Pune

Coordinates: 18°32′N 73°51′E / 18.53, 73.85 Pune (pronounced /ˈpuːneɪ/, Marathi: पुणे) is a city located in the western Indian state of Maharashtra. Capital of Pune District and the 8th largest urban agglomeration in India with a population of 5 million, it is the second largest city in the state of Maharashtra. It is located roughly 150 kilometers east of Mumbai at an altitude of 560 meters above sea level. It is situated at the eastern edge of the Western ghats on the Deccan plateau.

Pune is widely considered the cultural capital of Maharashtra. Pune has several reputed colleges and other educational institutions^[1] — for this reason it is called the Oxford of the East (or 'Oxford of India'). It has a very strong presence in the automobile sector and is on its way to consolidate its position as the 'Detroit of India'^[2] too. It is now home to many software and IT companies.It is also called as "Queen of Deccan".

Name

Pune derives its name from Punya Nagari, or the city of virtuous deeds. Pune started out as Punya-Vishaya or Punak Vishaya — an agricultural settlement in AD 937.^[3] By the 13th century, it had come to be known as Kasbe Pune or Punavadi when under the Sultan rule. It was known alternatively as Poona by the British; but it has regained prominence as "Pune" in the past few years.

History

Medieval Times

The original agricultural settlement had become known as Punnaka by the 8th century. The earliest evidence (copper plates dating 758 AD and 768 AD) reveals that this region was ruled by the Rashtrakutas. The Pataleshwar rock-cut temple complex in the middle of the city was built in this era.

Pune came under Mughal rule in the 17th century.

Until circa 1818, it continued to be ruled by various dynasties, especially the Nizamshahi Sultans, Mughals, and the Marathas. During the mid 17th century it became the temporary residence of the Maratha King Shivaji. Maximum Peths (sections) of the city have established during Shivaji Raje’s Period like, Guruwar, Somwar, Ganesh, Ghorpade later during Peshwa period Peths like Sadashiv, Narayan, Rasta and Nana Peths were developed. In 1749 A.D, it gained prominence as the capital of the Peshwa, prime minister of the Maratha King Shahu. It was during this period that the city expanded considerably. ^[4]

Maratha Empire

Pune is inextricably linked to the life of the Maratha hero and king, Chhatrapati Shivaji. The era of Pune's fame began when Chhatrapati Shivaji came to stay here with his mother Jijabai in 1635-1657. They lived in a mansion known as "Lal Mahal," a monument can be visited at its original location in the city. According to local lore, the Kasba Ganapati Mandir, regarded as the presiding deity of the city (gramadevata), was built by Jijabai.^[5]

In the early 18th century, prime minister of Chhatrapati Shahu, Peshwe Baji Rao I wanted to make Pune his home, which was agreed to by the king. He built his palace on a slightly raised ground near the Mutha river. The fortified palace is known as Shaniwar Wada. Shaniwar Wada is considered by many to be the focal point of the old city of Pune. It was during the Peshwa period that Pune became virtually the Capital of India and center of peshwa rule that extended from Pune to Attock in Pakistan and Pune soon rose to prominence.

A historical fort at Kharda commemorates the Battle of Kharda fought between the Maratha Confederacy under the Peshwa at Poona and the Nizam of Hyderabad, in 1795. After this event, the Maratha Confederacy started disintegrating and internal strife was evident in many incidents, for example the Battle of Poona in 1802 which took place near Pune between Hadapsar and Loni.

Conflict with the British

1817 saw a war breaking out between the Marathas and the British. A battle was fought in Kirkee (now "Khadki"), a town earlier outside the Pune city (though at present is considered to be well within the city limits). The Peshwas were defeated and the British forces took over the town. The British realized the importance of the city and built a large cantonment to the east of the city. Later, Pune was pronounced the Monsoon Capital of the Bombay Presidency. The city passed into British rule after the defeat of Marathas in the Battle of Ashti in 1818. Army bases established by the British on the outskirts of the city were later converted into cantonments of Pune and Khadki. The Pune Municipality was established in 1858.

