Pune, Maharashtra – The birth place of the great Raja Shivaji dotted with magnificent forts and palaces
Queen of the Deccan, Oxford of the East, and cultural capital of Maharashtra, Pune is a city with a future that promises to be as interesting as its history. Long-standing fortress of the Maratha empire and the home to the legendary Raja Shivaji, the Pune district is marked by magnificent land and forts, an emblem to its glorious past. Located in the western part of Maharashtra and a part of the Western Ghats mountain region, Pune is the second largest city in the state of Maharashtra.
Places to See in Pune: Being a historical city, Pune has a long list of the places of interest. These include:
Aga Khan Palace
Aga Khan Palace is one of the finest piece of architectural beauty in the western India. The exquisite palace is surrounded by the lavish green gardens all around. Aga Khan Palace in Pune also houses some lavishly decorated guest rooms and suites which take you back to the royal past of the heritage building.
Osho Commune International
The Osho Commune International in Pune strives to fulfil Osho’s vision of ‘Zorba the Buddha’. Innumerable visitors come to the Osho Commune International for either short visits or several months’ attendance: to participate in daily meditation or the exhaustive programs of Osho Multiversity or contribute practically.
Lal Mahal
The Lal Mahal of Pune is one of the most famous monuments in Pune. In the year 1643 AD, Shivaji’s Father Sahaji Bhonsale, famously known as Dadaji, established Lal Mahal for his wife Jijabai and son. In the year 1998 Pune Municipal Corporation refurbished the Lal Mahal of Pune. The popular JijamataGarden located inside the premises is now a recreational park for kids. You can enjoy some time with your family here. The popularity of the Lal Mahal of Pune influence many people to visit the monument.
Shivneri Fort
Shivneri Fort is famous for being the birthplace of great Shivaji, the famous ruler of Maharashtra. Shivneri Fort in Pune is a well known historical military fortification. Shivaji spent his childhood in the fort and took lessons of all his military training here. The people who are inclined to trekking, Shivneri Fort are the ideal place for them to visit. The boundary wall of the Shivneri Fort was built so high to protect the fort from the enemies. Inside of this fort there is a temple of goddess ‘Shivai Devi’. A larger than life statue of Shivaji is situated in front of the Shivneri Fort. A traveler has to cross seven doors to reach in the Shivneri Fort. Inside of the Shivneri Fort there is a water pond called ‘Badami Talav’, which is located in the middle of the fort. A statue of Jijabai, the mother of famous ruler Shivaji, with her son is located beside the water pond of the Shivneri Fort. One interesting feature of Shivneri fort of Pune is a mosque with two towers which are joined by a graceful arch. Many other tourist attractions are located very near to this fort, such as, Nane Ghat, which is famous for beautiful scenery of Konkan Region and Jivdhan, which is famous for trekking.
Empress Garden
The Empress Garden lies adjacent to the Pune Solapur Road. This is a rather large garden, covering an area of about 59 acres. Empress Garden of Pune is basically a botanical park, which is located near the Pune Race course. Here there are several varieties of fruit and flower bearing trees. People often turn up in large numbers for a picnic at the Empress Garden of Pune.
Peshwa Udyan
Peshwa Udyan of Pune is one of the most famous garden areas of the city of Pune. It is maintained by the Pune Municipal Corporation. Apart from the Peshwa Udyan Zoo within the premises of the gardens, there are also provisions for some animal rides and boating.
Omkareshwar Temple
Omkareshwar temple of Pune is a 17th century Partvati temple, known for its endurance during the floods of Panshet in 1962. The Omkareshwar temple is known for its extraordinary construct and its extravagant style.
The Ganapati temple
The Ganapati temple, located on the banks of river Krishna at Sangli, is one of the most beautiful temples in the southern region of Maharashtra, and is known for its rich design and marvellous architecture! Dating back to the 17th century the Ganapati temple of Pune is one of the marvels of Maharashtrian architecture. The Ganapati temple of Pune, bearing the deity of Lord Ganesha is carved out of black stone made available from the compound comprising of a big platform, an excellent hall and a ‘Nagarkhana’. The doors of the Ganapati temple of Pune are also elaborately designed – the door is made up of a multi-colored natural wood.
