Pune is located in Maharashtra, India and is considered the state's cultural capital. The city contains the headquarters of an administrative division officially known as the Pune division which comprises the region known officially as Western Maharashtra

Understand

Pune or Punyanagari as it is called has had a glorious past of nearly 600 years both illustrious and romantic. Pune is officially a Marathi speaking city, although with the large cosmopolitan presence, English and Hindi are widely spoken. Pune has a very large student population. Pune is the headquarters of the Southern Command of the Indian Army. Many central locations within the city are owned and operated by the army. NDA (National Defense Academy) is at Khadakvasla, 17 kms From Pune and is India's premier defese academy imparting basic training to cadet officers for Army, Navy, and Air Force.

Pune used to be the capital of the Maratha empire & surrounded by many unbeatable forts, which at its peak encompassed all of present day India except the extreme South and East. This was also the last Indian empire before the British took over. You will find that both the place and its people are conscious of the city's history.

Pune is a city with plenty of educational institutions. The University of Pune is one of the most reputed in the country. Pune is often also known as the 'Oxford of the East'.

Get in

Pune is a major transportation hub for Western Maharashtra. It serves as the gateway for the numerous hill stations in Sahyadri Mountains.

By plane

Getting into Pune by air is not that convenient. Pune still does not have a proper domestic or international airport. The existing military airport facility is loaned out for civil purposes. This is the prime reason why although "Pune airport" is served by almost all Indian carriers, the number of flights is extremely limited.

The airport is located in Lohegaon, around 20 Km from the main city; it takes around an hour to reach the city centre. The airport has commenced international flights from 12 December, though currently you can fly in only from Dubai.

If it is not possible to get on a flight to Pune, get a flight to Mumbai and you can reach Pune via a 3 hour drive.

By train

• The Indian Railways serves Pune with a lot of trains connecting to nearby Mumbai and other major Indian cities.
• Azad Hind Express connects Howrah to Pune. It normally takes 36 hrs to cover the journey.
• There trains to connect all major cities of India such as Delhi,Chennai,Kolkota,Bangalore, Hyderbad.

By car and bus

The first freeway in India was built about 4 years ago to connect Mumbai and Pune. With this roadway in place, now it takes less than 3 hours to get to Pune from Mumbai Airport. Many private and state owned operators ply luxury buses on this route.

Get around

• City has three major bus stands

1. Shivaji Nagar: This bus stand serves buses for North Maharshtra, Vidarbha, Konkan, Marathwada regions of Maharshtra and even to states like Gujarat.
2. Swargate : This bus stand serves bus for western Maharshtra.
3. Pune Station : This bus stand mainly serves buses for Mumbai.

• City buses (PMT), though crowded and smoke belching, these connect almost all parts of the city. Major city bus stands are: Corporation, Shivaji Nagar, Swargate, Kothrud depot, Nigdi, Hadapsar, Katraj and Deccan.

• There is also a huge army of three wheeled rickshaws (taxis). Rickshawalas are typically very soft spoken and helpful in Pune. There are some Prepaid Rikshaw Stands At Shivajinagar, Swargate Bus Depot or Airport. Nevertheless, always demand that they use the meter and that they show you the sheet of paper which converts the rickshaw meter readings to the actual cost in rupees. As of Jun 2006 the conversion equation is : Cost = 6 * Reading + 2. Where "Cost" is the actual fare in rupees and "Reading" is the meter reading. Thus 2 Rs in meter will mean (6*2 + 2) = 14 Rupees. The driver may occasionally stop to ask for directions depending on how familiar he is with the area. However make sure he that is only asking for directions, since the meter is still running even when the rickshaw stops.

• This city was once known as the bicycle capital of the world, but now it has turned into the motorcycle capital.