Nanasahib Peshwa, the adopted son of the last Peshwa Bajirao II, rose against British East India Company rule, in 1856-58 (Indian Mutiny). He was helped by Queen of Jhansi (princely state) and Tantiya Tope, one of the generals from Indian Mutiny Army. Both of these were closely connected to Pune.^{[citation needed]} That was the last fight with the British by the Maratha people of Pune.^{[citation needed]}

During the struggle for Indian independence, Pune took its place as an important center for social and religious reform movements that were sweeping the country. The presence of Bal Gangadhar Tilak dominated the political scene for six decades during this period. It was the home to some reformers who were stalwarts of the national movement, like Mahadev Govind Ranade, R.G Bhandarkar, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Maharshi Vitthal Ramji Shinde and Jyotirao Phule.

Geography

Pune is located at 18° 31' 22.45" North 73° 52' 32.69" East (See satellite view), near the western margin of the Deccan Plateau.

Pune lies on the leeward side of the Sahyadri ranges and Western Ghats, 560 m (1837 ft) above the sea level, at the confluence of Mula and Mutha rivers, which are tributaries of the Bhima. Two more rivers, Pavana and Indrayani traverse the Northwestern outskirts of the urban area. The Sinhagad-Katraj-Dive Ghats range is the Southern Boundary of the urban area. The highest point in the city is Vetal Hill in Pune (800 m or 2625 ft above sea level) whereas the highest point just outside the urban area is the Sinhagad Fort (1300 m or 4265 ft above sea level).

Pune lies in the seismically active zone of Koyna Region, which is about 100 km south of Pune. Pune has recently been upgraded to lie in the zone IV, which is the second most dangerous seismic zone in India. Pune has experienced some moderate-intensity and many low-intensity earthquakes. Although earthquakes were not known to have originated in Pune itself, an earthquake of magnitude 3.2 took place in the Katraj region near Pune on 17 May 2004.^[6]

Climate

Pune has a moderate climate with average temperatures ranging between 23°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). Contrary to most of the Deccan Plateau where May is the warmest month, the warmest month in Pune is April. The city often receives locally developed heavy thundershowers with sharp downpours in May. Though the temperatures plunge in this month, the summer heat accompanied by high humidity can be occasionally quite oppressive. Nevertheless, the nights in Pune are significantly cooler compared to most other parts in this region owing to its high altitude.

Monsoon winds blowing from the Arabian sea are a welcome relief in June, bringing with them heavy showers. Pune receives moderate rainfall. The city receives an annual rainfall of 722 mm, mainly between June and September as the result of southwest monsoon. July is the wettest month of the year. Though the rainfall is comparatively lower than in the adjoining Western ghats, steady spells of heavy rain sometimes disrupt normal life in the city. The spells of continuous rainfall may stretch to many days or even a few weeks. Pune has, on record, received rainfall for 29 consecutive days (Days when rainfall is greater than 2.5 mm). However, the weather is very pleasant in the city even during the monsoons with temperature ranging from 10 to 28 °C (50 to 82 °F) and cool pleasant winds blowing in from the west.

As the monsoon winds recede, the day temperatures rise again in October with cooler nights signalling the onset of winter. Pune experiences winter from November to February. This is the best season to visit Pune. Pleasant windy days, clear skies and cool nights make it the most enjoyable time of the year. The day 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). On particularly cold days, wind may appear to be very chilly due to the dryness of air. Rain is very rare in this season.

Temperature records: The highest temperature recorded was 110 °F (43.3 °C) on 30 April 1987 and 7 May 1889. The lowest temperature recorded during 1881–1940 was 35 °F (1.7 °C) in 17 January 1935. More recently, Pune recorded a lowest temperature of 2.8 °C on January 1991.^[7]

Climate Table

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Mean daily maximum temperature (°C)	28	30	34	36	35	30	27	26	28	30	28	27
Mean daily temperature (°C)	20	22	26	28	29	26	25	24	25	25	22	20
Mean daily minimum temperature (°C)	08	13	17	21	23	23	22	22	21	19	14	10
Average precipitation	0	0	0	1	3	12	17	10	12	8	2	0
Source: Weatherbase

