When I shifted to Pune in January this year, I had loads of comparisons to make with Delhi. It was but natural, since I had spent considerable years of my life there, and Pune was going to be my home for next few years. But as days passed by, I realized that Delhi has its own style and Pune has its own charm.
I may not be able to comment on cultural heritage of Pune, because honestly speaking I don’t know much. Nor will I be able to provide any tourist details. It is just a review about how I find the place.
Best thing about Pune is the climate. Having experienced North India’s extreme climatic conditions, I found Pune weather very pleasant. Cool mornings, moderate day temperature and breezy evenings…just my kind of October (of Delhi) weather.
Before coming here, I had an impression that Pune is a very laid-back kind of city. May be it was few years ago and still is in some aspects. But I found the place full of activity and people. Pune is full of typical hangouts like Baristas, Café Coffee day, Subway, Pizza hut. Surprisingly, the number of such joints in Pune is at par with the number of similar joints in Delhi, which is a far bigger city in terms of area and population. This shows how much the city has changed over the years.
Initially, I had trouble adjusting to the kind of food served in restaurants. Most of it would have sweet taste. But after few trials and errors I discovered few places which I really liked.
~:o:~La Pizzeria~:o:~ on Bund Garden road serves authentic Italian cuisine.
~:o:~Mainland China & Bombay Brasserie~:o:~ on Dhole Patil Road are very good. But these are higher end restaurants. Bombay Brasserie is known for superb food but very poor service standards.
~:o:~Rama Krishna~:o:~ on Moledina Road is my all time favorite. The staff is efficient, the preparations are good and rates are very reasonable.
~:o:~Dosa hut~:o:~This is my favorite small joint on East street for south Indian food. Equivalent of Madras hotel…
~:o:~Manmeet chat corner~:o:~I longed to have decent Pani-pourrie for months. Then an angel told me about Manmeet on FC Road and my quest came to an end.
~:o:~Mayur~:o:~ on East street serves good Gujrati thali.
I haven’t done much shopping in Pune, but have visited some of the places which I found to be good. Dorabjee & Pyramids provide good range of products for general groceries. Laxmi Road is the favorite haunt of shoppers. Variety and cost effectiveness are the keywords here. But the swarm of people crowding the streets on weekend scares me. I avoid going there till my shopping list is long enough. Clover Centre near Westend is little Palika Bazaar of Pune. I enjoy taking a walk on FC road, for it takes me back to my college days when I frequented Kamla Nagar for small trinkets and funky clothes (Am I making too many comparisons?)
Pune has 2 multiplexes – Esquare & Inox. My personal favorite is Inox. It has got better screens and seating arrangements and far better parking management than E-Square.
There are several places around Pune which add to its attraction index. Mahabaleshwar, Panchgani, Matheran, Bhimashankar, Lonavala-Kandala, Raigadh, Alibaug are within radius of 150 Kms and one can easily plan a weekend trip to these places.
Small time picnic spots like Khadakwaasla dam, Panshet Dam and Singhagad fort have become quite famous over the years. You can catch a glimpse of IMA dome while walking on the banks of Khadakwaasla lake.
Singhagad fort is my favorite haunt. There are two ways to reach the top, you can either trek all the way or take a bumpy ride on the pothole-laced road. I prefer to go the easy way :-) trekking. The fort is at its best in monsoon. The rain washed beauty of hills is simply breathtaking. Just feel the raindrops on your face and clouds floating around you. It’s a divine experience. Once the skies clear, you can enjoy the magnificent view of Khadakwaasla Lake and Pune city. My incentives for trekking to the top are all the goodies that I can feast on. Fresh cucumbers, boiled peanuts, red berries, imli(raw tamarind), fresh lime, curd set in earthern cups(how Laloo would love this), chhaas, Junka bhakar, kanda bhajji, vada paav and what not. Best thing about this place is that it is not too urbanized. It is still ruled by villagers, which adds “ghar ka khaana” touch to the snacks.
Pune has evolved in past few years as one of the sought after IT destinations. It has big players like Infosys, Wipro, IBM and many more. This IT revolution has become kind of identity feature along with standard identification sobriquets like Pensioner’s paradise and Oxford of East.
Osho Ashram in Koregaon Park is another recognition parameter for Pune. Associated with this Ashram is Naala Park, which the followers use for their meditation purpose. It is open for public for some hours. The reason I mentioned this park specifically was the efforts taken to beautify the area surrounding a drain and converting it to a small park boasting of rich flora. Infact, while strolling in this park, you will not realize that it is built on a drain.
Every city has its good and bad side. Pune is no different. Now few negative points.
~:o:~ Pollution level in Pune is very high.
~:o:~ Public transport is in very bad shape that’s why most of the Punekars own a two-wheeler, which adds to rash driving and pollution.
~:o:~ Roads are full of dog army which are suicide terrorists personified. Many people meet with accidents because of the stray dogs.
~:o:~ Shopping is not much of a fun here. Typically, shops open late and are closed for afternoon siesta from 1 to 4 and close early in evening. But then it’s the way city has been operating for years. I can’t really expect the same style of Delhi here. I am sure I will get used to it few years down the line.
~:o:~ Sudden IT boom has contributed to rise in real estate business and townships are mushrooming all over the city in a very unplanned way which is spoiling the whole balance. Hills are being invaded by realtors. Every second builder is making an IT park of his own.
Overall, I feel that positive and negative co-exist for a perfect balance. Pune is a sweet little place and I like it a lot. With time I am sure that I will get passionate about it as I am about Delhi.