See

• Raj Dinakar Kelkar Museum The museum is housed in a Rajasthani styled building situated close to the hustle and bustle of the busy Bajirao Road of Pune. It holds a one man collection of the most fascinating Indian articrafts that you would have ever seen. ‘Mastani Mahal’ which was brought and erected as it was from it’s original form is a masterpiece amongst it’s other exhibits. It has 36 sections which include carved palace and temple doors, 2,000 year old pottery, traditional Indian lamps and 17th century paintings.
• Shanivar Waada This imposing palace was built by the successors of Shivaji, the Peshwas in 1736. A massive fire destroyed the building in 1827. Most of the palace interiors also got destroyed and all that remains is the old fortified wall. But of course the impressive brass studded gates and lotus pools have also withstood the ravages of time. This Palace situated in the heart of the city near to Deccan Gymkhana, Shivajinagar, and Laxmi Road, has become the symbol of the culture of Pune. It is place to charm you and take you through the memory pages of history.
• Saras Garden there is a Ganesh temple Located in Centre of the garden which is made by 2nd Bajirao Peshwa.
• Agakhan Palace This Palace boasts of Italianate arches, a gracious building having salons and suites and spacious lawns. The place has a historical landmark. During the 1942 Quit India Movement, the British interned Mahatma Gandhi and his wife Kasturba Gandhi here. Later a memorial was erected here, in the memory of Kasturba Gandhi who died in this palace.
• Parvati Hill temples Standing atop this hillock you get a vertical glimpse of Pune. A steep flight of 108 narrow steps lead to the hill top temple built by Balaji Baji Rao. ‘Nagarkjana’ drum house is the imposing temple of Parvati and Devdeveshwar. This was once the private shrine of the Peshwas. It is also the final resting place of Nana Saheb Peshwa. The Parvati museum houses portraits of Peshwas, old manuscripts, coins etc.
• Mulshi Is to the west of Pune and close to Lonavala as well as Konkan region. Mulshi dam and the surroundings are abundant with natural beauty that includes a dam, the hilly region of Sahyadri's deep forests and forts like Dhangad and Koraigadh. Water of Mulshi is used for generating electricity. It is one of the major electricity project in Maharashtra.
• Laxmi Road A very huge market for gold jewelry and clothes.
• Pune University[1] The site of Poona University, stately mansions at Ganeshkhind built in Italian-Gothic style was the official residence of the Governor of Mumbai during the monsoon season. The 300m high tower beckons to all these who come here in the pursuit of higher education. It is one of the oldest universities of India.
• Fergusson College[2]
• IUCAA[3] The Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) is an autonomous institution set up by the University Grants Commission to promote nucleation and growth of active groups in Astronomy and Astrophysics in Indian universities.
• Jain temple at Katraj
• Rajiv Gandhi Snake Park at Katraj
• Chatushrungi Mata Temple at Senapati Bapat Road
• NDA (National Defence Acadamy)[4] This is a Defense Academy that imparts basic training to officers, cadets of all the three branches of the Defense Services for Commission in the Army, Navy and Air-Force. It is situated at Khadakvasla, 17 kms From Pune.
• Film and Television Institute of India[5] The FTII is situated on a sprawling campus midst much greenery on the Law College Road. It is a premier institute that imparts training in all branches of the film industry and is known for having produced some of the finest professionals in the Audio- Visual media, most of whom have won accolades abroad. So if you have star in your eyes, FTII is a must.
• Pashan Lake This lake is situated 12 kms off the road to N.D.A. It is an Ornithologists delight, as it is the favourite haunt of a number of migratory and residential birds. For bird watching, head towards this little lake.
• Pataleshwar Caves This 8th century rock cut temple is hidden in the heart of the city, in the midst of modern high rise structures and developments, at Shivajinagar. Reminiscent of Ellora, the temple has been carved out of a single boulder of awe inspiring size which includes massive pillars, a Shiva shrine and a Nandi bull. The temple is used by worshippers even today.
• Bund Garden This garden is also known as the Mahatma Gandhi Udhayan. It was built by Sir Jamshedji Jeejeebhoy, on the right bank of the Mula-Mutha to provide the poor with water during summer. Main attraction here is the evening boat rides, horse rides etc. The garden is famous for Bhel-Puri and Pani-Puri. It is situated on the Airport road and very close to the Camp area.
• Appu Ghar Indira Gandhi Udyan situated at Pradhikaran, Nigdi on Pune-Bombay highway. It is a play park and a mini Disney Land full of wheels, merry-go-round and swings. Both adults and the children enjoy the rides and the fun alike. Reaching there is no problem, as there are direct bus service from the Pune station.
• Dehu Situated on the river Indrayani, this place is famous for the poet Sant Tukaram who was born and brought up here. A number of stories of the famed poet and the place are still popular. There are a number of interesting historical sights a short distance out of Pune that can be seen over a few days, if you plan your time right. The charm of this quaint city of Pune is around it in the forts, the caves and the other adventurous treks around the little mountains and hillocks! Some of these sights have great relevance in the history of the Marathas.

