Pune

Pune Pune
Tier 1 city
Nickname:  Queen of the Deccan
Government
• Mayor	Rajlakshmi Bhosale
Population  (2008)
• Tier 1 city	5,064,700
• Metro	5,695,000

Poona redirects here. It is also the name of a sport which developed into badminton.

Pune (Template:PronEng, Marathi: पुणे) is the second largest city in the state of Maharashtra in western India, around 160 kilometers south-east of the state capital, Mumbai. Situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau, at the confluence of the Mula and Mutha river, it is the administrative capital of Pune district and the eighth most populous metropolitan area in India.

Pune has existed as a town since at least 937.Chatrapati Shivaji spend his early years in this city. He and his associates initiated lot of development activities in the city, as a result Pune became one of richest, culturally developed city on 'Maharastrian Deccan plateau' and this status is unchanged even today. After 1730, Pune rose to national level as a power centre due to Peshwe – the prime ministers of Maratha Empire reporting to their master,Chatrapati of Satara. After the town was brought under the control of British India in 1817, it served as a cantonment town and as the "monsoon capital" of the Bombay Presidency until the independence of India. In independent India, Pune is known for its educational facilities, having more than a hundred educational institutes and nine universities. It also boasts a growing industrial hinterland, with many information technology and automotive companies setting up factories in Pune district.

Name

The name Pune derives from Punya Nagari (Sanskrit, "City of Virtue"). The oldest reference to this name is on a Rashtrakuta copper plate dated to 937, in which the town is referred to as as Punya-Vishaya or Punak Vishaya. By the 13th century, it had come to be known as Kasbe Pune or Punavadi. Although the city's name is sometimes transcribed as Poona in English, a practise particularly common during the British Raj, the spelling "Pune" has now become standard.

Pune is also known as The Oxford of the East, due to the various educational institutions, and also sometimes referred to as The Detroit of India owing to the many manufacturing companies, particularly automobile giants, having their base within the city.

History

Main article: History of Pune

Early and Medieval

The circular Nandi mandapa at the Pataleshwar cave temple, built during the Rashtrakuta dynasty

Copper plates dated to 758 and 768 show that, by the 8th century, an agricultural settlement known as Punnaka existed where Pune is today. The plates indicate that this region was ruled by the Rashtrakutas. The Pataleshwar rock-cut temple complex was also built during this era.

Pune was a part of Yadava Empire of Deogiri from the 9th century to 1327. It was later ruled by the Nizamshahi sultans, until it was annexed by the Mughal empire in the 17th century. In 1595, Maloji Bhosale was appointed the jahagirdar of Pune and Supe by the Mughals.

Maratha and Peshwa rule

File:View from Sinhagad Pune Darwaza.jpg

View from the Pune Darwaja (Pune Gate) of Sinhagad

In 1625, Shahaji Bhonsle appointed Rango Bapuji Dhadphale as the administrator of Pune. He was one of the first major developers of the town, overseeing the construction of the Kasba, Somwar, Ravivar and Shaniwar Peths. Construction also began on the Lal Mahal palace, as Shahaji's son, Shivaji Bhonsle (later Chattrapati Shivaji) was to move there with his mother Jijabai. The Lal Mahal was completed in 1640. Jijabai is said to have commissioned the building of the Kasba Ganapati temple herself. The Ganapati idol consecrated at this temple is regarded as the presiding deity (gramadevata) of the city.

From 1630 to 1647, Dadoji Kondev, Shivaji's childhood mentor and teacher, oversaw development and construction in the area. As a child, Shivaji is said to have commemorated agricultural activities personally by using specially made golden ploughs. After Shivaji was crowned Chhatrapati (King) in 1674, he oversaw further development in Pune, including the construction of the Guruwar, Somwar, Ganesh and Ghorpade Peths.

Baji Rao I became Peshwa of the Maratha empire, ruled by Chattrapati Shahuji, in 1720. By 1730, the palace of Shaniwarwada had been constructed on the banks of the Mutha river, ushering in the era of Peshwa control of the city. The patronage of the Peshwas resulted in the construction of many temples and bridges in the city, including the Parvati temple and the Sadashiv, Narayan, Rasta and Nana Peths. The Peshwas fell into decline after their loss in the Third Battle of Panipat in 1761. In 1802, Pune was captured from the Peshwa by Yashwantrao Holkar in the Battle of Poona, directly precipitating the Second Anglo-Maratha War of 1803-05.

