Tuesday, December 14, 2010

A little bit about Pune


Pune Railway Station


About the city:
Pune (pronounced [puɳeː]), formerly called Poona, also known as Punya-Nagari ( City of Virtue) and “Oxford of the East”, is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra, after Mumbai and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the center of power of the Maratha Empire, Pune is  situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula and Mutha rivers.

History:
Pune is known to have existed as a town since 937 AD. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the founder of the Maratha Empire, lived in Pune as a young boy, and later oversaw significant growth and development of the town during his reign. After the town was annexed to British India in 1817, it served as a cantonment town and as the "monsoon capital" of the Bombay Presidency until the independence of India. Although the city's name is sometimes transcribed as Poona in English, a practice particularly common during the British Raj, the spelling "Pune" (ˈpuːnə) has now become standard.

Today, Pune is known for its educational facilities and relative prosperity. Pune is a majority Hindu city and one can see temples all over the city. Pune has well-established manufacturing, glass, sugar, and forging industries since the 1950-60s. It has a growing industrial hinterland, with many information technology and automotive companies setting up factories in Pune district. The city is known for various cultural activities like classical music, spirituality, theater, sports, and literature. These activities and job opportunities attract migrants and students from all over India and abroad, which makes for a city of many communities and cultures.

Climate:
Pune has a tropical wet and dry climate with average temperatures ranging between 20 to 28 °C (68 to 82 °F).
Pune experiences three distinct seasons: summer, monsoon and winter. Typical summer months are from March to May, with maximum temperatures ranging from 30 to 38 °C (86 to 100 °F). The warmest month in Pune is April; although summer doesn't end until May, the city often receives heavy thundershowers in May (and humidity remains high). Even during the hottest months, the nights are usually cool due to Pune's high altitude.
The monsoon lasts from June to October, with moderate rainfall and temperatures ranging from 10 to 28 °C (50 to 82 °F). Most of the 722 mm (28.4 inches) of annual rainfall in the city fall between June and September, and July is the wettest month of the year.
Winter begins in November; November in particular is referred to as the Rosy Cold (literal translation from Marathi: Gulabi Thandi). The daytime temperature hovers around 28 °C (82 °F) while night temperature is below 10 °C (50 °F) for most of December and January, often dropping to 5 to 6 °C (41 to 43 °F).

Demographics:
Marathi is the official and most widely spoken language, while Hindi and English are understood and spoken widely. Pune has a great Marathi influence as it was the bastion of the Maratha Empire. Pune being a metropolitan city, has large number of people from other states especially from Karnataka,Andhra, Gujarath, Rajasthan,Kerala,West Bengal and entire North India. Pune has many white-collar professionals thanks to a large number of educational, research and training institutes spread throughout the city.

Things to do in Pune:
Kayani Bakery :The family-run Kayani Bakery is famous for its homemade Shrewsbury biscuits, but the sweet attractions run to all manner of cakes.
Address: 6 East Street Camp, Camp Cantonment, Pune.
Telephone: 020-26360517

Osho Teerth Gardens :The five-hectare Osho Teerth gardens behind the Bhagwan Rajneesh ashram commune are accessible all day for those with a meditation pass.
Address:17, North Main Road, Koregaon Park, Pune - 411001

Prems: In a quiet, leafy courtyard tucked away from the main road, Prems is a relaxing and very popular place for a decent mixture of Indian and continental food. It's as popular with Indians as Westerners.
Address: 28/2, North Main Road, Koregaon Park, Pune - 411001

Aga Khan Palace and Gandhi National Memorial :Set in 6.5 hectares of gardens across the Mula River in Yerwada is the grand Aga Khan Palace and Gandhi National Memorial. After the Mahatma delivered his momentous Quit India resolution in 1942, the British interned him and other leaders of India's Independence movement here for nearly two years. Both Kasturba Gandhi, the Mahatma's wife, and Mahadoebhai Desai, his secretary for 35 years, died while imprisoned here. Their ashes are kept in memorial samadhis (shrines) in the gardens.
Address: Nagar road, beyond Fitzgerald Bridge, Pune
Timings:9 am to 6 pm (Lunch break:12.30 pm to 1:30 pm)
Entry fee: Rs.5 for adults and Rs.2 for children
Phone no:  020-26880250

