Pune

Related Topics:
Pune

Pune (IPA: pʊɳe, Marathi: पुणे) is a city located in the western Indian state of Maharashtra, and also the capital of Pune District in which it is located. It is the 8th largest city in India with a population of 4.5 million, and the second largest in the state of Maharashtra. It is located roughly 160 kilometres east of Mumbai at an altitude of 560 metres above sea level. It is situated at the eastern edge of the Western ghats on the Deccan plateau.

Pune has a reputation for its several esteemed colleges and educational institutions, and is also home to many software and IT companies. Pune is widely considered the cultural capital of Marathi-speaking Maharashtrians. Although Marathi is the main language of Pune, its cosmopolitian population speaks several other languages like English, Hindi and Gujarati.

Name

Pune derives its name from Punya Nagari, or the city of virtuous deeds. Pune started out as Punnaka - an agricultural settlement in the 8th century. By the 11th century, it was known as Kasbe Pune or Punavadi when under the Mughal rule. It was known alternately as Poona by the British.

Pune was also bestowed with the epithet of "Oxford of the East" by Jawaharlal Nehru due to its stature as a educational hub.

History

Pune started out as Punnaka - an agricultural settlement in the 8th century. The earliest evidence (copper plates dating 758 AD and 768 AD) reveals that this region was ruled by the Rashtrakutas. It came under mughal rule in the 11th century.

Until circa 1818, it continued to be ruled by various dynasties, especially the Mughals and the Marathas. During the mid 17th century, it became the temporary residence of Marathi King Shivaji. In 1749 A.D, it prominence as the capital of the Maratha kingdom under the Peshwa rule. It was during this period that the city expanded considerably^*.

Pune's medieval roots are also evident in number of temples and mosques. The oldest existing structure in the city is the rock-cut temple of Pataleshwar, from the 8th century AD. The cave-temple complex is also called Panchaleshvara cave. This cave, once situated outside limits of the old town, is now squarely in the middle of the city off the Jungli Maharaj road.

Pune is inextricably linked to the life of the great Maratha hero and king, Chhatrapati Shivaji. The era of Pune's fame began when Chhatrapati Shivaji came to stay here with his mother Jijabai in 1635-36. They lived in a mansion known as "Lal Mahal," a replica of which still can be visited at its original location in the city. According to local lore, the Kasba Ganapati Mandir, regarded as the presiding deity of the city (gramadevata), was built by Jijabai.

In the early 18th century, prime minister of Chhatrapati Shahu, Peshwe Baji Rao I wanted to make Pune his home, which was agreed to by the king. He built his palace on a slightly raised ground near the Mutha river which is now known as Shaniwar Peth. The fortified palace that came up is known as Shaniwar Wada. Shaniwar Wada is considered by many to be the focal point of the old city of Pune.

1817 saw a war breaking out between the Marathas and the British. A battle was fought in Kirkee (now "Khadki"), a town earlier outside the main Pune (though at present is considered to be well within the city limits). The Peshwas were defeated and the British forces took over the town. The British realized the importance of the city and built a large cantonment to the east of the city. Later, Pune was pronounced the Monsoon Capital of the Bombay Presidency. The city passed into British rule after the defeat of Marathas in the Battle of Panipat. Army bases established by the british on the outskirts of the city were later converted into cantonments of Pune and Khadki. The Pune Municipality was established in 1858. A number of esteemed educational institutes also came up here in the latter half of the 19th century, enhancing Pune's stature as an education hub.

During the struggle for Indian independence, Pune took its place as an important center for social and religious reform movements that were sweeping the country. It was the home to some reformers who were stalwarts of the national movement, like Mahadev Govind Ranade, R.G Bhandarkar, Gopal Krishna Gokhale and Mahatma Jyotirao Phule. The presence of Bal Gangadhar Tilak dominated the political scene for three decades during this period.

After Indian independence (1947), Pune's reputation as an educational and research node grew with the establishment of the University of Pune, the National Defence Academy (NDA), National Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS)^*, National Chemical Laboratory and other such premium institutes. However, certain schools and colleges, such as Fergusson College have exceeded the reputation of the city's far-known educational status from the late 1800s.

Geography

Pune is located at 18°32' North 72° 51' East (See satellite view), near the western margin of the Deccan Plateau. It lies on the leeward side of the Sahyadri ranges and Western Ghats, 560 m (1837 ft) above the sea level, at the confluence of Mula and Mutha rivers, which are tributaries of the Bhima. Two more rivers, Pavana and Indrayani traverse the Northwestern outskirts of the urban area. The Sinhagad-Katraj-Dive Ghats range is the Southern Boundary of the urban area. The highest point in the city is Vetal Hill (800 m or 2625 ft above sea level) whereas the highest point just outside the urban area is the Sinhagad Fort (1300 m or 4265 ft above sea level).