British Raj

The Third Anglo-Maratha War broke out between the Marathas and the British in 1817. The Peshwas were defeated at the Battle of Khadki (then transcribed Kirkee) near Pune, and the city was seized. It was placed under the administration of the Bombay Presidency, and the British built a large military cantonment to the east of the city (now used by the Indian Army). The Pune Municipality was established in 1858. Pune was at one time the "monsoon capital" of the Bombay Presidency.

Nanasaheb Peshwa, the adopted son of the last Peshwa Bajirao II, rose against British East India Company rule in 1856, as part of the Indian Mutiny. He was helped by Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi and Tatya Tope. After the mutiny failed, the final remnants of the Maratha empire were annexed to British India.

During the struggle for Indian independence, Pune was an important centre for the social and religious reform movements that were sweeping the country. Many prominent reformers lived here, including Mahadev Govind Ranade, Ramakrishna Gopal Bhandarkar, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Maharshi Vitthal Ramji Shinde and Jyotirao Phule. The most important political reformer of this era was Bal Gangadhar Tilak, who dominated the Indian political scene for six decades.

Geography

Pune is located at the confluence of the Mula and Mutha rivers

Pune is located 560m (1,837 ft) above sea level on the western margin of the Deccan plateau. It is situated on the leeward side of the Sahyadri mountain range (the Western Ghats), which separate it from the Arabian sea. It is a relatively hilly city, with its tallest hill, Vetal Hill, rising to 800m (2,625 ft) above sea level. Just outside the city, the Sinhagad fort is located at a height of 1300m.

Central Pune is located at the confluence of the Mula and Mutha rivers. The Pavana and Indrayani rivers, tributaries of the Bhima river, traverse the northwestern outskirts of the metropolitan Pune.

Pune lies very close to the seismically active zone around Koyna Dam, about 100 km south of the city, and has been rated in Zone 4 (on a scale of 2 to 5, with 5 being the most prone to earthquakes) by the India Meteorological Department. Pune has experienced some moderate-intensity and many low-intensity earthquakes in its history. Although no major earthquakes have originated in Pune itself, an earthquake of magnitude 3.2 took place in the Katraj region near Pune on May 17, 2004.

Climate

Pune
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D     0     28 12     0     30 13     0     34 17     1     36 21     30     35 23     120     30 22     170     27 22     100     26 22     120     28 21     80     30 19     20     28 15     0     27 12 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C █ Precipitation totals in mm Source: Weather Base
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     0     82 54     0     86 55     0     93 63     0     97 70     1.2     95 73     4.7     86 72     6.7     81 72     3.9     79 72     4.7     82 70     3.1     86 66     0.8     82 59     0     81 54 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F █ Precipitation totals in inches

Pune has a tropical wet and dry climate with average temperatures ranging between 20°C to 28°C.

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 (85 to 100 °F). The warmest month in Pune is April; although summer doesn't end until May, the city often receives locally developed heavy thundershowers in May (although humidity remains high). Even during the hottest months, the nights are usually cool due to Pune's high altitude. The highest temperature ever recorded was 43.3°C on April 30, 1897.

The monsoon lasts from June to October, with moderate rainfall and temperatures ranging from 10°C to 28°C (50°F to 82°F). Most of the 722mm of rainfall in the city fall between June and September, and July is the wettest month of the year. Pune once received rainfall on 29 consecutive days.

Winter begins in November; November in particular is known as the Rosy Cold (Marathi: गुलाबी थंडी). The daytime temperature hovers around 28 °C (83 °F) while night temperature is below 10 °C (50 °F) for most of December and January, often dropping to 5 or 6 °C (42 °F). The lowest temperature ever located was 1.7 °C on January 17, 1935.

Transport

Pune relies largely on roads for transport within the city, although a mass rapid transport system is being planned. It is well connected to all the other cities in India by road, rail and airline connections. Although it has an international airport, there are only two direct international flights, to Dubai and Frankfurt.

Road

See also: Roads of Pune

Both public transport (autorickshaws and buses) and private transport (cars, motorcycles and scooters) are popular in Pune. According to one study, there were then 400,000 cars and 1.6 million two-wheelers in Pune in 2007. More than 200,000 vehicles are added to the traffic in Pune every year.

