5 Things You Must Do When In Pune

Pune is known as the Queen of Deccan and is one of the most happening places in Maharashtra. Surrounded by lush green hills, lakes all around, it is a city of youth. From historical places to crazy party places, you can find everything inside it.

Located in the western state of Maharashtra, at an altitude of around 559 m above sea level, Pune is the eight largest city of India and one of its most important IT hubs. It is known by many sobriquets – a few popular being ‘Oxford of the East’ because of the high concentration of educational institutes in the city. The city boasts of having some of the best institutes in India, ranging from management schools to medical colleges. Pune is also known as ‘Detroit of India’ because of a large number of auto manufacturers in Pune. The city is also known for its various cultural activities and job opportunities that attract students from all over India and abroad making the city an amalgamation of multiple cultures and communities. 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. In the following lines, I have provided some interesting facts about Pune, India.

* Osho Meditation Park

You’d love to start your day with a walk or meditation at Osho Meditation Park. With a lush green garden, Osho and Buddha statues, you’ll find people attaining bliss for their day. A really good place to connect with like-minded people as well. The place is open for public from 6-9 AM, and 3-6 PM every day.

* Breakfast in Viman Nagar

You can hit Viman Nagar at any point of the day, and you’ll find delicious food with wide variety. You can try out tea, coffee, buns at Irani Cafe, or you can go for street food as well.

* Shaniwarwada

It was the seat of the Peshwas of Maratha Empire until 1818 when the Peshwas lost control to the British East India Company after the Third Anglo-Maratha War. This palace became the centre of Indian politics in the 18th century. The fort itself was destroyed in 1828 by an unexplained fire. The remaining structure serves as a tourist attraction now.

* Dagdusheth

The temple is really beautiful which boasts a rich history of over 100 years. The construction is so simple that all the proceedings in the temple along with the beautiful Ganesh idol can be seen even from outside, which is adorned with nearly 40 kilos of gold. The temple is situated in the centre of the city, local shopping market is also the nearby temple. Ganesh Chaturthi is THE BEST time to visit this place.

* Aga Khan Palace

This place is of a great importance for Indian Freedom Movement as it served as a prison for Mahatma Gandhi, his wife Kasturba Gandhi, his secretary Mahadev Desai and Sarojini Naidu. It is also the place where Kasturba Gandhi and Mahadev Desai died. The palace was an act of charity by the Sultan who wanted to help the poor in the neighbouring areas of Pune, who were drastically hit by famine.