Pune lies in the seismically active zone of Koyna Region, which is about 100 km south of Pune. Pune has recently been upgraded to lie in the zone IV, which is the second most dangerous seismic zone in India. Pune has experienced some moderate-intensity and many low-intensity earthquakes. Although earthquakes were not known to have originated in Pune itself, an earthquake of a very slight intensity took place in Pune that had its epicentre in Dehu, about 13 km from the main city. Seismologists were unable to explain the occurrence of this earthquake.

Climate

Pune experiences three distinct seasons: summer, monsoon and winter. Typical summer months are from March to May, with maximum temperatures ranging from 35 c to 39°C (95 to 102°F). Contrary to most of the Deccan Plateau where May is the warmest month, the warmest month in Pune is April. The city often receives locally developed heavy thundershowers with sharp downpours in May. Though the temperatures plunge in this month, the summer heat accompanied by high humidity can be occasionally quite oppressive. Nevertheless, the nights in Pune are significantly cooler compared to most other parts in this region owing to its high altitude.

Monsoon winds blowing from the Arabian sea are a welcome relief in June, bringing with them heavy showers. Pune receives moderate rainfall. The city receives an annual rainfall of 722 mm, mainly between June and September as the result of southwest monsoon. ^* July is the wettest month of the year. Though the rainfall is comparatively lower than in the adjoining Western ghats, steady spells of heavy rain frequently disrupt normal life in the city. The spells of continuous rainfall may stretch to many days or even a few weeks. Pune has, on record, received rainfall for 29 consecutive days (Days when rainfall is greater than 2.5 mm). However, the weather is very pleasant in the city with temperature ranging from 20 to 28°C (68 to 82°F).

As the monsoon winds recede, the day temperatures rise again in October with cooler nights signalling the onset of winter. Pune experiences winter from November to February. This is the best season to visit Pune. Pleasant windy days, clear skies and cool nights make it the most enjoyable time of the year. The day temperature hovers around 29°C (84°F) while night temperature is below 10°C (50°F) for most of December and January, often dropping to 5 or 6°C (42°F). On particularly cold days, wind may appear to be very chilly due to the dryness of air. Rain is very rare in this season.

Temperature records: The highest temperature recorded was 110 °F (43.3°C) on 30 April 1987 and 7 May 1889. The lowest temperature recorded during 1881-1940 was 35 °F (1.7°C) on 17 January 1935. More recently, Pune recorded a lowest temperature of 2.8°C on January 1991. ^*

Economy

Pune is a major industrial centre, growing very fast every year. It is home to one of the world's largest two-wheeler manufacturers, — Bajaj Auto. The manufacturing plant of India's largest Passanger car and Commercial vehicle manufacturer, Tata Motors, is in Pimpri, a suburb of Pune. DaimlerChrysler also has an assembly line for its Mercedes Benz brand in Pune. It is also home to Kinetic Engineering, Force Motors Ltd (previously known as Bajaj Tempo).

The world's second largest forging company Bharat Forge Ltd is also in Pune. Cummins Engines Co Ltd has a Research & Technology India center in Pune in addition to its manufacturing plant. Other Engineering companies include Alfa Laval, Sandvik Asia, Thyssen Krupp (formerly Backau Wolf), KSB Pumps, Finolex, Greaves India, Forbes Marshall, etc. Whirlpool as well as LG have appliance manufacturing plants near Pune. Frito Lay and Coca Cola also have their manufacturing plants in Pune.

Pune is also home to numerous small and medium-sized enterprises.

Pune has a burgeoning software industry. Many of India's major software players such as Xansa,TCS, Infosys, Wipro, Satyam, KPIT Cummins , Persistent Systems and Kanbay Software have a major presence in Pune. Global majors like HSBC Global Technology, IBM, Siemens, EDS, I-Flex, Cognizant,Symantec and Zensar have a major presence in Pune's various Software Technology Parks and other areas. Some of the prominent IT parks in the city are the Hinjewadi IT Park, Magarpatta Cybercity, Marisoft IT Park (Kalyaninagar) etc. Accenture recently announced it would be opening a new facility in Pune.

Pune is also emerging as a prominent city for Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) companies. Companies like Convergys, WNS, Progeon, EXL and MphasiS have started their operations in Pune. Pune comes as a natural choice for the BPO companies due to the availability of skilled manpower.