File:Eco-brtpune.jpg

PMPML Bus in BRTS Lane

Public buses within the city and its suburbs are operated by the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML). A Pune Bus Rapid Transit system has been proposed, in which dedicated bus lanes would allow buses to travel quickly through the city. Buses to towns within Pune district surrounding Pune, as well as cities throughout Maharashtra are run by the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation. Private bus companies also run buses to major cities throughout India, especially Mumbai.

Pune is well-connected to other cities by Indian highways and state highways. National Highway 4 (NH 4) connects it to Mumbai and Bangalore, NH 9 to Solapur and Hyderabad, and NH 50 to Nashik. State highways connect it to Ahmednagar, Aurangabad, and Alandi.

Since 2002, Pune has been connected to Mumbai via the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, India's first six-lane high-speed expressway. Both pre-paid air-conditioned "cool" cabs and private bus companies ply this route, connecting Mumbai and Pune in three hours.Out of the total distance of 165 km from Mumbai to Pune, the Express Highway part is 96 km.

Pune city has worst traffic patterns in India. The city has also recorded maximum number of road accidents in India for last few years. The figure being 120 fatal accidents in 2006, much ahead of even Delhi. Main reasons being unplanned roads, poor traffic disciplines, driving on the wrong side of the roads, etc. Pune need to do a tough job of educating and inculcating proper habbits amongst its drivers.

Rail

A rapid transit system has been proposed in Pune, and is scheduled to begin operations in 2010. It is being planned in consultation with Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited, the corporation which built and operates the Delhi Metro. Three routes have been identified thus far:

• Warje-Chinchwad, via Karve road, Jangli Maharaj road, Shivajinagar, and the Pune-Mumbai road (22 km, elevated)
• Shivajinagar-Kalyaninagar, via Raja Bahadur Mill road and the Pune-Ahmednagar road (13 km, elevated)
• Agriculture College-Swargate, via Shivaji road (10 km, underground)

The city has two railway stations, Pune and Shivajinagar. Local trains connect Pune to the industrial town of Pimpri-Chinchwad and the hill station of Lonavala, while daily express trains connect Pune to Mumbai. Pune station is part of the Central Railways, and is connected to cities throughout India.

Air

Pune Airport is an international airport at Lohegaon, operated by the Airports Authority of India. It shares its runways with the neighbouring Indian Air Force base. Apart from domestic flights to all major Indian cities, this airport serves two international direct flights: one to Dubai (operated by Air India), and one to Frankfurt (operated by Lufthansa).

The Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation is responsible for the design and construction of a new Pune International Airport. The area between Chakan and Rajgurunagar, around the villages of Chandus and Shiroli, is currently being considered as a construction site. If constructed here, it will be 40 km from central Pune along the Pune-Nashik National highway (NH-50).

Civic Administration

The city of Pune is managed by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). The Corporation consists of 149 directly elected councillors, who are led by the Mayor of Pune, a titular position mainly acting as an ambassador and representative of the city. Actual executive power is vested in the Municipal Commissioner, an officer of the Indian Administrative Service who is appointed by the Maharashtra state government.

Apart from the PMC, four other administrative bodies are active within the Pune metropolitan area:

• responsible for Pimpri-Chinchwad,
• Khadki Cantonment Board (KCB), responsible for Khadki,
• Pune Cantonment Board (PCB), responsible for Pune Cantonment, and
• Dehu Road Cantonment Board, responsible for the Dehu Road area.

The Pune Police is headed by the Police Commissioner of Pune, an officer of the Indian Police Service. The Police report to the state ministry.

Military establishments

The National War Memorial (Maharashtra)

Pune has been a prominent cantonment town since the early 1800s. Several important battles were fought in and around Pune, including the battle of Khadki (1817) and the battle of Koregaon (1818). Many military establishments have been set up here, including:

• The headquarters of the Indian Army's Southern Command.
• College of Military Engineering and the Bombay Engineering Group, where the sappers of the Indian Army are trained.
• The National Defence Academy (NDA) at Khadakwasla, the joint services academy where Army, Navy and Air Force cadets are trained together before they go for their pre-commission training to their respective academies.
• The Armed Forces Medical College trains doctors and nurses for the three services.
• Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (previously the Institute of Armament Technology)
• Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)
• Armament Research & Development Establishment (ARDE)
• Army Institute of Physical Training (AIPT) and Army Sports Institute
• Ordnance factories - Ammunition Factory (AFK) and High Explosive Factory (HEF), located at Khadki.