Economy

Pune is a major industrial centre, growing rapidly every year. It is home to one of the world's largest two-wheeler manufacturers, Bajaj Auto. Other automobile majors are Tata Motors, India's largest passenger car and commercial vehicle manufacturer, DaimlerChrysler, which has an assembly line for its Mercedes-Benz brand, Kinetic Engineering and Force Motors Ltd (previously known as Bajaj Tempo). It is soon going to house General Motors, Volkswagan, FIAT who have annouced their plans to set shops around Pune. Auto component major TATA Autocomp Systems Limited (TACO) is based primarily in Pune. TACO has manufacturing units in various industrial zones of Pune and outskirts. Engineering goods industries situated in Pune are Bharat Forge Ltd, the world's second largest forging company, Cummins Engines Co Ltd, has its Research & Technology India center, Thermax Limited a global player providing sustainable solutions in energy and environment, Alfa Laval, Sandvik Asia, Thyssen Krupp (formerly Buckau Wolff), KSB Pumps, Finolex, Greaves India and Forbes Marshall, among others. Electronic goods giants like Whirlpool and LG have appliance manufacturing plants. Food majors like Frito Lay and Coca Cola also have their food processing plants. Black & Veatch, a large global engineering and construction company also has a large presence in Pune. Apart from this Pune houses many mid and small industries. The international air connectivity had helped many volume produce growers in the surrounding districts to export their goods conveniently.

Pune has a burgeoning software industry, thanks to the presence of IT parks like Rajiv Gandhi IT Park at Hinjewadi, Magarpatta Cybercity, MIDC Software Technology Park at Talawade, Marisoft IT Park at Kalyani Nagar, International Convention Center (ICC), Weikfield IT Park etc. Many of India's major software players such as Reflexis Systems, Starent Networks,Fiserv, TietoEnator, Amdocs, Infosys,Ambujex TCS, Tech Mahindra, Wipro, Cognos, Atos Origin, Oracle Corporation, Sasken, Calsoft, Krawler Networks, Cybage, Cognizant, Tata Elxsi, Fluent, Xansa, John Deere Technology Center, Patni, Satyam, Cybage, KPIT Cummins, Aztecsoft (Disha), Persistent Systems, Pyxis Systems Pvt. Ltd., Geometric Limited, Neilsoft , Nihilent Technologies, Encodex Technologies, BladeLogic, and Capgemini previously Kanbay, have a major presence in Pune. Global majors like Accenture, BMC Software, NVIDIA, HSBC Global Technology, TIBCO, IBM, Dell, Red Hat, Siemens, EDS, Amdocs, UGS, I-Flex, Cognizant, Symantec, SunGard Data Systems, Global Graphics Software, Versant Inc., Zensar Technologies, eGain Corp., Syntel Limited, [3] GamCom Solutions which also has office in Harrow, London UK, T-Systems and SAS Research and Development India Pvt Ltd have a major presence in Pune. Pune is also emerging as a prominent city for BPO due to the availability of skilled English speaking manpower. BPO companies like WNS, Convergys, Infosys BPO, EXL, Wipro BPO, Next, vCustomer and Mphasis have started operations in Pune. Several hardware and VLSI companies like Ingot Systems are also located in Pune. Several HR consultants have their operations in Pune to meet the ever growing demand for a highly specialised workforce.

To meet the demands of this explosive economic growth in Pune, the state is planning a 1,000 MW power plant which will exclusively serve Pune. MIDC is the lead agency for the project.^[8]

Civic Administration

Pune Urban Agglomeration comprises 5 civic bodies, namely

• Pune Municipal Corporation
• Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC)
• Khadki (Also called Kirkee) Cantonment Board (KCB)
• Pune Cantonment Board (PCB)
• Dehu Road Cantonment Board

The main city is administered by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). The executive power of the corporation is vested in the Municipal Commissioner, an IAS officer appointed by the state government. The corporation consists of directly elected corporators headed by a titular Mayor. The mayor has few executive powers. The PMC is in charge of the civic needs and infrastructure of the metropolis. Pune is divided into forty-eight municipal wards, each overseen by an Assistant Municipal Commissioner for administrative purposes. The corporators of the administration are voted through a popular vote and almost all the state political parties field their candidates.

The city is in the Haveli Taluka (county) in Pune District, Maharashtra. The district is under the jurisdiction of the District Collector. The collectors are in charge of property records and revenue collection for the Central government. They also oversee the national elections held in the city.

Like other metropolises in India, the Pune Police is headed by a Police Commissioner, an IPS officer. The Pune Police comes under the state Home Ministry.

Pune as a military station

Pune is an important cantonment town since the first decade of the nineteenth century. Headquarters of the Indian Army's Southern Command is located here.^[9] Pune is one of the alma maters of the Sappers of the Indian Army as the College of Military Engineering and the Bombay Engineering Group and Centre are located here. The prestigious National Defence Academy at Khadakwasla is considered to be the equivalent of West Point except that the cadets of all services are trained together. The Armed Forces Medical College trains doctors and nurses for the three services. The city is also a hub for the Army's physical training and sports needs with the Army Institute of Physical Training and the Army Sports Institute being located here.