Visits to the Buddhist caves at Bhaja and at Karla make rather interesting side trips too. And Panchgani and Mahabaleshwar, located in the Sahyadris, are quaint, pretty places for a relaxing few days.

• Osho Ashram[6] Pune has become an international tourist spot because of the Osho Commune International. Spread over 31 acres of flush green surroundings, it is the meditation resort to people from over 60-70 different countries. The Osho Commune offers over 100 different meditation techniques to all the participants. It has become a must-visit to all the tourists over the world who are on a spiritual journey.
• AshtVinayakas

Do

• Panshet Water Park At a nearby dam, the tourism department has setup a water sports park.
• Tilak Tank State of the art swimming pool in the heart of the city.
• Enjoy typical Maharashtrian food at Sadashiv Peth and Shanivar Peth.
• Watch the famous Pune Ganesh Festival for 10 Days which takes place somewhere in August or September.

Learn

• University of Pune [7] is a well known centre of education.
• College of Engineering, Pune (COEP) — The oldest engineering college in India (founded in 1854) is one of the best in the country
• PICT [8] The engineering college known for computer and information technology enginnering in India (founded in 1983) is one of the best in the country
• Deccan College and Bhandarkar Institute are major centres of Indological and Archaeological research.
• Fergusson College [9] is one of the most famous colleges in India.
• Brihan Maharashtra College of Commerce [10]
• Law College [11] run by Indian Law Society (ILS)
• Bharti Vidyapeeth [12] has an engineering college, medical college and its own law college.

Work

For long, Pune has been the Detroit of India. Pune is home to Tata Motors, second largest passenger car manufacturer in India, Bajaj Auto has their two wheeler plant, kinetic motors is located here, Daimler Chrysler has their Assembly plant, and recently Farm equipment major John Deere has entered. It is home to one of largest industrial clusters in Asia known as Pimpri-Chinchwad. Mechanical Engineering, and allied businesses abound. Pune is home to world's second largest forging company.

A small but growing software business and call centres add to the recent job opportunities. Many of the world's top MNCs have their offices/development centres in Pune. These include Kanbay, Symantec, Sybase, IBM, Wipro, TCS, BMC, Infosys, Amdocs, Tech Mahindra, TIBCO, PTC, UGS, MSC Software, Fluent, WNS,Techbooks and others.

Buy

• M.G. Road. Any items such as shoes, clothing, pots, pans, electronics, stationary, furniture, kitchen sinks etc. can be found at Mahatma Gandhi Road, known to locals as simply, M.G. Road.. Supposedly every city in India has a street call M.G. Road.
• Laxmi Road A very huge market for gold jewelry and clothes.
• Tulsi Baug Located on the Bajirao Road, near Maharashtra Bank. It is a must visit and also a very favourite middle-class family market. Very cheap ladies garments, footwear and other items required for daily usage is available easily.
• Fashion Street Located in the Pune Camp Area near M.G. Road. A special market where you can easily bargain your way to lots of inexpensive readymade garments, footwear, leather items and fashion accessories.
• Junna Bazar Located near the Pune Railway Station (en route to the Pune Municipal Corporation). This market takes place every Wednesday and Sunday occupying one of the roads leading to PMC from the Pune Station. It is sort of a flee market and you could get your hands on a variety of interesting objects for throw away prices including old rare coins, gramophone records and other such unique paraphernalia.