An old war memorial is located opposite Sassoon Hospital. A new war memorial, the National War Memorial (Maharashtra) is located in Pune Cantonment near Ghorpadi. This memorial commemorates the sacrifice of Maharashtrian soldiers of the Indian Armed Forces who lost their lives in the conflicts fought by independent India.

Demographics

The population of Pune and its surrounding urban agglomeration have an estimated population of just over 5 million, . This includes the towns of Khadki, Pimpri-Chinchwad and Dehu Road. Growth in the software and education sectors has led to an influx of skilled labour from across India. The migrating population rose from 43,900 in 2001 to 88,200 in 2005. Around 45% of Pune population is between 15 and 30 years of age .

Marathi is the official and the most widely spoken language, while English is understood and spoken widely. The dialect of Marathi spoken in Pune has been suggested to be the "standard" form of the language. Pune has a large number of white-collar professionals thanks to large no. of education, research and training institute spread in the city..

The city is home to sizeable religious minorities including Parsis, Jews, Sikhs, Christians and Muslims.

Economy

Infosys building in Pune

As one of the largest cities in India, and as a result of its many colleges and universities, Pune is emerging as a prominent location for IT and manufacturing companies to expand to.

The automotive sector is particularly prominent. All sectors of the automotive industry are represented, from two-wheelers and autorickshaws (Bajaj Auto, Kinetic Motor Company) to cars (Tata Motors, Daimler-Chrysler) to tempos and trucks (Force Motors). Automotive components (TATA Autocomp Systems Limited TACO, Visteon, Continental Corporation, ITW) are also manufactured here. Other automotive companies including General Motors, Volkswagen, and Fiat have set up greenfield facilities near Pune, leading The Independent to cite Pune as India's "Motor City".

Engineering goods manufactured in Pune include forges (Bharat Forge) and engines (Cummins). Other major manufacturers include Alfa Laval, Thyssen Krupp and Black & Veatch.

Other goods are also manufactured in the area. Electronic goods are manufactured by multinational companies such as the Whirlpool Corporation and the LG Group. Food giants like Frito Lay and Coca Cola have food processing plants. Many small and medium-sized companies are also active, producing components for larger companies and creating unique components for the Indian marketplace.

Multinational banks like HSBC and ABN Amro have set up offices in Pune

Pune has a rapidly growing software industry as well, with major players such as Tata Consultancy Services,Tech Mahindra, Wipro and Infosys having large offices here.

Business process outsourcing companies have also seen significant growth here, with companies like Convergys, Infosys BPO, EXL, Wipro BPO, Next, vCustomer, Ventura and Mphasis setting up operations here.

The growing software industry has led to the construction of IT parks to encourage new IT companies. This includes the Rajiv Gandhi IT Park at Hinjawadi, the Magarpatta Cybercity, the MIDC Software Technology Park at Talawade, the Marisoft IT Park and Kumar Cerebrum IT Park at Kalyani Nagar, the International Convention Centre (ICC), Weikfield IT Park and many others.

Education and Research

The main building of the University of Pune (formerly the University of Poona)

Main article: Education in Pune

Pune was called "the Oxford of the East" by former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, due to the well-known academic and research institutions in the city and its popularity amongst students. The temperate climate of the city is responsible for the green campuses of many colleges, and the prevalent academic mindset amongst Punekars helps nurture research and higher education.

The College of Engineering, Pune, Sir Parshurambhau College and Fergusson College have been located in Pune since the late 1800s. Educational foundations such as the Deccan Education Society, founded by Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Symbiosis Society run several colleges at the undergraduate and graduate level. Soon after Indian independence in 1947, the University of Pune, the National Defence Academy and National Chemical Laboratory were established in Pune. In the second half of the 20th century, several other educational and research institutes were established.

Basic and Special Education

Main article: Schools in Pune

Schools in Pune are either run by the PMC, in which case they are called Municipality schools, or privately by trusts and individuals. Private schools have been preferred by a majority of city residents because of better facilities. These schools use either Marathi or English as the medium of instruction. All private schools are affiliated either with the Maharashtra State Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board or the all-India Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) and CBSE boards.

Pune is the largest centre for Japanese learning in India and the JLPT exams are held in Pune annually (December). The Japanese language training is provided by the University of Pune among others. Other languages like German (Max Muller Bhavan) and French (Alliance Francaise de Poona) are also popular amongst Punekars. Some high schools optionally train students in French, German and Russian from the 8th grade onwards.

University Education

The main building of the Fergusson College.

