Holidays place Pune,Maharashtra,india
Holidays place Pune,Maharashtra,india
After Mumbai, Pune has gained importance for academics, culture and the industrial power horse of the western state of Maharashtra. It has one of India''s oldest universities and its numerous colleges attract Indian and international students, the reason why it has also acquired the name "Oxford of the East". But what is most appealing about Pune is its weather, the well - laid avenues and the relaxed ambience.
Historically SpeakingThe town of Pune or Punyenagari as it was called in its earliest avatar has a long history of different dynasties, warring armies, corrupt kings, legendary heroes and Machiavellian politician - rulers. It is believed that a little fortified town existed here some two thousand years ago before its strategic position on the trade routes between the kingdoms of the Deccan Plateau and the Arabian Sea brought it prosperity and prominence during the early Hindu period. The great Maratha leader Shivaji grew up in the city and made Pune the capital of the Maratha Empire he established in the 17th century. After Shivaji"s death, his heirs could not hold his empire together and so their dynasty declined and power passed to the Peshwa, the first of a long line of professional administrators. Under the Peshwas, Pune acquired great political importance and became well known as a centre of learning and culture. Pune remained the seat of the Maratha fiefdom till the British ousted them in 1817 after the historic third battle of Panipat. The city"s proximity to Bombay, then capital of the Bombay Presidency, its pleasant ambience and climate inspired the British to make it their summer headquarters in 1820. The British were quite determined to escape the pre-monsoon humidity, mosquitoes and monsoon flooding in Bombay. Over the years, Pune developed into a major industrial centre with defence, automobile and engineering giants and other factories and corporations making it their base. Contemporary Pune retains a measure of its old charm in pockets like the garrison areas and in old Pune city while the rest of the city has made the inevitable transition into a congested, crowded and polluted urban settlement.
ShoppingDepending on your taste and budget there''s lots of places you can go shopping. At the MG Road shopping centre you can find everything from clothes to shoes to accessories and also household items. If you''d rather go easy on your pockets then head to Tulsi Baug on Bajirao Road for great bargains
on clothes and shoes. Even Fashion Street is a great place to shop for clothes, shoes, fashion accessories and leather items at reasonable prices.
EventsGanesh Chaturthi is a ten-day festival that goes beyond the religious and was revived in the late 19th century by Bal Gangadhar Tilak as a showcase of Indian culture in an effort to rekindle national self-esteem. The festival is celebrated with many cultural and community activities and
culminates with the immersion of idols of the God Ganesh. The ten-day period also coincides with the Pune Festival of classical dance and music concerts, folk dances and a village festival including bullock cart races and wrestling.
Night OutPune is a gourmet"s delight and a dieter"s worst nightmare. Culinary specialities of a couple of dozen countries and regions reflect the cosmopolitan nature of its citizens. The city, its suburbs and outskirts are full of restaurants that serve the entire range of Indian cuisines, as well as Thai,
Chinese, Mexican, Swiss, German, Italian, French and American cuisine. Eating out in restaurants away from the hectic pace of the city has become very popular with Puneites; as a consequence, a string of restaurants has come up on the outskirts where one can dine in peace in the midst of sylvan surroundings. Within the city, different areas suit different tastes and budgets. The MG Road elite shopping centre has good restaurants that serve the best of Chinese, Indian and other international cuisines. Koregaon Park is home base for the Osho Commune and sees a lot of foreign visitors so if you"re looking for Asian, European or organic/health food, that"s the place to go. For South Indian, Mughlai, Rajasthani, Punjabi, Hyderabadi and the spicy street food "chaat" try the Deccan Gymkhana and the Fergusson College Road and for the delights of a filling low cost Indian meal, try Jangli Maharaj Road! Pune has a moderate night life; visitors can choose from a number of bars, pubs and nightclubs that buzz with life as the country"s best DJs play music till the wee hours of the morning. Sports bars, pool clubs and the archetypal Pune Carrom Board "dens" are other great places to flex one"s muscles, mental or otherwise or simply while away a few hours in the company of friends. Nightclubs often have special events like theme nights, fashion shows or rain dances and don"t require even a temporary membership. For the culturally active, Pune always has some or the other program of classical Indian or western music or dance and shows of Marathi theatre at the Bal Gandharva Auditorium.
