Ohel David Synagogue(בית הכנסת אהל דוד) — Attraction in Pune

Situated on the Moledina Road, David Synagogue or Ohel David Synagogue, was built by David Sassoon. Construction began in 1863 and was completed in 1867. David was known for his philanthropic works in Pune and had also built the Sassoon Hospital. Due to the red bricks used in David Synagogue construction, it is popularly known as Lal Davel or Red Synagogue or Red Temple. Although it is a place dedicated to Jewish community, it attracts visitors from all section of the society, from all over the world. Its startling architectural beauty, combined with the religious significance, makes for a worth remembering sight. It has been constructed in the neo-Gothic style, and displays a unique usage of various shades of colors. This Synagogue used to see more number of Jewish visitors during the monsoon and summer season. As many Jewish residents from Mumbai and nearby places would spend their summer and rainy months here in Pune, owing to its better climatic conditions. In the premises of the David Synagogue, there is tomb of the Late David Sassoon, where he had resided when alive. In its premises, you will also find a Mikvah. Apparently, a Hazzan from Mumbai goes to this synagogue to conduct Shabbat prayers. One of the popular tourist attractions of Pune, this Synagogue captivates visitors with its structural beauty. The spiritual calmness, which it radiates, also presents tourists with an opportunity to rejuvenate themselves amidst the clarity and tranquillity of this place. It is a perfect amalgamation of entrancing beauty and religious sanctity. It is easily accessible. One can take a direct taxi or auto rickshaws to this place. There are many buses also...

Ohel David (Tabernacle of David) Synagogue, also called Lal Deval or Lal Deul is a synagogue in Pune, India. Being an important part of the cultural heritage of India, it used to be a well-known tourist attraction.

Its construction started in 1863 by philanthropist David Sassoon and was completed by his successors in 1867.[1] Built in the English Gothic style, it was designed by Henry Saint Clair Wilkins.[2]. This red brick and trap stone structure resembles a church. It has a 90-foot high obelisk on which a clock is hung, which was brought specially from London.[3] One of the largest synagogues built in India, Ohel David (Hebrew for Tent of David), constructed from 1863-7, sits on a prominent site on Moledina Road near M. G. and Ambedkar Roads. This area came to be known as Pune Camp (or Cantonment), a military district established in 1918 to accommodate troops of the British Indian Army. For years the landmark synagogue, which has ably served the city’s Baghdadi Jewish community for about a century-and-a-half, has been known locally as Lal Deval, lal the Marathi word for “red” as a reference to the brilliant color of the building’s exterior brick. The construction of the synagogue and its endowment were made possible by David Sassoon, patriarch of the great Sassoon dynasty that made its mark in trading, commerce, and shipping in India and the East during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The Sassoons funded construction of many other religious, civic, and institutional buildings in the city and elsewhere in India, including Pune’s Sassoon Hospital and Mumbai’s Baghdadi synagogues Keneseth Eliayhoo and...

Ohel David Synagogue is a beautiful sanctuary of faith that served many years. I was able to visit the place because of my friend Alisa Moses asked me about the presence of a synagogue in Pune. We searched and found the place and the caretaker brought us in. He is from Mumbai and it seems this temple of God was established by David Sassoon who was a merchant in Baghdad and moved to Mumbai. The Mamluk Governor of Baghdad arrested people and asked money to release them. David could have moved to Isfahan in Iran or other trading centres but because of the open society in India he came to Mumbai though the land was unknown to him. He became a cotton merchant and flourished and served the society. Their tomb is also placed in the premises of the Synagogue. For many centuries this synagogue served the community of the faithful. I was allowed to touch the Thorah kept reverentially in the sacred place. An abode of spirituality and deep faith, this Synagogue remains as a symbol of unity...