Eat

Ask a "sadashiv-pethi" to show you more interesting places like bedekar misal, Joshi wadewale or sujata mastani. Also a must try are sweets from the famous Chitale Bandhu Mithaiwale, especially their 'Bakarwadi'.

Budget

• Vohuman An awesome Iranian place serving the most delicious omlets. Good for breakfast. Right next to the Jehangir Hospital [13]
• Juice World A place to have anything fruit related. The 'With Cream' desserts (especially Mango/Strawberry with cream) are to die for. Also serves wonderful parathas and pav bhaji. The place is towards the begining of East Street on M.G. Road.
• Mathura, on J.M. Road, opposite Sai Service Station serves authentic Maharashtrian thali and nice batata vada.
• Fast food includes the usual McDonald's, Pizza Hut and Dominos, Smoking Joe's, Burger Kings galore, including one McDonalds at the INOX movie theatre complex.
• Durga, on Paud Road is the most popular joint for cold coffee in Pune.
• Vaishali, on Fergusson College Road is a popular youth joint serving mostly amazing South Indian dishes. Their Sambhar is arguably the best in the City.
• Wadeshwar, on Fergusson College Road is a another popular eating place. The best fast food you will get here like appe, wada-sambhar, pav bhaji, etc.
• German Bakery in Cantonment area (Koregaon Park) is also a nice place to visit for healthy, wholesome bakery products.
• Toons on M.G. Road. A nice local burger place, good music and also has pool table.
• Coffee House on M.G. Road. Enjoy their Channa Bhathura.
• Subhadra on J.M.Road. Nice family restaurant.
• Sheetal near Kothrud petrol pump. Enjoy South Indian dishes and maharaja thali.
• Kasturi Mastani check any dish/cold-drinks they have. Good evening place.
• Kamat Happy Colony, on the way to Karvenagar from Kothrud main Bus Stop.
• Durvankur Tilak Road, near Maharashtra Mandal. For their special unlimited Maharashtrian Thali.
• Sukanta very famous for Gujrathi Thali. Near the Deccan Z bridge.
• Ritugandh very famous for Gujrathi Thali. Near the Deccan Z bridge.

Mid-range

• The Blue Nile has great Iranian (mid-Eastern) fare. Be sure to sit in the 'Family' section if there are females in your party.
• Savera, located across from the main gate of Fergusson College, vegetarian restaurant.
• Mirchi Kola, on M.G. Road
• Mirch Masala, on the way to karvenagar from kothrud Main Bus stop. Get veg.,non-veg.dishes.
• Nisarg, Padale Palace chowk, off karve Road. veg.,non-veg.dishes.
• Khaiber, J.M. Rd., diagonally opposite to Crossword. Veg., non-veg. dishes.
• Oliva opposite Yatri Lodge, near Dashbhuja Ganpati temple on Karve Road.
• Soul at ABC Farms in Koregaon Park has fantastic food within economical means. you get italian and indian food and of course alcohol. its a great place to chill out with family and friends.
• George Restaurant located on east street,centrally located, is a cool place where the food is awsome and not too expensive, go for the persian dishes

Splurges

• Flags, next to Inox, offers multi-cuisine food. Has a very interesting menu.
• Hotel Blue Diamond,
• Bombay Brasserie
• Chinese Room
• Mainland China has excellent Chinese food. The food has not been adapted very much to Indian tastes.
• Le Pizzeria is close to Shopper's Stop Mall. Has amazing Italian cuisine, and it run by an Italian.
• Pizza Express at Sohrab Hall has delicious italian food. You must try the delicious chocolate fudge there at least once.Too good to be true.