Most colleges in Pune are affiliated to the University of Pune, one of the largest universities in the world in terms of matriculation. The University of Pune was established in 1948. In addition to the University of Pune, there are 5 Deemed Universities : Bharati Vidyapeeth, D.Y.Patil Vidyapeeth, Defence Institute of Advanced Technology, Symbiosis International University and Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth (Sanskrit, Indology, Ayurveda and Social Sciences). Other universities include Deccan College (Archaeology and Linguistics), the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, the SNDT University for Women and Dnyaneshwar Vidyapeeth.

Main article: List of Pune Colleges

Some prominent colleges include the Symbiosis College of Arts and Commerce, College of Engineering, Pune(COEP), Fergusson College, Maharashtra Institute of Technology, Sir Parshurambhau College. These and many other colleges educate students in the arts, sciences and engineering disciplines. The COEP, established in 1854, is one of the oldest colleges in Asia.

There are several prominent engineering and business management schools located in Pune. They comprise a bulk of the student population of Pune.

See also: List of engineering colleges in Pune and List of business schools in Pune

The Film and Television Institute of India and National Film Archives are also located in Pune on Law College road. ILS Law College, established by the Indian Law Society is one of the top 10 law schools in India. Established medical schools such as the Armed Forces Medical College and Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Medical College train students from all over Maharashtra and India and are amongst the top 10 medical colleges in India. Military Nursing College affiliated to AFMC ranks among the top colleges in nursing in the world.

Research Institutes

National Chemical Laboratory

In addition to the University of Pune, Pune is home to diverse research institutions of national importance that supplement higher education. Located adjacent to the university is the National Chemical Laboratory and the Centre for Materials for Electronics Technology (C-MET), while the university campus houses the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics and the National Centre for Cell Science.

The KEM Hospital Research Centre, Central Water and Power Research Station (CW & PRS), National Institute Of Bank Management (NIBM), NIC [National Informatics Centre], the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, the Agarkar Research Institute and the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) are located in Pune and conduct fundamental research for the benefit of India's millions. The National AIDS Research Institute is in Bhosari, a suburb of Pune.

The Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute was established in 1917 and is a world-renowned institute for research and instruction in the Sanskrit and Prakrit languages and houses more than 20,000 ancient manuscripts. The National Institute of Virology and National Insurance Academy are located in Pune. Pune also houses a premier industrial research lab Tata Research Development and Design Centre, a research unit of Tata Consultancy Services, working in the areas of computer science and modeling/simulation for materials processing.

Finally, several military and armament research organizations are also located in Pune.

Education Institutes Dedicated to the Defence Forces

Pune is host to several excellent educational institutes specifically dedicated to Defence forces. They include training institutes such as the well-known National Defence Academy (NDA), College of Military Engineering (CME), Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (DIAT) and Army Institute of Physical Training (AIPT). Medical students are trained at the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC) and at Military Nursing Service (MNS) to serve the armed forces. The Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL), Research and Development Establishment and Army Institute of Technology (AIT) are also located in Pune.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Pune

Pune is considered by many to be Maharashtra's cultural capital and the form of Marathi spoken in Pune is considered to be the standard form of the language. The culture of Pune encompasses both the traditional Maharashtrian lifestyle that is prevalent in the heart of the city, as well as a modern, progressive outlook resulting from its being a hub for education and liberal thought. People from multiple religions and speaking different regional languages reside here. It also hosts various national festivals and cultural events throughout the year.

In recent years it has also been a leader in Trance and Techno movements, alongside Goa and Mumbai. Due to a large student population, Pune also hosts many youth festivals such as Verve annually.

Ganapati (Ganesha) Festival

File:DagdushethGanpati2005.jpg

Dagdusheth Ganpati

It was in Pune in 1894 that Lokmanya Tilak initiated the concept of the "Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav" — the collective communal celebration of the festival of Lord Ganesha. During the month of August or September each year, the city celebrates the Hindu festival of Ganesh Chaturthi. Almost every neighborhood puts up a pandal with an idol of Lord Ganesha, often amidst a mythological setting, complete with decorative lights and festive music. The 10-day festival culminates in a carnival-like procession along the busy thoroughfares of the city, with every pandal leading the idol on a float to finally immerse (visarjan) it in the local rivers. This is one of the most important yearly events in the city.

During this time, the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation organizes the month-long Pune Festival which hosts classical dance and music recitals, a film and drama festival, automobile rallies and some traditional sports.