Pune also houses the headquarters of the Bank Of Maharashtra.

To meet the demands of this explosive economic growth in Pune, the state is planning a 1,000 MW power plant exclusively for Pune. MIDC is the lead agency for the Project. The International Convention Center was constructed at Senapati Bapat Road in 2005. It has been constructed by MCCIA. The international connectivity is going to help many volume produce growers in the surrounding districts to export their goods conveniently.

Civic administration

The city is administered by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). The executive power of the corporation is vested in the Municipal Commissioner, an IAS officer appointed by the state government. The corporation consists of directly elected corporators headed by a titular Mayor. The mayor has few executive powers. The PMC is in charge of the civic needs and infrastructure of the metropolis. Pune is divided into forty-eight municipal wards, each overseen by an Assistant Municipal Commissioner for administrative purposes. The corporators of the administration are voted through a popular vote and almost all the Indian political parties-Maharashtra field their candidates.

The city is inside the Haveli Taluka in Pune District, Maharashtra, and the district comes under the juridiction of the District Collector. The collectors are in charge of property records and revenue collection for the Central government. They also oversee the national elections held in the city.

Like other metropolises in India, the Pune Police is headed by a Police Commissioner, an IPS officer. The Pune Police comes under the state Home Ministry.

Transport

Pune is extremely well-connected by road, rail, and air to most major cities in India such as Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Delhi, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Chennai. Pune Airport previously had only domestic flights, but has become an international airport with flights thrice a week going to Singapore as well as Dubai. The city has two main railway stations, Pune Junction and Shivajinagar Station; most long-distance trains halt at Pune Junction. In addition, Pune local/suburban trains connect Pune Junction to the industrial towns of Khadki, Pimpri and Chinchwad. Road travel between Pune and Mumbai has improved significantly with the construction of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and now only takes approximately three hours. Buses, both state owned and private ones, also connect Pune with cities throughout India. The Maharashtra state transport buses are most commonly used by people to travel to rural villages and are very affordable.

Within the city, auto rickshaw is a common mode of transport, and the buses of Pune Municipal Transport (PMT) are Pune's main public transport service. Like many quickly growing cities, local travel by car, scooter, or bicycle can be frustrating for most individuals because of traffic congestion and a general disregard to traffic rules.

There are huge problems with Pune's Public Transport system. You can read more about the difficulties by visiting http://pune360.com/Editorial/2006/06/20/public-transport-in-pune-a-review/

Demographics

According to the 2001 census provisional counts, the urban agglomaration around Pune has a population of 4,485,000 in 2005. This figure includes the population of the city of Pimpri-Chinchwad, which is the industrial twin of Pune. Of late, the city has witnessed a sizeable investment in the software and automobile sectors, resulting in an influx of skilled labor from all over India. Several suburbs are now completely cosmopolitan and real-estate prices have boomed since 2003.

Notably, even though Pune is the seventh largest city in India, it has the sixth largest metropolitan economy and the highest per capita income in India, with the least income disparity between the rich and poor. Pune currently has 3 sister cities, Tromsø in Norway, Bremen in Germany and San Jose in California, USA. One more city in Israel is soon expected to be added to this list.

Residents of Pune are referred to as Puneites, or as Punekars in the local language Marathi. Marathi is spoken extensively, while English is popular amidst the college-goers, white-collar professions and other cosmopolitan populace. Hindi and Gujarati are also spoken by some.

Culture

Pune is a vibrant cultural city and people from multiple religions and speaking different regional languages reside here. It also hosts various national festivals and cultural events throughout the year. People of Pune have wide interests in various Arts, Spiritualism and Food.

Ganapati (Ganesha) Festival

It was in Pune in 1894 that Lokmanya Tilak initiated the concept of the "Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav" - the collective communal celebration of the festival of Lord Ganesha. During the month of August or September each year, the city celebrates the Hindu festival of Ganesh Chaturthi. Almost every neighborhood puts up a pandal with an idol of Lord Ganesha, often amidst a mythological setting, complete with decorative lights and festive music. The 10-day festival culminates in a carnival-like procession along the busy thoroughfares of the city, with every pandal leading the idol on a float to finally immerse (visarjan) it in the local rivers. This is one of the most important yearly events in the city.

During this time, the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation organizes the month-long Pune Festival which hosts classical dance and music recitals, a film and drama festival, automobile rallies and some traditional sports.