The battles of Kirkee and Koregaon were fought here in the early nineteenth century and an old war memorial is located opposite Sassoon Hospital (named after David Sassoon, member of the Jew community and buried in Pune). A new war memorial, the National War Memorial (Maharashtra) is located in Pune cantonment near Ghorpuri. The memorial commemorates the sacrifice of the soldiers of the Indian Armed Forces, belonging to Maharshtra, who lost their lives in the conflicts fought by independent India.

Transport

See also: Roads of Pune

Pune is well-connected by road, rail, and air to most major cities in India such as Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Delhi, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Indore, Lucknow and Chennai. Pune Airport is an international hub with flights connecting to Singapore and Dubai. There are three arterial roads passing through the Pune Metropolitan Region (PMR). All the three are highway-style roads. Recently a series of flyovers and underpasses have been built on these highways. All the three highways are of four lanes (2 up-2 down, excluding service lane). First is the Old Mumbai-Pune Highway, which starts at Nigdi and ends at Shivaji Nagar. The second is the Western Bypass Highway, which starts at Dehu Road and ends at Katraj, skirting the city from its western border. The third one starts at Aundh and links to the Old Mumbai-Pune Highway at Shivaji Nagar and then runs along Bund Garden and ends at the north-eastern border of the city, later forming Pune-Ahmednagar State Highway.

The Government of Maharashtra has entrusted responsibility for creating a new Pune International Airport project to MIDC. The area between Chakan and Rajgurunagar, around the villages of Chandus and Shiroli, is currently under consideration as a site for the airport, situated 40 km from Pune GPO along the Pune - Nashik National highway (NH-50).

The city has two railway stations, Pune and Shivajinagar. Local trains connect Pune to the industrial towns of Khadki, Pimpri and Chinchwad, and Lonavala. A new broad gauge line between Karjat and Panvel has shortened the distance between Pune and Mumbai by 30 Kilometers. Road travel between Pune and Mumbai has improved significantly with the construction of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway Inter-city luxury buses, both state owned and private ones, also connect Pune with major cities like Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru.

The Maharashtra state transport buses facilitate travel to rural areas surrounding Pune.

Public Transport

PMPML[PUNE MUNICIPAL TRANSPORT] has bus routes throughout the city and its suburbs. The PMPML is running a pilot project for buses with dedicated lanes, called Pune Bus Rapid Transit. Pune has a Light Rail/ SkyBus /Light Metro Rail proposal for implementation on both Pune Municipal Corporation, PCMC and MSRDC plans.

Within the city, auto rickshaw is the common mode of taxi transport. Air-conditioned blue-and-white "cool cabs" operate on pre-paid fare basis between Pune and Mumbai. (These are likely to be found only at Pune Airport and Pune Railway Station.)

Private Transport

The public transport infrastructure is currently highly strained. Thus the number of personal cars and 2-wheelers in the city is staggering. According to one study in 2007, there were then 400,000 cars and 1.6 million two-wheelers in the Pune urban agglomeration. More than 200,000 vehicles are added to the traffic in Pune every year.

Inter-city, Inter-state transport

The most used routes from Pune are Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Nasik, Ahmedabad, Shirdi, Kolhapur and Goa. Buses leave for Mumbai every 15 minutes from the Pune station. This is one of the most-used boarding points because of the availability of choice. Tickets can either be purchased from a travel agent in the city.

Demographics

The urban agglomeration around Pune has a population of 5,050,000 in 2008. This figure includes the population of the city of Pimpri-Chinchwad, which is the industrial twin of Pune. Of late, the city has witnessed a sizeable investment in the software and automobile sectors, resulting in an influx of skilled labor from all over India.

The areas under Pune City (PMC), PCB (Pune Cantonment Board) and KCB (Khadki Cantonment Board) have a combined population of 3.6 million as of 2008. The areas under Pimpri-Chinchwad (PCMC) and DCB (Dehu Road Cantonment Board) have a combined population of 1.4 million.

Several suburbs are now completely cosmopolitan and real-estate prices have soared since 2003. Notably, even though Pune is the seventh largest city in India, it has the sixth largest metropolitan economy and the highest per capita income in India, with the least income disparity between the rich and poor.^[10]

Marathi is the major language in Pune. English is understood and spoken by the educated class. Hindi is also widely understood and spoken.

