Pune

Pune(Marathi/Hindi: पुणे) , (pronounced "poo-n'-ey" where the "n'" is the hard "N" sound produced by touching the tongue to the palate rather than the back of the front teeth) (पुणे in Marathi).

Pune, formerly known as Punavadi (in medieval times) and Poona (पूना) by the British, is a city located in the western Indian state of Maharashtra. Referred to as the “Queen of the Deccan,” Pune is the cultural capital of the Maharashtrians whose native language is Marathi. According to the 2001 census provisional counts, the urban agglomaration around Pune has a population of 4,485,000 in 2005. This figure includes the population of the city of Pimpri-Chinchwad, which is the industrial twin of Pune.

Marathi is the most widely spoken language here although English, Hindi are also used. Pune is a cosmopolitan city. The city has witnessed a sizeable investment in the software and automobile sectors, resulting in an influx of skilled labor from all over India. Several suburbs are now completely cosmopolitan and real-estate prices have boomed since 2003.

Geography

Pune is located at 18°32' North 72° 51' East. Click here for a satellite view. It is situated near the Western margin of the Deccan Plateau. It 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. 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 (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-intesity and many low-intensity earthquakes. Although earthquakes were not known to have originated in Pune itself, an earthquake of a very slight intensity took place in Pune that had its epicentre in Dehu, about 13 km from the main city. Seismologists were unable to explain the occurrence of this earthquake.

Climate

Pune experiences three distinct seasons: summer, monsoon and winter. Typical summer months are from March to May, with maximum temperatures ranging from 35 to 39°C (95 to 102°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. [1] 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 frequently 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 with temperature ranging from 20 to 28°C (68 to 82°F).

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 29°C (84°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) on 17 January 1935. More recently, Pune recorded a lowest temperature of 2.8°C on January 1991. [1]

History

In Pune, the past meets the present. It is one of those rare cities with a twin image: that of a tradition-bound place — generally considered the quintessence of Maharashtrian culture — and that of a modern industrial metropolis. Pune today straddles both banks of the Mula and Mutha rivers (tributaries of the larger Bhima River). The confluence (sangam) of the these in the heart of the city forms a spectacular scenic landmark. The oldest extant structure in the city is the rock-cut temple of Pataleshwar, from the 8th century AD. The cave-temple complex is also called Panchaleshvara cave. This cave, once situated outside limits of the old town, is now squarely in the middle of the city off the Jungli Maharaj road.

The earliest evidence found (copper plates of 758 A. D. and of 768 A. D.) reveals that the Rashtrakootas ruled this region then. At that time, Pune was referred to as Punaka Vishaya and Punya Vishaya. Copper plates of 960 A. D. and 963 A. D. refer to it as Punaka Wadi and Punaka Desha. Here Vishaya means region. Later on, the city has been mentioned as Kasabe Pune. Pune's medieval roots are also evident in number of temples and mosques. The present name "Pune" is derived from Punya Nagari (literally city of virtuous deeds). The Rashtrakutas are believed to be the earliest rulers of the city.

The Delhi Gate of Shaniwar Wada (fort)

Pune is inextricably linked to the life of the great 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 1635-36. Shivaji and his mother lived in a mansion known as "Lal Mahal," a replica of which still 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. 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 which is now known as Shaniwar Peth. The fortified palace that came up is known as Shaniwar Wada. Shaniwar Wada is considered by many to be the focal point of the old city of Pune.

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 main Pune (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.

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. Pune was the home to some reformers who were stalwarts of the national movement, such as Mahadev Govind Ranade, R.G Bhandarkar,Gopal Krishna Gokhale and Mahatma Jyotirao Phule. The presence of Bal Gangadhar Tilak dominated the political scene for three decades during this period.

After Indian independence (1947), Pune's reputation as an educational and research node grew with the establishment of the University of Pune, the National Defence Academy (NDA), National Chemical Laboratory and other such institutes. However, certain schools and colleges, such as Fergusson College have exceeded the reputation of the city's far-known educational status from the late 1800s.

