and local legends, this is how the story goes: "Stewart" became "Ishtur" in the local vocabulary. The term "Phakda" was an honorific epithet given to him.

The term Phakda, which means gallant and heroic, was a term reserved for men of uncommon valor. During the second half of the 18th century, it was given to three men. The first two were Kanherrao Trimbak Ekbote and Manaji Shinde, both of whom were in the Maratha Empire. The third was Captain James Stewart, a British officer.

Sources say Captain James Stewart led the British forces and was killed at Karla in January 1779. The battle ended with the surrender of the British forces and a victory for the Maratha forces. Following this incident, the Treaty of Wadgaon was signed on January 16, 1779. 

Today, Ishtur Phakda is a local legend. Since the event happened hundreds of years ago, it is difficult to separate facts and myths, but the name lives on in the form of local lore, stories, and anecdotes.

Related Tags

Tombs Memorials History & Culture Legends

Know Before You Go

This tomb is located in Vadgaon Maval, a census town around 38 kilometers north-west of Pune along the old Mumbai Pune highway.

Atlas Obscura Adventures

Delhi and Rajasthan: Colors of India

Discover Colorful Rajasthan: From Delhi to Jaipur and Beyond.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

Vivek Gadre

Published

August 10, 2022

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.esamskriti.com/e/History/Indian-History/Ishtur-Phakda-~-The-Story-Of-Captain-James-Stuart.-1.aspx
Tomb of Ishtur Phakda
Vadgaon, 412106
India
18.742785, 73.632384

Nearby Places

Bhaja Caves

Malawali N.m., India

miles away

Karla Caves

Karla, India

miles away

Baneshwar Cave Temple

Pune, India

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of India

India

Asia

Places 354
Stories 107

Nearby Places

Bhaja Caves

Malawali N.m., India

miles away

Karla Caves

Karla, India

miles away

Baneshwar Cave Temple

Pune, India

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of India

India

Asia

Places 354
Stories 107

Related Places

  • Cairn T

    Ballineale, Ireland

    Loughcrew Cairns

    These Neolithic burial mounds and a still-intact passage tomb may have solar calendar significance on the spring and autumn equinoxes.

  • Pune, India

    Tomb of the Unknown Warrior

    A riverside stone memorial dedicated to an unidentified hero.

  • Ahlat, Turkey

    Ahlat Seljuk Cemetery

    Hundreds of medieval Islamic gravestones decorate the mountainous landscape in the largest cemetery in Turkey.

  • Sortino, Italy

    Necropolis of Pantalica

    Thousands of rock-cut tombs fill the cliffs of this Sicilian nature preserve.

  • The Iron Knight

    Prague, Czechia

    Iron Knight

    The statue of a cursed knight is said to come to life every 100 years.

  • The grave of the cannibal hag.

    Nihommatsu, Japan

    Kurozuka (Black Tomb)

    Local legend claims that this is the final resting place of an infamous cannibal hag.

  • The Countess Pillar.

    Brougham, England

    Countess Pillar

    A memorial overlooking a busy roadway is linked with the story of a 17th-century noblewoman’s legal battle for her inheritance.

  • The Tomb of Piers Shonks in St Mary’s Church in Brent Pelham, Hertfordshire

    Brent Pelham, England

    Tomb of Piers Shonks

    A knight said to have slayed a dragon with the help of his winged dogs is buried inside the walls of a church.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.