Religion

Chaturshringi Temple

The Chaturshringi goddess is the reigning deity of the city of Pune. A temple dedicated to the goddess is situated on the slopes of a mountain in the northwest part of the city. In the month of September there is a huge procession for the Navaratris and people flock in to visit and receive blessings of the Goddess.

Another famous temple is the Parvati Temple, located on a hill in Pune.

Pune was also home to a considerable population of the Indian Jewish community, the Bene Israel. It is home to Asia's largest synagogue (outside Israel), The Ohel David Synagogue (Popularly called Lal Deval - the Red Temple ).

Close to Pune, near the Malavali hills, is the Vedanta Academy, founded by one of the world's most noted exponents of Vedanta, Swami Parthasarathy. The academy offers free Vedantic education to young seekers from all corners of the world.

The Shrutisagar Ashram, located at Phulgaon village off Ahmednagar road, houses the Vedanta Research Centre and a unique temple of Lord Dakshinamurthy situated near the confluence of rivers Bhima, Bhama and Indrayani. It was established in 1989 by Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati. Here one can find detailed Marathi and English explanations of the great 'Shruti' and 'Smruti' which include Vedas, Bhagwat Gita, Upanishads and Purana.

Radha Kunjbihari temple, situated at the heart of the city is becoming attraction for the thousands of youths across the India. This temple belongs to ISKCON(International Society for Krishna Consciousness).

Spirituality

With 200,000 visitors annually, the Osho International Meditation Resort in Pune is one of the largest spiritual growth centres in the world

The spiritual teacher Osho (Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh) resided and taught in Pune for much of the 1970s and 1980s. The lush green Osho International Meditation Resort, one of the world's largest places dedicated to meditation and personal development, is located in the Koregaon Park area and attracts a great number of national and international visitors to the city . Pune is also the birth place of spiritual guru Meher Baba.

Pune has become an important place for Yoga education since world famous legendary Yoga Master B. K. S. Iyengar established his Yoga Institute and where teachers of Yoga from all over the world come for final education. His books Light on Yoga and Light on Pranayama are translated in 18 languages world wide and considered textbooks of Yoga, while his Iyengar Yoga System is recognized for school education internationally.

Close to Pune are the villages of Alandi and Dehu where the religious saint Sant Dnyaneshwar and poet Sant Tukaram lived during the 13th and 17th centuries respectively. Each year thousands of pilgrims from all over Maharashtra gather here and start 'Wari' which is the procession carrying 'palkhi's of Sant Dnyaneshwar and Sant Tukaram to Pandharpur. Pandharpur is the home to Lord Vitthal and is about 300 km from Pune. All pilgrims walk this distance to reach Pandharpur on the auspicious day of 'Aashadhi Ekadasshi' when the 'Wari' ends.

Sawai Gandharva Music Festival

In December Pune hosts the Sawai Gandharva Music Festival. It is dedicated to the classical forms of music — both Hindustani and Carnatic. Many renowned artists perform through 3 consecutive days creating a hype unique to this city. It is one of the most eagerly awaited festivals in the city, and it attracts music lovers from Pune and other parts of Maharashtra and India.

Literature and Theatre

Pune has given birth to or attracted a body of organization for the Marathi literati. Marathi Theatre (Drama नाटक — रंगभूमी ) is an integral part of Marathi culture. Both — Experimental (प्रायोगिक रंगभूमी) and Professional Theatre — receive whole-hearted patronage from the Marathi community. Tilak Smarak Mandir, Bala Gandharva Rangmandir, Bharat Natya Mandir, Yashwantrao Chavan Natyagriha and Sudarshan Rangmanch continue to serve these art forms.

Pune have several arts institutes.

Historical and architectural Attractions

Apart from its various temples, other historical attractions in and around Pune include the rock-cut Pataleshwar cave temple, Aga Khan Palace, Shaniwarwada, Lal Mahal, Shinde Chhatri and Sinhagad fort.

The city is also known for its British Raj "bungalow architecture" and the Garden Cities Movement layout of the Cantonment in the early Twentieth Century. Christopher Charles Benninger landmark architectural works surround the city, including the Mahindra United World College of India, the Centre for Development Studies and Activities, the YMCA Retreat at Nilshi and the Samundra Institute of Maritime Studies.

Museums, Parks and Zoos

Prominent museums in Pune include the Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum, Mahatma Phule Museum, Babasaheb Ambedkar Museum, Pune Tribal Museum and the National War Museum.