For variety, head out to Koregaon Park. This a single lane with more than 50 restaurants. It offers a choice of cuisine including Italian, French, Mexican, Thai, Japanese and a variety of local Indian food - There is a restaurant to fit every taste and mood. ABC farms in Koregaon Park has many restaurants at one place - ideal when you cannot decide before leaving for dinner.

Drink

Nightlife and drinking are mostly restricted to the Cantonment area.

• Must drink very healthy & very Cheap Drinks like "Neera","Jaljeera","Kokam Juce" in summer which is Available on Almost Every Streets Of Pune.

• Ten Downing Street
• Purple Haze
• Thousand Oaks
• Leather Lounge
• Elysium

There are some newer places such as

• Kiwa
• Apache - Fluid Lounge

Sleep

Keep away from most of the places that are close to the City Railway Station as hotels in the western part of the city are comparatively cheaper, and safer.

Budget

• Swaroop Lodge
• Trimurti Lodge Located right across the main gate of Fergusson College, this is a popular lodge for first time travellers, though it it next to impossible for the residents to get a good night's sleep owing to the thick traffic. It's not a very clean lodge.

Mid-range

• Shreyas Lodge, Apte Road, Pune.
• Suyash Lodge, Off Tilak Road, Pune.
• Yatri Lodge, Karve Road,near Aptech, Pune.
• Sadand Residency, Karve Road, near Dashabhuja Ganpati temple, Pune.
• Utsav, located on Pune-Satara road.
• Ashok Lodge, Shivaji Road, Pune

Splurge

• Hotel Blue Diamond
• Le Meridien
• Holiday Inn
• Hotel Presidency
• Hotel Pride

Contact

Phone

Pune is well covered by mobile phone networks.

Idea, Airtel, BSNL and Hutch offer GSM based networks, while Reliance and TATA Indicom offer CDMA connectivity.

Internet

Tons of Internet cafes scattered around the city. Usual charge runs about 15-20 rupees an hour.

Stay safe

Pune is by and large a very safe place. Violent crime is almost unheard of, although it's important to keep an eye on your belongings in public, as petty theft is a fairly common occurrence. Do report any such activity to the police. Keep away from the touts.

Be especially careful when driving in and around Pune. Local slum dwellers and onlookers do not take much time to gang up on "outsiders", beat them up violently & rob them in case of an accident.

Get out

Day trips

• Matheran
• Mahabaleshwar
• Karla-bhaja caves
• Sinhagad
• Purandar
• Shivneri
• Rajgad
• Torangad
• Mulshi
• Baneshwar - This is Situated in Pune Satara Road. This place consist a very old temple and a nice picnic spot.
• Shirgaon - This is Situated on Mumbai-Pune Express Highway, near Somatane. This is also called as "Prati Shirdi(Replica of SHIRDI)" This place consist a beautiful SAI BABA temple.