Culture

Pune is a modern, progressive and vibrant city. Pune is Maharashtra's cultural capital and the form of Marathi spoken in Pune is considered to be the standard form of the language.^[11] Pune is a vibrant cultural city and people from multiple religions and speaking different regional languages reside here. It also hosts various national festivals and cultural events throughout the year. People of Pune have wide interests in various Arts, Literature, Music, Spiritualism and Food. In recent years it has also been a leader in Trance and Techno movements, alongside Goa and Mumbai. The city is well known for its British Raj "bangalow 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, the Samundra Institute of Maritime Studies, the International School Aamby and many others.

Pune also has many malls, cafes, food chains, bookstores, etc. Barista, McDonalds, KFC, Crossword / Landmark bookstores and many other chains have multiple outlets in various areas of the city. Due to a large student population, Pune also hosts many youth festivals such as Verve annually.

Ganapati (Ganesha) Festival

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.

Shreemant Dagadusheth Halwai presented by Shailendra Kekade.

Sawaai 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.

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 Su-darshan Rangmanch continue to serve these art forms.

One of the main theatre activity centers is the Su-darshan Rangamanch run by Maharashtra Cultural Center, a leading public charitable trust active in cultural activities. The trust has its own mini theatre as well as an art gallery where many amateur theatre groups perform their plays, music and dance programmes.

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. Other than the cinema there are various other leisure facilities such as go-karting at Manas Resorts and the Pancard club.^[12] a bowling alley at 3D Destination^[13]

Religion and Spirituality

Religion in Pune is sometimes synonymous with the Ganapati Utsav and the city is also famous for its Ganesh temples.

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.

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 ). Pune is also the birth place of Meher Baba.

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 Center 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, Hindi 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 becomming attraction for the thousands of youths across the India. This temple belongs to ISKCON(International Society for Krishna Consciousness).

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.^[14]

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 City are the villages of Alandi and Dehu where Sant Dnyaneshwar and Sant Tukaram belong. 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.

Zoos and Parks

Pune has a number of public gardens, such as the Kamala Nehru Park, Sambhaji Park, Shahu Udyan, Peshwe Park, Saras Baug and Bund Garden. The city has a zoological garden which was earlier at Peshwe Park and has now been relocated at Katraj and known as Rajiv Gandhi National Park at the site of the erstwhile Snake Park which now forms part of it. Pune has got the unique Japanese garden of Okoyama in Japan. It is named after Pune's beloved and versatile author P. L. Deshpande (also known as PuLa) as Pu La Deshpande Udyan. This garden is an exact replica of the Japanese Garden at Okoyama (Japan).

Food

Pune residents are known for their fondness for food. Among the plethora of food available are a large variety of sweets, notable places are Karachi Regal Sweets, Bhavnagari, Chitale Bandhu Mithaiwale and Kaka Halwai. Pune has its very own variety of Thick milk-shakes with ice-cream scoops topped with chopped dried fruits called Mastaani (मस्तानी). Notable places are Sujata Cold Drinks, Gurjur Mastani and Kawre Cold Drinks. Light snacks like fresh potato chips called wafers, a fried spicy snack called Chiwda (िचवडा) a fried potato pattie and bun sandwich called Vada pav are available everywhere. Another food item unique to Maharashtra, Misal - a mixture of sprouted cereals, spiced flattened rice, lots of spices & special Tarri (gravy) with bread, is available in almost all restaurants. Besides this, Pune has many places serving south indian food, notable places are Coffee House at Camp, Madhuban and Southern Spice at Dhole Patil Road and Vaishali Restaurant at F.C. Road and Shivsagar located both on F.C. Road and on D.P. Road in Aundh and Gujarati and Rajasthani food, notable places being Mayur, Rajdhani, Rutugandh. One can taste Kolhapuri cuisine at restaurants in the old city like Durga, Tiranaga, Trushna. Apart from Indian food, Western food like Pizza, Burgers, Italian, Mediterranean, Spanish is also easily available here. All popular food chains like Pizza Hut, McDonalds, Subway, KFC, Dominos, Pizza Express, Smokin Joe's etc have their presence in Pune. The Camp area — Main street/M.G. Road and East street, Dhole Patil Road, Jungli Maharaj Road, and Fergusson College Road are some of the more popular hangouts for food lovers.