Parvati Hill
Parvati Hill and Temple, a temple dedicated to the Hindu deities namely, Parvati, Vishnu, Ganesha, Kartikeya and Devadeshwar, is situated in the southern part of Pune from where one can get a beautiful glance of the city. The Parvati Hill and Temple of Pune is the combined name of Parvati hill on which the Parvati temple is situated. The temple is located so high on the hill that one has to climb a series of 108 steps to get to the main temple. The Parvati Hill and Temple of Pune, situated at a height of 2100 feet from sea level, offers a rhapsodic view of the city. It is believed that Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao used to watch the defeat of the Britishers from this site.
Katraj Snake Park
Katraj Snake Park in Pune is a famous conservation park boasting a vast collection of snakes, reptiles, birds and turtles. It later became part of the Rajiv Gandhi Udyan in 1999. There are over 160 species of snakes here, of various shapes and sizes. The prize collection is a 6 years old, nine feet long King Cobra.
Splash Mountain Water Park
It is situated at 118 Ashoka Mall Bund, Garden Road in Loaehgaon, opposite the Holiday Inn. Splash Mountain of Pune is one of India’s largest water parks, which may quite rightly claim to be at par with worldwide standards. Various types of rides are available at Splash Mountain of Pune, for diverse age groups. One may participate in water games with friends and family at this park. The scenic location combined with the attractive water games helps to attract large crowds on weekends, especially in summer.
National Film Archives Museum
National Film Archives Museum was set up in the year 1964 and is one of the largest film archives in Asia. The museum preserves all the classic movies and all the details on the classic movie makers. It is located in the Jayakar Bungalow on the Law College Road. The National Film Archives Museum at Pune holds the largest collection of films in Asia. The museum is making news every year for showcasing some of the rarest classical movies from all across the world. Every year it is adding up its library with some new titles that are not available in the market. Museum in Pune holds the record from the first film to first talkie film. It is the best place to get each and every detail on the film industry including how it works, how a film is made. National Film Archives Museum is of great help to research scholars and students of film studies who take up research on Indian films, directors, actors, etc.
Nearby attractions of Pune: Pune is an idyllic base to visit the places like:
Matheran
The distance from Matheran to Pune is around 118 km. It is the closest hill station to the city of Mumbai. It takes around two hours to reach Matheran from Pune.
Malshej Ghat
Malshej Ghat is a popular hill station. It lies in the middle of the Sahyadri mountain range. The place is a top tourist draw for the scenic waterfalls and surroundings. The distance from Pune is around 126 km and it takes 2-3 hours to reach there.
Things to do in Pune: Pune is a beautiful city to roam around and explore the wonderful sight seeing locations.
Best time to visit Pune: The best time to visit is from July to February.
How to go ?
By Air
Pune airport is situated almost 10 kilometers from the heart of the city which is located in the Lohagaon area. Outside the airport, one can easily get a taxi and major other bus services to reach the city.
By Train
Pune is one of the major and most important railway junctions on the Indian railway. The city connects with major other cities like Kolkata (Azad Hind Express), Chennai (Chennai Egmore – Dadar Central SF Express), Bangalore (Yesvantpur – Bikaner Special), Bhubaneshwar (Konark Express) of the country which makes it quite easy to answer how to reach Pune via railways.
By Road
Pune is well linked with major parts of the country and then it further connects to the major cities in Maharashtra as well. Major bus services are offered by state owned bus services which are quite economical and budget friendly as well. Some major cities near Pune include Ahmadnagar(115 km), Mumbai (120 km), Aurangabad (215 km) and Bijapur (275 km) all of which are accessible via road.
Where to stay ?
The accommodation options are in plenty in Pune city. Some are:
The O Hotel: +91-020 4001 1000 Website: www.ohotelsindia.com
Hotel Sapna : +91-8888846566 Website: www.hotelsapnapune.com
Hotel Ideal: +91- 020- 2444 1709
Hotel Alankar: +91-020- 2613 4499
Note : Phone numbers given above are according to the information available with us. If you find any contact number/s given above is/are incorrect or not in use, please let us know.