Weekend getaways

• Alibag
• Murud & Janjira
• Lonavala & Khandala

Hill forts

• Sinhagad Fort Sinhagad stands 25 Kms from Pune, formerly known as Kondhana, once being the most impregnable fort in western India. It’s literal translation is the "Fortress of the Lion". The fort has changed hands many times from Mohammed Tughlak in 1340 A.D., to the British in 1918 A.D. Legends says, 300 years ago Shivaji’s Gen. Tanaji Malusare scaled this sheer precipice with ropes and giant lizards. He was killed in the battle and a memorial exists. It is an ideal place for a day long picnic and site seeing. The main attraction is climbing the fort on foot.
• Rajgad 42 kms from Pune, Rajgad is truly the King of all forts. It is famous for its structure. Rajgad is surrounded by Sinhagad, Torna, Mangalgad and Purandar. Shivaji Maharaj spent most of his life on this fort. He was here for nearly 30 years. This fort is historically very much important. The fort is 1400 mts above sea level and a difficult one to climb. The Padmavati temple which is very old is the only place where one can rest. Sanjivani Machi, Padmavati Machi and Suvela Machi are places one can see over here. One can also see 'Chor Darawaja' and 'Pali Darwaja' on the machi. It takes about 6 hrs to reach Torana from Sanjivani Machi. Suvela Machi can be considered as the strongest place on the fort.Just by being on Rajgad one can have a view of various places like Purandar, Sinhagad, Mahabaleshwar, Raireshwar, Torana, Raigad, Manmohangad, Makarandgad, Varanda Ghat, Lingana, Lohegad, Visapur, Tikona and Pratapgad. Bale Killa which is one of the most difficult forts to climb in Maharashtra is another attraction over here. Rajgad gives you a true trekking experience.To reach Rajgad get down to Vinzhar, Pabe village on the Pune-Velhe road. Other ways to reach Rajgad are by - From Shivthar Ghal via Gopya Ghat, From Torana to Rajgad, By Gunjawane Darwaja, By Chor Darwaja and By Pali Darwaja.
• Lohagad & Visapur A ridge separates the twin forts of Lohegadh and Visapur at 1350m with a km between them. Lohagadh was Shivaji's stronghold during his reign. A local from Pune takes you there; you have to get down at Malavli, the nearest rail head (10 kms away) which takes roughly an hour or so. A waterfall in the trek to Lohagad is the highlight of the trek. A number of mischievous monkeys can create trouble so watch out.Though not much remains of the fort, the trek to the top is still worth it. While Visapur might be right next to it, there is not much to see! Dating back to the 1700s, visiting these forts (one kilometer apart), which were taken and lost by Shivaji, makes for a strenuous hike. The Bhaja caves , situated in Bhaja village, are nearby and it is a 4 kilometer walk from Lohagad to these caves and so also from Lohagad to the main road. The nearest railhead is Malvali, 10 kilometers away.
• Torna One of the highest forts in Maharashtra, this fort was Shivaji's first major conquest. He rebuilt it by repairs and made it his base. Shivaji had apparently abandoned this fort for Raigadh after finding it to be vulnerable due to its open summit. This fort offers a lot for trekkers, as it has one of the most exciting treks. A two-hour bus ride from Swargate will take you to Velha village, where the imposing fort rises out of the outskirts of this village! Not a fort for everyone, this trek needs to be attempted only for true-blue trekkers, as the fort does not offer any shelter or food! Though what it does make good for is the fantastic viewing of the surrounding forts! A true blue biker's diary reads, “Sunset is beautiful. The view from the top towards Rajgadh is awesome. Climb is dangerous. Almost vertical at times. Biking was great, lots of climbs and down hills.
• Jejuri Situated 48 kms away, Jejuri is known for its Khandoba deity and is considered a religious place by the Hindus. Large congregations attend the annual fair held here. There are eight Ganesh temples or `ashtavinayakas' in Maharashtra where the idol is Swayambhoo or self formed. Five of these are in and around Pune Sri Moreshwar, Sri Chintamani, Sri Mahaganapati, Sri Wighnahar and Sri Girijatmak. Khandoba, the deity at Jejuri is the fighter God of the Marathas. He is shown astride a horse and has a angry warlike look. This was reason enough for the Muslims to repeatedly destroy the temple. Even Aurangzeb attempted to destroy the temple a second time in 1690. He however was thwarted in this attempt when the Mughal soldiers while trying to attack the temple disturbed a nest of hornets. The hornets so harassed the besieging Mughal soldiers that Aurangzeb was forced to lift the siege and spare the temple. The Bigoted but God-fearing Aurangzeb is said to have placated the angry bees by offering One Hundred and Twenty Five Thousand Silver Coins to the God Khandoba.