Pune has many Dining Halls spread out across the city catering to outstation students and office goers residing in the city. These are modest sit-down eateries that serve all-you-can-eat meals at affordable prices. The stiff competition ensures that every place has something unique to offer, besides the good standard and rich menu list. Pune's young professionals routinely eat at these places during work hours, while spending their free time hanging out at parks and cafes feasting on street food such as kacchi dabeli (a kind of sandwich), bhel (a spicy puffed rice mix), panipuri (puffy little fried crispy discs filled with sauce) etc. Notable ones are Anna Bhel at Bund Garden, Kalyan Bhel in Bibwewadi, Lullanagr Chowk & Ganesh Bhel in Ganesh Nagar & Karvenagar. Kaathi Kabab at East street or near Kapila Hotel and Cafe Blue Nile, George Restaurant, Durga Biryani house and Cafe Goodluck for biryani are very popular amongst meat lovers. For 'Misal' Popular ones are Shree (Laxmi Road), Bedekar (Narayan Peth), Shrikrishna (Tulashibaugh) & Ramnath(Tilak Rd),Newale Misalwale (Chicnchwadgaon).

Neighborhoods

See Pune Neighborhoods

Pune City may be divided into the following four zones:

1. Central Pune City (the Peths).

2. Inner Pune City: West-Central Pune City such as Deccan, Erandwane, Shivajinagar. East-Central Pune City such as Camp, Dhole Patil road, Koregaon Park. South-Central Pune City such as Swargate, Parvati, Mukundnagar - Maharshinagar, Gultekdi, Salisbury Park.

3. Outer Pune City: North-West (Aundh-Ganeshkhind), West (Kothrud, Karvenagar, Paud road until Chandni Chowk), South-West (Dattawadi, Sahakarnagar, Dhankawadi), South-East (Bibvewadi, Lullanagar, Upper Kondhwa), East (Ghorpadi, Fatimanagar, Wanowrie, Hadapsar south), North-East (Yerwada-Kalyaninagar, Vimannagar), and North (Vishrantwadi, Tingrenagar).

4. Suburbs of Pune City: North-West (Baner, Pashan), West (Bavdhan, Warje), South-West (Wadgaon, Dhayari, Ambegaon), South-East (Katraj, Lower Kondhwa, Undri, Mohammedwadi), East (Hadapsar north, Mundhwa, Manjri), North-East (Wadgaon Sheri, Kharadi), and North (Dhanori, Kalas).

PCMC contains Sangvi (and surrounding areas such as Dapodi, Wakad, Hinjewadi, Pimple Nilakh, Pimple Gurav), Pimpri (and surrounding areas such as Chikhli, Kalewadi, Kasarwadi, Phugewadi, Pimple Saudagar), Bhosari (and surrounding areas such as Moshi, Dighi, Dudulgaon, Charholi Budruk), Chinchwad (and surrounding areas such as Thergaon, Tathawade, Talawade) and Nigdi-Akurdi (and surrounding areas such as Ravet, Dehu Road, Somatne).

Peths

Peth is the general name for a locality in old Pune. Peths are an important part of Pune culture and were important ingredients of ancient city planning. Some of the Peths are named after the days of the week: Raviwar (Sunday) Peth, Somwar (Monday) Peth, Mangalwar (Tuesday) Peth, Budhwar Peth (Wednesday), Guruwar (Thursday) Peth, Shukrawar (Friday) Peth, and Shaniwar (Saturday) Peth.

Some peths have been named after a major temple located within their boundaries, such as Ganesh Peth, Bhawani Peth and Ganj Peth. Other peths have been named after certain notable Maratha and Peshwa rulers and generals, such as Central Peths by Dadoji Konddev, South Peths by Nilopant Mujumdar, Sadashiv Peth for Sadashivrao Bhau, Nana Peth for Nanasaheb Peshwe, Narayan Peth for Narayanrao Peshwe, Ghorpade Peth for Santaji Ghorpade and Rasta Peth for Sardar Raste. The last peth is the Navi (New) Peth. Currently, many localities are named as "Nagar" such as Sahakarnagar, Shikshaknagar, Vimannagar, Lokmanyanagar, Karvenagar and so on.