Economy

Pune is a major industrial centre, growing very fast every year.It is home to one of the world's largest two-wheeler manufacturers, — Bajaj Auto. The world's second largest forging company Bharat Forge Ltd is also in Pune. It is also home to Kinetic Engineering, Force Motors Ltd (previously known as Bajaj Tempo). The manufacturing plant of India's largest car manufacturer, Tata Motors, is in Pune. DaimlerChrysler also has an assembly line for its Mercedes Benz brand in Pune. Cummins Engines Co Ltd has a Research & Technology India center in Pune in addition to its manufacturing plant. Whirlpool as well as LG have appliance manufacturing plants near Pune. Frito Lay and Coca Cola also have manufacturing plants in Pune. Pune is also home to numerous small and medium-sized enterprises.

Pune has a burgeoning software industry. Many of India's major software players such as TCS, Infosys, Wipro, Satyam, Tech Mahindra, Tata Technologies Ltd, Mastek Ltd., Persistent Systems, Patni Computer Systems and Kale Consultants, Kanbay Software, S1 Services, Cybage,Manas Solutions Pvt Ltd,have their presence in Pune. Global majors like HSBC Global Technology,PTC, IBM, SIEMENS, Sybase, EDS, I-Flex, Cognizant, Sasken, KPIT Cummins Infosystems Inc., Amdocs, Avaya, Veritas Software, Aftek Infosys, Syntel, BMC Software, Zensar and TIBCO Software have a major presence in Pune's various Software Technology Parks and other areas. Some of the prominent IT parks in the city are the Hinjewadi IT Park, Magarpatta Cybercity, etc.

Pune is also emerging as a prominent city for Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) companies. Companies like Convergys, WNS, Progeon, EXL and MphasiS have started their operations in Pune. Pune comes as a natural choice for the BPO companies due to the availability of skilled manpower.

Pune also houses the headquarters of the Bank Of Maharashtra.

To meet the demands of this explosive economic growth in Pune, the state is planning a 1,000 MW power plant exclusively for Pune. From December 2005, Pune's Lohegaon Airport has gone international with Air India flying directly to Dubai, and to Singapore via Hyderabad. MIDC is the lead agency for the Project. An International Convention Center is also underway at the Senapati Bapat Road and is being constructed by MCCIA. The international connectivity is going to help many volume produce growers in the surrounding districts to export their goods conveniently.

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.

Pune currently has 3 sister cities, Tromsø in Norway, Bremen in Germany and San Jose in California, USA. One more city in Israel is soon expected to be added to this list.

Civic administration

The 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 metropolis is inside the Haveli Taluka in Pune District, Maharashtra, and the district comes under the juridiction 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.

Culture

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, Spiritualism and Food.

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.

Sawaai Gandharva Music Festival

In the month of December, Pune hosts the Sawai Gandharva Music Festival. It is dedicated to the Classical Forms of music - both Hindusthani and Carnatic. Many renowned performers of Hindustani classical music perform through 3 consecutive nights creating a hype unique to this city. It is one of the most eagerly awaited festivals in the city. People from other parts of Maharashtra and India actively take part in it. It is a great treat for music lovers.

Theatre

Pune is the cultural capital of Marathi people. The city has given birth to or attracted body of organization for the Marathi literati, also has its headquarters in Pune. Marathi Theatre (Drama नाटक - रंगभूमी ) is an integral part of Marathi culture. Both - Experimental (प्रायोगिक रंगभूमी) and Professional theatre - receive whole-hearted patronage from 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.

Religion and Spiritualism

Pune is the birth place of Meher Baba as well as the home of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. Rajneesh's Osho Ashram helps bring a very international flair to the city. Situated amidst thick, rather impenetrable flora, the centre boasts of many popular writers and poets of Marathi language. Maharashtra Sahitya Parishad, the central a huge meditation center and two beautiful gardens, viz. Osho garden and Zen garden. These remain places of interest for many foreigners and people from elsewhere in the country.

