‘City of Virtue’

For all the vices IT and consumerism has brought about, Pune still holds on to its history, culture and the meaning of its name

Eisha Sarkar

There's a slight chill in the air as we alight from the Neeta Travels bus near Aundh bus stop in Pune. The smell of damp mud brings back memories from school, in Pune's cantonment (aka Camp) area. We look around for familiar landmarks like Swar Gate, but are disappointed to find towering malls instead. Pune has changed...

Four years ago, on our last visit, we'd discovered that the erstwhile leafy suburb of Koregaon Park had turned into a place with malls, multiplexes and multicuisine restaurants – the three M’s that spell ‘cool’. This time, we noticed the paddy fields at Hinjewadi had given way to an IT park. With its high realty prices and rampant consumerism, Pune's no longer the pensioner's paradise. The old buildings and landmarks have been torn down to make for broader roads, flyovers and malls. Yet, in some parts it still latches on to its past - its rich Peshwa heritage and British legacy.

The name game
One of the first lessons in Geography we learnt at our boarding school in Pune, was how the city got its name. It was originally known as Punawadi meaning city of virtue (Punya Nagari in Sanskrit). Through the ages, Punawadi was corrupted to Punewadi.

When the British decided to use the cantonment town as the 'monsoon capital' for Bombay Presidency, they changed its name to Poona. It still exists on the plaques of some of the colonial-style buildings in town, including the famed Poona Club. For a long time, both Poona and Pune co-existed. The locals preferred 'Pune' in Marathi while the 'outsiders' liked the Anglicised Poona. Like Bombay-Mumbai, this duality too came to an end officially in the mid-1990s.

Grand heritage
If Mumbai is the commercial capital of India and Maharashtra, Pune is its cultural centre. In 1625, Peshwa king Shahaji Bhosale appointed Rango Bapuji Dhadphale as the administrator of Pune. He was one of the first major developers of the town, overseeing the construction of the Kasba, Somwar, Ravivar and Shaniwar Peths that exist till this day. Later, the Lal Mahal was constructed as Shahaji's son, Shivaji Bhosale (later Chhatrapati Shivaji) was to move there with his mother Jijabai.

The British took over the city after the Peshwas lost the third Anglo-Maratha War in 1817. Nanasaheb Peshwa, the adopted son of the last Peshwa Bajirao II, rose against British East India Company rule in 1856, as part of the Indian Mutiny. After the mutiny failed, the remnants of the Maratha empire were annexed to British India.

Pune was an important centre for the social and religious reform movements in the late 19th century instituted by the likes of freedom fighters such as Lokmanya Tilak, Maharshi Vitthal Ramji Shinde and Jyotirao Phule. It was here that Tilak started the Ganpati festival in order to bring together the masses for initiating political reforms.

Tourist spots
There's a lot to see in Pune. For Mumbaikars like us, the malls and IT parks aren't charming enough. So we settle on:
1. Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum: A private museum, this 15,000-strong collection comprises household items, ornaments, door frames and musical instruments (most notable is a blue peacock-shaped sitar). The Mastani Mahal (named after Peshwa Baji Rao's mistress) and a carving of Lord Ganesha on a seed are very remarkable too.
2. Bund Garden: This brought back memories of horse rides and merry-go-rounds. The view of the Mula Mutha rivers and the Parvati Temple on the other bank is simply awesome at sunset.
3. India Meterological Department: This is the season, when everyone is on the lookout for the weather bulletin and there's no better place than the weather office. The digital board outside the colonial-style building marks every shift in decimal readings of rainfall, maximum and minimum temperatures. However, you need permission to go in there.
4. Sinhagad Fort: An ideal trekking destination, the historical fort located 30 kilometres from Pune, is also a birdwatcher's delight with a possibility of sighting Crested Hawk-Eagle, White-Bellied Drongo, Yellow-Throated Sparrow, Paradise Flycatcher and Tree-Pie among others.

Getting there
There's nothing like a three-hour drive through the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. You may also opt for a bus or a train.