List of peths

Peth Name	Developed by	Established in
Somwar Peth	by Dadoji Konddev	in 1636
Mangalwar Peth	by Dadoji Konddev	in 1637
Budhwar Peth	By Aurangzeb	in 1703
Guruwar Peth	By Shahaji Raje	in 1625
Shukrawar Peth	By Nilopant Mujumdar	in 1670
Shaniwar Peth	By Moropant Pingale	in 1675
Raviwar Peth	By Nilopant Mujumdar	in 1670
Nana Peth	By Nana Phadanvis	in 1783
Ghorpade Peth	By Senapati Santaji Ghorpade	in 1692
Bhavani Peth	Sambhaji Raje	in 1682
Kasba Peth	By Rastrakut Kings	in 5th century
Sadashiv Peth	By Sadashivrao Peshwa	in 1757
Narayan Peth	By Narayanarao Peshwa	in 1770
Rasta Peth	By Sardar Raste	in 1780
Navi Peth	During British Rule	after 1818
Ganesh Peth	By Sakharam Bapu Bokil	after 1748
Ganj Peth	During British Rule	after 1818
Mahatma Phule Peth	After Independence	after 1947

Media and Communication

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

Star Maajha, Zee Marathi, Doordarshan Sahyadri and ETV Marathi are popular television channels. Many English, 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) and Vidyavaani (Pune Universities' own FM Channel) have their presence felt.

There are plans to make Pune India’s first wireless city. Intel Technology Pvt Ltd, Pune Municipal Corp (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 at a cost of Rs 250 offering a speed of 256 kbit/s.^{[citation needed]}

Education and Research

See also: List of Pune Colleges and Education in Pune

Pune was called "The Oxford of the east" by Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first Prime Minister, 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.

Educational and Research Hub

Three reputed colleges, College of Engineering, Pune, Sir Parashurambhau College and Fergusson College have been located in Pune since the late 1800s. The Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, a world-renowned institute for research and instruction in the Sanskrit and Prakrit languages currently houses more than 20,000 ancient manuscripts. It was established in Pune in 1917.Another institute called DES(Deccan Education Society) founded by Bal Gangadhar Tilak is well known.This institute was the pioneer in the field of education in Pune.The famous Fergusson college was established by DES.

The SNDT University for Women was established in Pune in 1916. Soon after Indian independence in 1947, the University of Pune, the National Defence Academy and National Chemical Laboratory were established in Pune. In the years to follow several reputed educational and research institutes were established here.

Basic and Special Education

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^{[citation needed]} 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 SSC board or the all-India Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) and CBSE boards. Prominent among Pune schools is the Rewachand Bhojwani Academy, Camp, which has been featured on BBC World recently for its style of education, which is off the beaten track.

Pune is the largest center 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 like St. Vincent's, Loyola's and St. Anne's optionally train students in French, German and Russian from the 8th grade onwards.

University Education

All 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. Some prominent colleges include the Symbiosis College of Arts and Commerce, College of Engineering, Pune(COEP), Fergusson College, Brihan Maharashtra College of Commerce (BMCC), Abasaheb Garware College, Nowrosjee and Ness Wadia College, Sir Parshurambhau (SP) College, and Modern College. These and many other colleges educate students in the arts, sciences and engineering disciplines. Engineering colleges in Pune graduate up to 10,000 engineers in various disciplines every year, especially serving the burgeoning software and IT industry. The COEP, established in 1854, is one of the oldest colleges in Asia.

The famous Film and Television Institute of India and National Film Archives are also located in Pune on Law College road.

Established medical schools such as the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC) and Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Medical College (BJMC) train students from all over Maharashtra and India and are amongst the top 10 medical colleges in India.

Symbiosis Institute of Computer Studies and Research(SICSR),Symbiosis Institute of Management Studies (SIMS),Symbiosis Institute of Telecom Management (SITM), Symbiosis Institute of International Business (SIIB), Symbiosis Institute of Business Management (SIBM), The Institute of Management Development and Research (IMDR), The Sinhgad Institute Of Management, The Department of Management Sciences, University of Pune (PUMBA), Indira Institute of Management (IIM, Pune), The [[N.G. Naralkar Institute are some of the reputed management schools in the city, National Insurance Academy School of Management (NIA SoM) gives unique training to government and non-government insurance students. Government Institute of Agricultural Banking is one of a kind institute giving education in agricultral financial management.

ILS Law College of the Indian Law Society is one of the top 5 law schools in India.