Chaturshrungi goddess is the reigning deity of the city of Pune. Her temple is situated on the slopes of a mountain in the northwest part of the city of Pune. The temple is in the midst of nature's scenic beauty. This ninety feet high and one twenty five feet wide temple is looked after by Chatushringi Devasthan (Temple) turstees, with full dedication. In the month of September there is a huge procession for the Navaratris and people flock in to visit and have blessings of the Goddess.

Pune has been one of the centers of the neo-Buddhist revival movement begun by B. R. Ambedkar in 1956. It also houses the headquarters of the Trailokya Bauddha Mahasangha Gana, the Indian affiliate of the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order.

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.

Close to Pune City are the villages 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 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.

The backhills of Pune are becoming known for their immense spiritual value. People from other countries and other parts of India go to these schools to study the Vedas and other holy scriptures of Hinduism.

Food

People of Pune are known to be food-lovers. Bakarwadi (बाकरवडी) - a spicy fried roll, Mastani (मस्तानी) (a preparation of thick milk, fruits and ice-cream), Laxminarayan Chiwda (चिवडा) are some of the most popular food items which have assumed a cult status with its popularity. It is home to Vaishali वैशाली - Rupali रुपाली duo for a range of Chat items, South Indian dishes and Coffee, Chitale Bandhu Mithaiwale (चितळे बंधू मिठाईवाले) particularly for its bakarwadi, Ganu Shinde for its Ice-Cream, Sujata Mastani House for its delicious collection of Mastani and Ice creams, Marz-o-rin for its melting sandwiches, Irani restaurants like Maha-naaz and Goodluck for their uniquely delicious samosas and Kayani Bakery for the famous Shrewsbury biscuits etc.

Media

Pune has a variety of local newspapers including Sakal, Indian Express, The Times of India, Kesari. The Times of India especially has an online paper edition. [Epaper]

Transport system

Pune has excellent external road, rail and air connectivity to almost all important cities in India. It is extremely well connected to most of the important cities in India like Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Delhi, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Chennai. With the construction of the six-lane Mumbai-Pune Expressway, a far cry from the contraflow motorways of other state roads, this city is now about a three-hour drive from Mumbai by road.

Maharashtra state transport buses are most commonly used by people to travel to rural parts of India. They are the cheapest means of transport. State owned and private air-conditioned bus services run daily buses to most important cities to and from Pune. The bus frequency is extremely good.

Pune is very well connected by rail to all the major cities in India. The city has two main railway stations, Pune Junction and Shivajinagar Station; most trains halt at Pune Junction. Pune suburban trains also run from Pune Junction to industrial towns of Khadki, Pimpri, Chinchwad etc.

Pune now has an international-deemed airport, with flights to Singapore and Dubai. Pune could see flights to New York, London and Shanghai (via Mumbai) in the next few years. Domestic flights are available to most metropolitan cities in India.

Locally, the Pune Municipal Transport (PMT) is Pune's public transport service, Pune Municipal undertaking. PMT is an important mode of transport. In addition, Auto Rickshaw is also widely used in Pune for commute due to its quick ride. However, this option works out to be rather expensive nowadays because the distances are getting longer and the fares are constantly going up.

Pune Street Life

The merger of the PMT and the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Transport (PCMT) is also on the cards which would give birth to the much larger PMTU or Pune Metropolitan Transport Undertaking. This is expected to improve the public transportation problem that currently plagues the city. Buses are very old and their drivers have a habit of being careless about the safety of smaller vehicles or pedestrians; thus earning it the title of "Pune Murder Transport".

More than PMT, traffic is generally a problem, in the form of congestion, a wide variety of vehicles, bad roads and a general disregard of traffic rules. Road accidents, quite often fatal, are not uncommon in Pune because of all these factors combined.