Bhagwan Rajneesh Ashram : The Bhagwan Rajneesh ashram is in a desirable northern suburb of Pune. Since the Bhagwan's death in 1990, it has continued to draw in manifold sanyasins (seekers), many of them Westerners. Facilities include a swimming pool, sauna, 'zennis' (Zen tennis) and basketball courts, a massage and beauty parlour, a bookshop and a boutique guesthouse. The main centre for meditation and the nightly white-robed spiritual dance is the Osho Auditorium (a 'cough-free and sneeze-free zone'!).The Osho Samadhi, where the guru's ashes are kept, is also open for silent or music-accompanied meditation.
Address: G 9 madhusudhan, 392 Koregoan Park, Pune

Bombay Store : The Bombay Store is best for general souvenirs.
Address: 322, M G Road, Camp, Pune

Café Barista :A branch of the Western-style coffee chain which dishes up plain sandwiches and cakes with good coffee.
Address: Multiple locations

Empress Botanical Gardens: At the Empress Botanical Gardens cosy couples on park benches enjoy the spots of shade under the trees.
Address:18, Opposite Race Course Prince Of Wales Road, Pune

Jangali Maharaj Temple:Adjacent to the Pataleshvara Cave Temple is the Jangali Maharaj Temple, dedicated to a Hindu ascetic who died here in 1818
Address: Shivaji Nagar, Pune

Katraj Snake Park and Zoo: There is a good representation of Indian wildlife on show at the Katraj Snake Park and Zoo. Located on the southern outskirts of the city, the large, natural-looking enclosures of the zoo are built with the requirements and breeding needs of the inmates in mind. It provides a home to tigers, leopards, bears and monkeys, but it's the reptiles that are the real passion here. The zoo curator is renowned as one of India's most respected herpetologists.
Address: Pune Satara Highway near the Bhartiya Vidyapeeth University, Pune
Timings: 10:30 am to 6 pm (Wednesday closed)
Entry fee: Rs. 3 per head

Pataleshvara Cave Temple: Across the river is the curious rock-cut Pataleshvara Cave Temple, a small, unfinished 8th-century temple similar in style to the grander Elephanta Island one. It's an active temple, with people coming here for worship or simply to relax in the gardens. In front of the excavation is a circular Nandi mandapa (pillared pavilion).
Address: Shivaji Nagar, Pune

Peshwa Park : In the evening, dozens of food stalls and kiddie carnival rides are set up outside Peshwa Park.

Address: Near Saras Baug, next to Parvati Hill, Pune
Timings: 8:00 am- 12:00 pm and 3:30pm-6:30 pm

Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum : The quirky Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum is one of Pune's true delights. The exhibits are the personal collection of Sri Dinkar Gangadhar, who died in 1990. Among the 17,000 or so artworks and curios he collected are a suit of armour made of fish scales and crocodile skin, hundreds of hookah pipes and a superb collection of betel-nut cutters.
Address: 1377-78, Natu Baug, Off. Bajirao Road, Raja Kelkar Sangrahalay Road, Shukrawar Peth, Pune 411002
Telephone: 020-24482101

Shabree Restaurant : Some of the best, cheap Maharashtran thalis you could hope to find.
Address: Fergusson College Rd, Deccan, Deccan Gymkhana, Pune
Telephone:  020-25531513

Shaniwar Wada Palace : The ruins of the fortress-like Shaniwar Wada Palace stand in the old part of the city. Built in 1732, the palace of the Peshwa rulers burnt down in 1828, but the massive walls remain, as do the sturdy palace doors with their angry spikes.
Address: Bajirao Rd., Kasba Peth, Pune

Tribal Cultural Museum : About 1.5km east of the Pune train station, the excellent Tribal Cultural Museum opens up a whole new side of India that most visitors are completely unaware of. The ornate papier-mâché festival masks are like something from the Rio carnival.
Address: Queens Road, Pune
Timings: 10 am to 5 pm









2 comments:

Unknown said...

i would regularly watch out for the new posts, once again hats off to you! Thanx a million once again, Regards, Katraj zoo Pune

Unknown said...

Grate job..!!Special cake home delivery in Pune area.
Order Anniversary Cake Online