In addition to the statutory universities, Pune boasts of 5 Deemed Universities - Deccan College (Archaeology and Linguistics), Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth (Sanskrit, Indology, Ayurveda and Social Sciences), Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, Bharati Vidyapeeth, PICT and Symbiosis International University

In 2008, the University of Oxford announced that it plans to establish the Oxford University India Business Centre (OUIBC) at Pune. This will be Oxford Saïd Business School's first offshore facility.^[15]

Engineering Colleges

Pune has many engineering colleges. Some of the notable colleges in Pune include

• Army Institute of Technology (AIT)
• AISSMS College of Engineering
• Bharti Vidyapeeth College Of Engineering (B.V.U.C.O.E.)
• College of Engineering, Pune (COEP)
• Cummins College of Engineering for Women
• Dnyaneshwar Vidyapeeth (DV)Autonomous/private
• Pune Institute of Computer Technology (PICT)
• Maharashtra Institute of Technology (MIT)
• Moze College of Engineering Balewadi, Pune
• M.E.S. College of Engineering (M.E.S.C.O.E.)
• Pune Vidyarthi College of Engineering & Technology (PVG)
• Pimpri Chinchwad College of Engineering (PCCOE)
• Vishwakarma Institute of Technology
• Rajarshi Shahu College Of Engineering (RSCOE)
• Sinhgad College of Engineering

See also List of engineering colleges in Pune

Research Institutes

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, Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute [BORI] and the National Centre for Cell Science.

The Central Water and Power Research Station (CW & PRS), the (National Insurance Academy), 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 National Center for Cell Science, an institute for research in animal cell biology is situated in the University of Pune while the National Institute of Virology( NIV) under government of India is located in Pune Camp. 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.

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) and Army Institute of Physical Training (AIPT). Medical students are trained at the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC) to serve the armed forces. The Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (DIAT), High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL) and Army Institute of Technology are also located in Pune.

Sports and Recreation

Cricket is the most popular sport in Pune, watched and played by many. City clubs affiliated to Maharashtra Cricket Association [MCA] have their own leagues and tournaments. Badminton is also fairly popular among Puneites. The first rules of the game were written in Pune by the British in 1873^[16] and were not dissimilar to those in the modern version of the game. Hence Pune is known as the birthplace of Badminton. Hockey, football, tennis and chess as well as Indian games such as kabaddi and kho-kho are also very popular with schoolgoers and adults alike. Pune annually hosts the Pune International Marathon, which is often dominated by international athletes from Kenya, Ethiopia and Russia. Rowing enthusiasts, such as members of the Royal Connaught Boat Club take to the Mula-Mutha river.

The Nehru Stadium, home of the Maharashtra Cricket Association, has hosted several One Day International cricket matches, including one from the 1996 World Cup where minnows Kenya upset the West Indies. The Deccan Gymkhana is another sporting institution with facilities for cricket, several tennis courts, basketball and swimming, having hosted Davis Cup matches on several occasions. The PYC Hindu Gymkhana located in the heart of the city is another famous place for nurturing sports. The Shiv Chattrapati Sports Complex at Balewadi hosted the National Games in 1994, and is slated to host the Commonwealth Youth Games in 2008.

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

Sister cities

Pune's sister cities are:

Trivia

Pune is one of the Indian cities which has a Martian crater named after it. The other cities/towns are Amet, Bhor, Broach, Kakori, Rayadurg, Sandila and Wer.

References

External links

• Government of India website for Pune City and District
• Pune Municipal Corporation E-Governance
• Pune travel guide from Wikitravel
• Pune at Wikimapia
• Pune at the Open Directory Project
• Pune's Community Portal - PuneScoop.com
• PMPML[Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd

v • d •  Pune related topics
History	Sinhagad · Kasba Peth · Battle of Khadki · Baji Rao I
Government and Politics	Suresh Kalmadi · Pune Municipal Corporation
Buildings and Landmarks	Shaniwar Wada · Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum · Kasba Ganapati · Pataleshwar · Aga Khan Palace · Chaturshringi Temple
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Culture and Sports	Meher Baba · Osho · Sawai Gandharva Music Festival · Royal Connaught Boat Club · 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games · Pune Marathon
Education	Education in Pune · Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute · Fergusson College · University of Pune · Film and Television Institute of India · Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics · College of Engineering, Pune · National Chemical Laboratory · National Defence Academy (India) · Deccan College
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