ActivitiesPanshet Dam about 12 kms from Pune has a great number of thrilling water sports. Kayaking, wind surfing, speed- boats and scooters are all available at the newly developed water sports complex.
SightsThe Aga Khan Palace is an impressive colonial style building. It is of national and historical relevance as the British confined Mahatma Gandhi at the Aga Khan palace under house arrest. The palace"s salons and suites housed leaders of the Freedom Struggle and many an important meeting
was held here during the Quit India Movement in 1942. Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum is an enormous one- man collection of over 17,000 artifacts ranging from items of everyday use to antiques, ornamental doors, miniatures and jewellery. Housed in a traditional Marathi home, most interesting sections of the collection include utensils, betel-nut cutters, combs and other items used by Marathi women down the ages. Shaniwarwada is the erstwhile palace of the Peshwas, was built in 1736 and destroyed in a major fire in 1827. But the remains that include fortified outer walls; a lotus pond and a majestic Nagarkhana give a glimpse of past grandeur. Shinde''s Chhatri is considered one of the architectural highlights of Pune. A "chattri" is a stone structure built over the cremation site of members of the royal family. This one serves as a memorial to the great Maratha warrior, Mahadaji Shinde. The interesting Tribal Museum showcases the culture of Maharashtra"s tribal communities, such as the Marai, Waghdeo, Danteshwari and Bahiram. Saras Baug is a park that houses the famous Ganesh temple built by Madhavrao Peshwa. Set amidst rolling lawns and flowerbeds, Saras Baug is a favourite place for Puneites in the evenings. Lal Deval , the Jewish Synagogue is one of the few synagogues in Western India. David Sassoon built the red brick and trap stone building in the English-Gothic style it in 1867. The synagogue is rarely used as very few Jews are left in India but even from the outside it is an impressive landmark. For a quiet stroll away from the din and bustle of the city, the Empress Botanical Gardens or the Bund Gardens on the embankment across the Mutha-Mula is the perfect place. The Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) is India"s premier institution with courses in all major branches of film making and counts amongst its alumni some of the finest professionals of the country. Pashan Lake is a beautiful lake, home to a variety of migratory and residential birds, 12 km north of the National Defence Academy. The NDA is India"s premier Armed Forces training institution located on the outskirts of Pune at the banks of the Khadakvasla Lake. Once the centre of the powerful Maratha Empire established by Chattrapati Shivaji, Pune and its surrounding hills are dotted with fortifications and fortresses. Sinhagad is an awesome impenetrable fortress built on barren rock at a height of 1,290 m. The sheer cliffs made any assault on the fort futile but Tanaji Malusare, one of Shivaji"s generals did the impossible - he scaled the sheer cliff walls with the help of an iguana or monitor lizard. In honour of his lion hearted general, Shivaji named the fort "Sinhagad", the stronghold of the lion. The fortress is 25 km away from Pune and makes for a good day"s outing. Lohaad and Visapur , 52 km away from Pune are majestic forts built by Shivaji in the 18th century. The forts stand sentinel atop an impressive hill separated by a one km-long ridge and are excellent sites for trekking.
How to get there by AirPune"s airport at Lohegaon is 12 km from the main city centre. Daily flights connect it to Mumbai and Delhi as well as to other cities such as Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai. Private cabs, auto rickshaws or city-airport shuttle buses will cover the distance from the airport to the city centre.
How to get there by RailPune is one of the most important rail junctions in the Central railways zone of Indian Railways. Plenty of trains connect it to major destinations in the south, north and west of the country by mail, express and superfast trains. The Deccan Queen and Shatabdi Express are fast commuter trains from/to
Mumbai, with travelling time of three-and-a-half hours approximately.
How to get there by BusMaharashtra state roadways buses and buses operated by private companies connect the different places in the state to Pune as well as destinations in the neighbouring states of Karnataka, Goa and Andhra Pradesh. Most people travelling to Pune from Mumbai, Nasik or Aurangabad prefer to do so
by road as the distance between Mumbai-Pune is 170 km, Nashik-Pune 209 km and Aurangabad-Pune is 230 km. The roads are well maintained with conveniently located motels and service stations enroute.
