Pune - At a Glance
1. Best Time To Visit: October to March
2. Official Language: Marathi
3. Languages Spoken: English, Hindi
4. Climate: Humid
5. Main Attractions: Khadakwasla Dam,
Shaniwar Wada, Chaturshringi Mandir, Parvati
Hill, Sinhagad Fort
#1 Khadakwasla Dam
Some 20 Kms from Pune, lies
Khadakwasla dam which is the
main source of water for the city.
One can take the Sinhaghad
road to reach here. The dam has
many resorts and restaurants
around. Places to visit here are
Neelkantheshwar temple and
Peacock bay.
An Interesting Tip: The best
season to visit this place is
monsoon as one can then
witness many waterfalls in the
near vicinity and see the place in
its full glory!
#2 Shaniwar Wada
This fort, constructed by the
Marathas in 1746, was the
main political centre of India
when they rose to power in
the 18th century. It was the
seat of Peshwa Bajirao I until
the British took over in 1818.
The famous parts of this fort
are Mastani Darwaza and Dilli
Darwaza.
An Interesting Fact: Did you
know that the entire fort was
constructed at a cost of
Rs.16,110/- which was back
then a very big sum.
#3 Chaturshringi Mandir
Here lays the shrine of
Goddess Chaturshringi,
constructed by Chhatrapati
Shivaji Raje Bhosle.
Located on Senapati Bapat
Road, the temple has more
than 100 stairs leading to
the temples of Lord
Ganesha and Goddess
Durga.
An Interesting Fact: The
temple also houses Lord
Ashtvinayak’s eight small
idols located inside small
temples on all four sides of
the compound.
#4 Parvati Hill
Parvati Hill is the home to
five main temples, all built
by the Peshwas back in
1749 A.D. One has to climb
103 steps to reach to the
height of 21000ft above
sea level where these
temples are situated.
An Interesting Fact:
The five temples a top this
hill are Shri Devdeveshwar
Temple, Vishnu Temple,
Kaartikeyan Temple, Shri
Vitthal Temple and
Ramana Temple.
#5 Sinhagad Fort The fort is famous for the
battle of 1670 when
Shivaji Maharaj led his
army against the Mughals
who were in control of the
fort then. It is hardly 25
kms in the southwest
direction of Pune. Tourists
mainly come here in
monsoons to hike the
steep slopes of the fort. It
is a nice location for
trekking and picnics.
An Interesting Fact:
Tanaji, Shivaji Maharaj’s
general, scaled the high
walls of the fort with the
help of a Bengal monitor
lizard in 1670 to enter the
fort and attack the enemy.
Lal Mahal
Shivaji Maharaj’s father,
Shahji Raje Bhosle, got
this place constructed for
his wife. The fort has
been reconstructed in
places by the government
as the original building
was ruined by time. It is
near Shaniwarwada area
of Pune.
An Interesting Fact:
One can see oil paintings
depicting major events of
Shivaji Maharaj’s life. His
mother, Queen Jijabai’s
statue is also located in
the premises.
Rajmachi fort
Located near Lonavla,
Rajmachi fort houses
two separate forts-
Shrivardan fort and
Manaranjan fort. One
can see the old admin
offices of the bygone
era, secret exits,
residential wings and
temples.
An Interesting Tip: One
should go during the
monsoons when the
place is lush green and
looking most beautiful.
FTII Film InstituteFilm & Television Institute of
India is a premiere media
institute of India which
boasts of several famous
alumni like Sanjay Leela
Bhansali, Vidhu Vinod
Chopra, Raj Kumar Hirani,
Shabana Azmi, etc. It is
situated on Law College
Road near Senapati Bapat
road.
An Interesting Tip:
Various international films
and documentaries keep
screening here. One can
enter the premises with an
ID card and enjoy these
films. Also look out for the
Tree of Wisdom.
Ganesh Chaturthi
Ganesh Chaturthi is a big
festival which is celebrated
with wide-spread enthusiasm
by the people of
Maharashtra between the
months of August and
September. Pandaals are
built all over the city and
people bring home small
idols of Lord Ganesha. On
the tenth day of the festival,
these idols are immersed
into the water.
An Interesting Tip:
You can visit the main city
area, near Shanivarwada, to
observe this festival in its full
glory.
Sawai Gandharva Music Festival
It is the largest Indian
classical music fest in
the world which is
hosted every year in
Pune and attracts big
names in Indian
classical who perform in
front of thousands of
music lovers. It’s a
three-day affair.
An Interesting Tip:
Visit Pune in December
as this fest is organized
in the first or second
week of December every
year.
Kachchi (or Kutchy) Dabelli
The street food culture is
rampant here too, Pune has its
own specialty. Kachchi Dabeli is
made by adding boiled potato
with dabeli masala (made of local
spices) and placing it between
paav.
An Interesting Tip: Have it with
the authentic chutney made from
tamarind, garlic and chillies.
Vada Paav
Like kachchi dabeli, it is another
very popular street food of this
region. Potatoes are fried and
kept between paav and eaten
with tamarind and chilli dry
chutney.
An Interesting Tip: Don’t miss
eating it at Garden vada paav.
It’s a usual stall off MG Road,
behind Dorabjis. This stall sells
the tastiest vada paav and
people come from far off places
to eat one.
Chocolate Sandwich
Another popular street food
among the college crowd is
chocolate sandwich. Molten
hot chocolate is stuffed
between the bread and
grilled.
An Interesting Tip: Keep a
tissue ready to wipe off the
dripping, gooey chocolate
FC Road
One can go here in the
evenings which is the
busiest time of the day here.
Thanks to several colleges
in the nearby vicinity, one
can find a lot of food stalls
and hawkers selling
jewelry, garments, books
and other accessories.
Fashion Street
Talk about heavy bargaining.
Located near the famous MG
road in Camp area, fashion street
caters to the taste of both men
and women who can buy latest
cloths and fashion accessories
here. It is a flea market.
An Interesting Tip: Be ready to
bargain as much as you want
here.
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