Sawaai Gandharva Music Festival

In the month of December, Pune hosts the Sawai Gandharva Music Festival. It is dedicated to the Classical Forms of music - both Hindusthani and Carnatic. Many renowned performers of Hindustani classical music perform through 3 consecutive nights creating a hype unique to this city. It is one of the most eagerly awaited festivals in the city. People from other parts of Maharashtra and India actively take part in it. It is a great treat for music lovers.

Theatre

Pune is the cultural capital of Marathi people. The city has given birth to or attracted body of organization for the Marathi literati, also has its headquarters in Pune. Marathi Theatre (Drama नाटक - रंगभूमी ) is an integral part of Marathi culture. Both - Experimental (प्रायोगिक रंगभूमी) and Professional theatre - receive whole-hearted patronage from Marathi community. Tilak Smarak Mandir, Bala Gandharva rangmandir, Bharat Natya Mandir, Yashwantrao Chavan Natyagriha and Su-darshan Rangmanch continue to serve these art forms.

One of the main theatre activity centers is the Su-darshan Rangamanch run by Maharashtra Cultural Center, a leading public charitable trust active in cultural activities. The trust has its own mini theatre as well as an art gallery where many amateur theatre groups perform their plays, music and dance programmes.

Religion and spiritualism

Pune is the birth place of Meher Baba as well as the home of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. Rajneesh's Osho Ashram helps bring a very international flair to the city. Situated amidst thick, rather impenetrable flora, the centre boasts of a huge meditation center and two beautiful gardens, viz. Osho garden and Zen garden. These remain places of interest for many foreigners and people from elsewhere in the country.

Chaturshrungi goddess is the reigning deity of the city of Pune. Her temple is situated on the slopes of a mountain in the northwest part of the city of Pune. The temple is in the midst of nature's scenic beauty. This ninety feet high and one twenty five feet wide temple is looked after by Chatushringi Devasthan (Temple) trustees, with full dedication. In the month of September there is a huge procession for the Navaratris and people flock in to visit and have blessings of the Goddess.

Pune has been one of the centers of the neo-Buddhist revival movement begun by B. R. Ambedkar in 1956. It also houses the headquarters of the Trailokya Bauddha Mahasangha Gana, the Indian affiliate of the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order.

Pune was also home to a considerable population of the Indian Jewish community, the Bene Israel. It is home to Asia's largest synagogue (outside Israel), The Ohel David Synagogue.

Close to Pune City are the villages Alandi and Dehu where Sant Dnyaneshwar and Sant Tukaram belong. Each year thousands of pilgrims from all over Maharashtra gather here and start 'Wari' which is procession carrying 'palkhi's of Sant Dnyaneshwar and Sant Tukaram to Pandharpur. Pandharpur is the home to Lord Vitthal and is about 300 km from Pune. All pilgrims walk this distance to reach Pandharpur on the auspicious day of 'Aashadhi Ekadasshi' when the 'Wari' ends.

The backhills of Pune are becoming known for their immense spiritual value. People from other countries and other parts of India go to these schools to study the Vedas and other holy scriptures of Hinduism.

Food

People of Pune are known to be food-lovers. Baakarwadi (बाकरवडी) - a spicy fried roll, Mastani (मस्तानी) (a preparation of thick milk, fruits and ice-cream), Laxminarayan Chiwda (चिवडा) are some of the most popular food items. These have are very popular and have become synonymous with the city. Punekars are also fond of various tasty type of vada pav, misaal, Kacchi dabeli, bhel(referred as chaat in Hindi) and love hanging out with friends on famous food spots in Pune.

Media

English dailies such as the Indian Express and The Times of India have editions based out of Pune, with additional local supplements. Marathi newspapers such as Sakal, Loksatta, Kesari and Pudhari are equally, if not more, popular with Punekars.

Apart from conventional media types, many Punekars are also very active in blogs and blogging,which is vary popular way of sharing and spreading information worldwide.Many Punekar bloggers thus help in spreading the spirit of Pune and its culture all around the world. A lot of quality content can be obtained from variuos topics written by Puneri bloggers in their usual Puneri style. An example of Puneri bloggers is found here, You can find all sorts of blogs ranging from personal diaries to Web Security to bad conditions of Puneri roads.

Education

Pune was also called "The Oxford of the east"by Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first Prime Minister; as Pune attracts students from all over the world.

Basic education

Schools in Pune are either run by the PMC, in which case they are called public schools, or privately by trusts and individuals. Private schools have been preferred by a majority of city residents because of better facilities and the use of English language as the medium of instruction. All private schools are affiliated either with the Maharashtra state SSC board or the all-India Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) and CBSE boards.