Pune has a number of public gardens, such as the Kamala Nehru Park, Sambhaji Park, Shahu Udyan, Peshwe Park, Saras Baug, Empress Garden and Bund Garden. The Pune-Okayama Friendship Garden is located on Sinhagad road, and is also named as Pu La Deshpande Udyan. It is a recreation of the Korakuen Garden in Okayama, Japan.

The Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park is located at Katraj, close to the city . The zoo, which was earlier located at Peshwe Park was merged with the reptile park at Katraj.

Food

Pune has a variety of foods and cuisines. A common meal item is bhakri-pitla, or flat millet pancakes and flour-based curry. Savoury items such as chivda and bakarvadi, and sweets are available in various shops and restaurants. Street vendors also offer snacks such as vada pav, bhelpuri, misal and kacchi dabeli. One can also find the mastani, a thick milkshake with dried fruits, which is named after Queen Mastani of the Peshwas.

Several restaurants in Pune offer Udupi cuisine, Kolhapuri cuisine, Maharashtrian cuisine and other Indian and Western cuisines. Pune has many dining Halls spread out across the city catering to students and office goers. These are modest sit-down eateries that serve all-you-can-eat meals at affordable prices. Indian and western fastfood franchises such as Dosa Plaza, Pizza Hut, McDonalds, Subway, KFC, Smokin Joes and Papa Johns have outlets in the city, and are comparatively more expensive. There are several coffee houses (including Irani cafes) and modern chains such as Cafe Coffee Day, Mocha's and Barista Coffee.

Entertainment

Pune has many multiplexes and cinema theatres, showing the latest Bollywood and Hollywood movies. These multiplexes are situated in various parts of the city. Marathi movies are screened at Prabhat and City Pride. Multiplexes include INOX near Pune station, E Square on University road, City Pride on Satara road, City Pride at Kothrud, Adlabs Cinemas at Kalyani Nagar and Chinchwad Fame Jai Ganesh at Akurdi, Pimpri-chinchwad,Mangala at Corporation, Rahul on university ROad. Other than the cinema there are various other leisure facilities such as go-karting at Manas Resorts and the Pancard club. a bowling alley at 3D Destination Pune Theatres and Cinema Halls

In addition to this, there are cultural resorts in Pune like Sanskriti in Hadapsar, Chokhi Dani in Wagholi, Abhiruchi on Sinhagad Road.

Pune is among the best party destinations in the country due to the large number of students and young software & BPO professionals. Brimming with people from multinational cultures, flocking to Pune for its cultural and spiritual significance, discos, pubs and bars are commonplace in Pune.

Pune is also home to a Salsa community. Pune has regular Salsa nights conducted at Mauve Lounge Bar, Koregaon Park by MySalsaWorld, a Salsa dance school based in Pune. Mauve conducts regular Salsa parties. Other Clubs like Lush, Zync, Gaya & Leather Lounge have also conducted Salsa parties at their clubs. There are a number of schools in Pune that teach Salsa dance - LDC, MySalsaWorld and Flame are just a few prominent ones.

Neighborhoods

Main article: Pune Neighborhoods

The city of Pune can be divided into the following zones:

• Central Pune: consisting of roughly seventeen peths, or neighborhoods. These were established and developed during the Maratha and Peshwa rule, and are referred to as the old city.
• Inner Pune: consisting of Deccan Gymkhana, Erandwane and Shivajinagar in the west, Camp, Dhole-Patil Road, and Koregaon Park in the east, and Swargate, Parvati, Mukundnagar, Maharshinagar, Gultekdi, and Salisbury Park in the South. On the north, the inner city is bounded by the Mula-Mutha river.
• Outer Pune: including the newer developed areas of Aundh and Ganeshkhind in the northwest, Kothrud and Paud Road in the west, Dattawadi, Sahakarnagar and Dhankawadi in the southwest, Bibvewadi, Lullanagar, and upper Kondhwa in the southeast, and Ghorpadi, Fatimanagar, Wanowrie and Hadapsar South in the east.
• Suburbs: including Baner and Pashan in the northwest, Bavdhan and Warje in the west, Wadgaon, Dhayari and Ambegaon in the southwest, Katraj, Lower Kondhwa, Undri and Mohammedwadi in the southeast, Hadapsar North, Mundhwa, and Manjri in the east, Wadgaon Sheri and Kharadi in the northeast, and Dhanori and Kalas in the north.