Best time to VisitBack in the good old days, Pune"s climate was perfect with summers cool and pleasant and winters mildly cold but industrialisation, urbanisation and the reduction of tree cover have drastically changed the weather patterns. In a city where people didn"t even use fans, summer temperatures average
between 26 "" 40 Celsius and have been known to go as far up as 44 C in May. The summer months last from March to May and early June. The monsoon brings desperately needed rains that cool the city in the months of June, July, August and September with average rainfall around 70 cm. The winter months of late October, November, December and February are very pleasant with average temperatures hovering between 29-10 Celsius. One can safely say that a visit to Pune would be most enjoyable from September to April. This way one avoids the hot summer months as well as the onslaught of the monsoons.
After Mumbai, Pune has gained importance for academics, culture and the industrial power horse of the western state of Maharashtra. It has one of India''s oldest universities and its numerous colleges attract Indian and international students, the reason why it has also acquired the name "Oxford of the East". But what is most appealing about Pune is its weather, the well - laid avenues and the relaxed ambience.
Historically SpeakingThe town of Pune or Punyenagari as it was called in its earliest avatar has a long history of different dynasties, warring armies, corrupt kings, legendary heroes and Machiavellian politician - rulers. It is believed that a little fortified town existed here some two thousand years ago before its
strategic position on the trade routes between the kingdoms of the Deccan Plateau and the Arabian Sea brought it prosperity and prominence during the early Hindu period. The great Maratha leader Shivaji grew up in the city and made Pune the capital of the Maratha Empire he established in the 17th century. After Shivaji"s death, his heirs could not hold his empire together and so their dynasty declined and power passed to the Peshwa, the first of a long line of professional administrators. Under the Peshwas, Pune acquired great political importance and became well known as a centre of learning and culture. Pune remained the seat of the Maratha fiefdom till the British ousted them in 1817 after the historic third battle of Panipat. The city"s proximity to Bombay, then capital of the Bombay Presidency, its pleasant ambience and climate inspired the British to make it their summer headquarters in 1820. The British were quite determined to escape the pre-monsoon humidity, mosquitoes and monsoon flooding in Bombay. Over the years, Pune developed into a major industrial centre with defence, automobile and engineering giants and other factories and corporations making it their base. Contemporary Pune retains a measure of its old charm in pockets like the garrison areas and in old Pune city while the rest of the city has made the inevitable transition into a congested, crowded and polluted urban settlement.
ShoppingDepending on your taste and budget there''s lots of places you can go shopping. At the MG Road shopping centre you can find everything from clothes to shoes to accessories and also household items. If you''d rather go easy on your pockets then head to Tulsi Baug on Bajirao Road for great bargains
on clothes and shoes. Even Fashion Street is a great place to shop for clothes, shoes, fashion accessories and leather items at reasonable prices.
EventsGanesh Chaturthi is a ten-day festival that goes beyond the religious and was revived in the late 19th century by Bal Gangadhar Tilak as a showcase of Indian culture in an effort to rekindle national self-esteem. The festival is celebrated with many cultural and community activities and
culminates with the immersion of idols of the God Ganesh. The ten-day period also coincides with the Pune Festival of classical dance and music concerts, folk dances and a village festival including bullock cart races and wrestling.
Night OutPune is a gourmet"s delight and a dieter"s worst nightmare. Culinary specialities of a couple of dozen countries and regions reflect the cosmopolitan nature of its citizens. The city, its suburbs and outskirts are full of restaurants that serve the entire range of Indian cuisines, as well as Thai,
Chinese, Mexican, Swiss, German, Italian, French and American cuisine. Eating out in restaurants away from the hectic pace of the city has become very popular with Puneites; as a consequence, a string of restaurants has come up on the outskirts where one can dine in peace in the midst of sylvan surroundings. Within the city, different areas suit different tastes and budgets. The MG Road elite shopping centre has good restaurants that serve the best of Chinese, Indian and other international cuisines. Koregaon Park is home base for the Osho Commune and sees a lot of foreign visitors so if you"re looking for Asian, European or organic/health food, that"s the place to go. For South Indian, Mughlai, Rajasthani, Punjabi, Hyderabadi and the spicy street food "chaat" try the Deccan Gymkhana and the Fergusson College Road and for the delights of a filling low cost Indian meal, try Jangli Maharaj Road! Pune has a moderate night life; visitors can choose from a number of bars, pubs and nightclubs that buzz with life as the country"s best DJs play music till the wee hours of the morning. Sports bars, pool clubs and the archetypal Pune Carrom Board "dens" are other great places to flex one"s muscles, mental or otherwise or simply while away a few hours in the company of friends. Nightclubs often have special events like theme nights, fashion shows or rain dances and don"t require even a temporary membership. For the culturally active, Pune always has some or the other program of classical Indian or western music or dance and shows of Marathi theatre at the Bal Gandharva Auditorium.