Sinhagad: View from the "Pune Darwaja"

Education

See also: List of Pune Colleges and Education in India

Pune was also called "The Oxford of the east"by Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first Prime Minister; as Pune attracts students from every nook and corner of the world. Foreign students find Pune very peaceful and safe compared to other educational cities of India. The weather of Pune is also very good for health.

Basic Education

Schools in Pune are either run by the PMC, in which case they are called public schools, or privately by trusts and individuals. Private schools have been preferred by a majority of city residents because of better facilities and the use of English language 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.

University Education

All professional colleges in Pune are affiliated to the University of Pune, one of the largest universities in the world in terms of matriculation. The PIET (Pune Institute of Engg & Technology (formerly known as COEP)), one of India's premier engineering universities, and the SNDT Women's University, exclusive to women, are the other universities in Pune. In addition to the statutory universities, Pune boasts of 5 Deemed Universities that specialise in specific areas of research and training. They are, The Deccan College (Archaeology), Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth (Sanskrit, Indology, Ayurveda and Social Sciences), Gokhale Institute of Economics and Political Science, Bharati Vidyapeeth and the Symbiosis. Engineering colleges in Pune churn out upto 10,000 engineers in various disciplines every year. This includes around 2500 Software/I.T. professionals which add to the growing IT/ITES/BPO sectors.

Special Education

Pune is the largest center for Japanese learning in India. The JLPT exams are held in Pune annually (December). They were shifted to Pune from Delhi due to the sheer number of students appearing for the same from Pune. The Japanese language training in provided by University of Pune and other private players - individuals and companies. Other languages like German (Max Muller Bhavan) and French (Allians Francaise) are also popular amongst Punekars.

Education Insitutes dedicated to Defence Forces

Pune is host to several excellent educational institutes specifically dedicated to Defence forces. They are:

• National Defence Academy - NDA, is located at Khadakwasla, on the outskirts of Pune. It is a joint services institution for training young cadets as future officers of the Defence Services. The motto of the Academy is 'Sewa Paramo Dharma (Service Before Self)'. Official Website.

• Institute of Armament Technology (IAT) was established i 1952 and moved to it's current campus of Girinagar in 1967. It was made as a deemed University since 2000. Primary aim of the institute is to provide Higher Education in Science and Technology related to defence requirements in general and weapon systems in particular.

• Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC) was set up in 1948 in the immediate post-world war period. AFMC is responsible for training of medical undergraduates and post-graduates, dental postgraduates, nursing cadets and paramedical staff. Patient care forms an integral part of its training curriculum and the attached hospitals benefits from the expertise available at AFMC. The institution is responsible for providing the entire pool of specialists and super specialists to Armed Forces by giving them in service training.

• College of Military Engineering (CME) located at Dapodi. The erstwhile School of Military Engineering (SME) established in Septmeber 1943 at Roorkee moved to its present location at Pune in 1948. It is a premier technical and tactical training institution of the Corps of Engineers encompassing the four pillars viz. Combat Engineers, Military Engineering Service, Border Roads Organisation and Survey.

• Army Institute of Technology (AIT) located at Dighi was established in Aug 1994. It was started with aim to provide Engineering education to the wards of Indian Army personnel.

• Army Institute of Physical Training (AIPT) formerly called the Army School of Physical Training (ASPT), located at Hadapsar was established in 1947 is the cradle of physical and recreational training in the Army. It has training infrastructure to impart systematic and comprehensive instructions on physical training. Selected candidates from all ranks of the Army, students from the police, para-military forces and friendly foreign countries attend various courses on physical training and allied subjects at ASPT.

All Peths in Pune City

Peth is the general name for a locality in old Pune. Businesses in many of these localities used to be open for business only once a week. Hence these localities are named according to the day they were open for business. For example 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 (e.g. Kasba Peth, Ganesh Peth, Bhawani Peth), while other peths have been named after certain notable people (e.g. Sadashiv Peth, Nana Peth, Narayan Peth, Ghorpade Peth, Senadatta Peth).

External links

Official websites

• Pune City Guide
• Pune Municipal Corporation E-Governance