The Pune metropolitan area also includes the following areas, located roughly to the northwest of Pune city. These are administered by the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation.

• Pimpri and its surroundings: Chikhli, Kalewadi, Kasarwadi, Phugewadi, and Pimple Saudagar.
• Chinchwad and its surroundings: Thergaon, Tathawade, and Talawade.
• Sangvi and its surroundings: Dapodi, Wakad, Hinjewadi, Pimple Nilakh, and Pimple Gurav.
• Bhosari and its surroundings: Moshi, Dighi, Dudulgaon, and Charholi Budruk.
• Nigdi-Akurdi and its surroundings: Ravet, Dehu Road, and Somatne.

Media and Communication

Marathi newspapers such as Sakal, Loksatta, Lokmat, Kesari, Maharashtra Times and Pudhari are popular. English dailies such as The Times of India, Indian Express and Sakaal Times (formerly the Maharashtra Herald) have editions based in Pune, with additional local supplements.

Star Maajha, Zee Marathi, Doordarshan Sahyadri and ETV Marathi, Me Marathi, are popular television channels. Many English and Hindi entertainment and news channels are watched as well. Pune has FM Radio services as well running for last few years. Though Radio Mirchi (98.3 MHz) tops the popularity rating, AIR FM (101.MHz),Radio City(91.10), Radio One (94.30) and Vidyavaani (Pune Universities' own FM Channel) have their presence felt.

There are plans to make Pune India’s first wireless city. Intel Corporation, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Microsense joined hands to commercially roll out the first phase of a 802.16d Wi-Fi and WiMax network in the city. The first phase of the Unwire Pune project deployment would provide wireless connectivity in a 25 km² expanse of the city. After the completion of the first phase, in around four months, Pune Municipal Corp is planning to make services commercially available to citizens offering a speed of 256 kbit/s.

Sports and Recreation

Popular games in Pune include cricket, Basketball, badminton, field hockey, soccer, tennis, kabaddi, kho-kho, rowing, and chess. The rules of badminton were first formalized in Pune in 1873.

Cricket is played between clubs affiliated to the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA), which maintains a domestic cricket team (the Maharashtra cricket team). This team, one of three based in the state of Maharashtra, competes in interstate matches and leagues, such as the Ranji Trophy.

The Pune International Marathon is an annual marathon conducted in Pune.

Prominent sporting institutions in Pune include the Nehru Stadium, the Deccan Gymkhana, PYC Hindu Gymkhana and the Shiv Chattrapati Sports Complex at Balewadi. The Nehru Stadium is the home ground of the Maharashtra cricket team, and has hosted many prominent cricket events, including one of the matches in the 1996 Cricket World Cup. The Deccan Gymkhana has hosted Davis Cup matches on several occasions. The Shiv Chattrapati Sports Complex hosted the National Games in 1994, and is slated to host the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games. The Royal Connaught Boat Club is one of several boating clubs on the Mula-Mutha river. A newer cricket stadium is to be constructed by 2010, near Gahunje village on the Mumbai-Pune expressway.

Prominent sportspersons hailing from Pune include cricketer D. B. Deodhar, father-son cricketing duo Hemant and Hrishikesh Kanitkar, tennis players Radhika Tulpule, Gaurav Natekar and Nitin Kirtane, and table-tennis player Aniket Koparkar. Abhijeet Kunte and Pravin Thipse are national champion chess players. Local MP Suresh Kalmadi is also the president of the Indian Olympic Association.

The only adventure sports in India is organized by NEF in Pune and is called Enduro3. It attracts participants from all over India and is normally a 2-3 day event with activities like cycling, trekking, river-crossing, rifle shooting, etc.

Pune has given many well known sports personalities to the nation which includes Abhijit Kunte(Chess GM), Hrishikesh Kanitkar(Cricket), Dhanraj Pille(Hocky) and so on.

Sister cities

Pune has Sister City agreements with the following cities:

• - Bremen, Germany
• - San Jose, California USA (since 1992)

External links

• Government of India website for Pune City and District
• Pune City & District PRIME WEB PORTAL
• Pune Municipal Corporation E-Governance
• Pune Yellow Pages - Complete Guide to Pune City
• Template:Wikitravel
• Pune at Wikimapia
• Template:Dmoz
• Pune's Community Portal - PuneScoop.com
• PMPML[Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd
• Helpline For You, Pune