University education

All professional colleges in Pune are affiliated to the University of Pune, one of the largest universities in the world in terms of matriculation. Prominent ones include:

Deccan College (one of the oldest in western India)
Engineering College (second oldest in the Subcontinent)
Fergusson College, estabished 1885 (amongst ten most reputed in India)
Agricultural College (one of the earliest in the country)
Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics (one of the oldest, and also one of the most reputed institute for research and higher studies in Economics in India)

PUMBA, (acronym for the Pune University, Masters in Business Administration Program),the inhouse university management department is one of the top B-Schools in India. The medical,dental and nursing colleges in Pune are affiliated to Maharashtra University Of Health sciences(Nashik){acronym MUHS}. Pune houses medical colleges that make it to the top ten in the country AFMC(Armed Forces Medical College) and BJMC(Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Medical College).The PIET (Pune Institute of Engg & Technology (formerly known as COEP)), one of India's premier engineering universities, and the SNDT Women's University, exclusive to women, are the other universities in Pune. In addition to the statutory universities, Pune boasts of 5 Deemed Universities that specialise in specific areas of research and training. They are, The Deccan College (Archaeology), Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth (Sanskrit, Indology, Ayurveda and Social Sciences), Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics (GIPE), Bharati Vidyapeeth and Symbiosis. IMDR is a premier management institute based in Pune. Engineering colleges in Pune graduate up to 10,000 engineers in various disciplines every year. This includes around 2500 Software/I.T. professionals which add to the growing IT/ITES/BPO sectors.

Special education

Pune is the largest center for Japanese learning in India. The JLPT exams are held in Pune annually (December). They were shifted to Pune from Delhi due to the sheer number of students appearing for the same from Pune. The Japanese language training in provided by University of Pune and other private players - individuals and companies. Other languages like German (Max Muller Bhavan) and French (Alliance Francaise de Pune) are also popular amongst Punekars.

Education institutes dedicated to the defence forces

Pune is host to several excellent educational institutes specifically dedicated to Defence forces. They are:

National Defence Academy - NDA, is located at Khadakwasla, on the outskirts of Pune. It is a joint services institution for training young cadets as future officers of the Defence Services. The motto of the Academy is 'Sewa Paramo Dharma (Service Before Self)'. Official Website.

Institute of Armament Technology (IAT) was established in 1952 and moved to its current campus of Girinagar in 1967. It was made as a deemed University since 2000. Primary aim of the institute is to provide Higher Education in Science and Technology related to defence requirements in general and weapon systems in particular.

Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC) was set up in 1948 in the immediate post-world war period. AFMC is responsible for training of medical undergraduates and post-graduates, dental postgraduates, nursing cadets and paramedical staff. Patient care forms an integral part of its training curriculum and the attached hospitals benefits from the expertise available at AFMC. The institution is responsible for providing the entire pool of specialists and super specialists to Armed Forces by giving them in service training.

College of Military Engineering (CME) located at Dapodi. The erstwhile School of Military Engineering (SME) established in Septmeber 1943 at Roorkee moved to its present location at Pune in 1948. It is a premier technical and tactical training institution of the Corps of Engineers encompassing the four pillars viz. Combat Engineers, Military Engineering Service, Border Roads Organisation and Survey.

Army Institute of Technology (AIT) located at Dighi was established in Aug 1994. It was started with aim to provide Engineering education to the wards of Indian Army personnel.

Army Institute of Physical Training (AIPT) formerly called the Army School of Physical Training (ASPT), located at Hadapsar was established in 1947 is the cradle of physical and recreational training in the Army. It has training infrastructure to impart systematic and comprehensive instructions on physical training. Selected candidates from all ranks of the Army, students from the police, para-military forces and friendly foreign countries attend various courses on physical training and allied subjects at ASPT.

All Peths in Pune City

Peth is the general name for a locality in old Pune. Businesses in many of these localities used to be open for business only once a week. Hence these localities are named according to the day they were open for business. For example Raviwar (Sunday) Peth, Somwar (Monday) Peth, Mangalwar (Tuesday) Peth, Budhwar Peth (Wednesday), Guruwar (Thursday) Peth, Shukrawar (Friday) Peth, and Shaniwar (Saturday) Peth. Some peths have been named after a major temple located within their boundaries (e.g. Kasba Peth, Ganesh Peth, Bhawani Peth), while other peths have been named after certain notable people (e.g. Sadashiv Peth, Nana Peth, Narayan Peth, Ghorpade Peth, Senadatta Peth).

References

Geography of Pune Urban Area by S. B. Nalawade (Dept. of Geography, Fergusson College, Pune)

External links

Official websites