ActivitiesPanshet Dam about 12 kms from Pune has a great number of thrilling water sports. Kayaking, wind surfing, speed- boats and scooters are all available at the newly developed water sports complex.
SightsThe Aga Khan Palace is an impressive colonial style building. It is of national and historical relevance as the British confined Mahatma Gandhi at the Aga Khan palace under house arrest. The palace"s salons and suites housed leaders of the Freedom Struggle and many an important meeting
was held here during the Quit India Movement in 1942. Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum is an enormous one- man collection of over 17,000 artifacts ranging from items of everyday use to antiques, ornamental doors, miniatures and jewellery. Housed in a traditional Marathi home, most interesting sections of the collection include utensils, betel-nut cutters, combs and other items used by Marathi women down the ages. Shaniwarwada is the erstwhile palace of the Peshwas, was built in 1736 and destroyed in a major fire in 1827. But the remains that include fortified outer walls; a lotus pond and a majestic Nagarkhana give a glimpse of past grandeur. Shinde''s Chhatri is considered one of the architectural highlights of Pune. A "chattri" is a stone structure built over the cremation site of members of the royal family. This one serves as a memorial to the great Maratha warrior, Mahadaji Shinde. The interesting Tribal Museum showcases the culture of Maharashtra"s tribal communities, such as the Marai, Waghdeo, Danteshwari and Bahiram. Saras Baug is a park that houses the famous Ganesh temple built by Madhavrao Peshwa. Set amidst rolling lawns and flowerbeds, Saras Baug is a favourite place for Puneites in the evenings. Lal Deval , the Jewish Synagogue is one of the few synagogues in Western India. David Sassoon built the red brick and trap stone building in the English-Gothic style it in 1867. The synagogue is rarely used as very few Jews are left in India but even from the outside it is an impressive landmark. For a quiet stroll away from the din and bustle of the city, the Empress Botanical Gardens or the Bund Gardens on the embankment across the Mutha-Mula is the perfect place. The Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) is India"s premier institution with courses in all major branches of film making and counts amongst its alumni some of the finest professionals of the country. Pashan Lake is a beautiful lake, home to a variety of migratory and residential birds, 12 km north of the National Defence Academy. The NDA is India"s premier Armed Forces training institution located on the outskirts of Pune at the banks of the Khadakvasla Lake. Once the centre of the powerful Maratha Empire established by Chattrapati Shivaji, Pune and its surrounding hills are dotted with fortifications and fortresses. Sinhagad is an awesome impenetrable fortress built on barren rock at a height of 1,290 m. The sheer cliffs made any assault on the fort futile but Tanaji Malusare, one of Shivaji"s generals did the impossible - he scaled the sheer cliff walls with the help of an iguana o Christmas in Rome Burundi Tours Great Offers on this holiday Season- While staying at Vervehotel Christmas'activities in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh city Israel Travel | Jerusalem Old City The Best Guide to Book Flights when Traveling to Chicago Paris Hilton, Missing? Three Lamps District – Shop till you drop in Macau Easy Guide to the Top Christmas Gift Ideas for 2010 Entourage Episodes Showcase Male Bonding! Celebrity news: Piers Morgan On Twitter - Finally Christmas Celebrations in Macau – Treat Your Family This Christmas in Macau Enjoy a hydrotherapy bath that brings bliss and relaxation with Walk in Bathtubs