Pune is the second-largest city in the Indian state of Maharashtra, after Mumbai. The city is considered to be the cultural capital of Maharashtra. The city has emerged as a major educational hub in recent decades, with nearly half of the total international students in the country studying in Pune. Research institutes of information technology, education, management and training attract students and professionals from India and overseas. Several colleges in Pune have student-exchange programmes with colleges in Europe. Situated 560 metres (1,837 feet) above sea level on the Deccan plateau on the right bank of the Mutha river, Pune is also the administrative headquarters of its namesake district. It is on the leeward side of the Sahyadri mountain range, which forms a barrier from the Arabian Sea. The old city of Pune is at the confluence of the Mula and Mutha rivers. The Pavana, a tributary of Mula river and Indrayani river, a tributary of the Bhima river, traverse the northwest suburbs of Pune.
History: Copper plates dated 858 and 868 CE show that by the 9th century an agricultural settlement known as Punnaka existed at the location of the modern Pune. The plates indicate that this region was ruled by the Rashtrakuta dynasty. Pune was part of the territory ruled by the Seuna Yadavas of Devagiri from the 9th century to 1327. Pune was a Jagir of Maloji Bhonsle under the Ahmednagar Sultanate until it was annexed by the Mughals in the 17th century. Maloji Bhosale’s grandson, Shivaji, the founder of the Maratha Empire, was born at Shivneri, a fort not far from Pune. Pune changed hands several times between the Mughals and the Marathas in the period 1660 to 1705. From 1703 to 1705, towards the end of the 27-year-long Mughal–Maratha Wars, the town was occupied by Aurangzeb and its name was changed to Muhiyabad. Two years later the Marathas recaptured Sinhagad fort, and later Pune, from the Mughals.
In 1720, Baji Rao I was appointed Peshwa (Prime Minister) of the Maratha Empire by Chhatrapati Shahu, the grandson of Chatrapati Shivaji. He moved his base from Saswad to Pune in 1728, marking the beginning of the transformation of what was a kasbah into a large city. He also commissioned the construction of the Shaniwar Wada on the right bank of the Mutha River. The construction was completed in 1730, ushering in the era of Peshwa control of the city. Bajirao’s son and successor, Nanasaheb constructed a lake at Katraj on the outskirts of the city and an underground aqueduct to bring water from the lake to Shaniwar Wada and the city. The Peshwa’s influence in India declined after the defeat of Maratha forces at the Battle of Panipat but Pune remained the seat of power. In 1802 Pune was captured by Yashwantrao Holkar in the Battle of Pune, directly precipitating the Second Anglo-Maratha War of 1803–1805. The Peshwa rule ended with the defeat of Peshwa Bajirao II by the British East India Company in 1818.
Pune was prominently associated with the struggle for Indian independence. In the period between 1875 and 1910, the city was a centre of agitation led by Gopal Krishna Gokhale and Bal Gangadhar Tilak. The city was also a centre for social reform led by Mahatma Jyotirao Phule, feminist Tarabai Shinde, Dhondo Keshav Karve and Pandita Ramabai.
*(All the above information are from Wikipedia.)
Transport:
Airport: Pune International Airport is located at a distance of 10 km from the city.
Rail: Pune Junction railway station is the main railway station of Pune. It is a railway junction on the Mumbai–Chennai line. The Pune–Bengaluru line starts from here. Daily express trains connect Pune to Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Nagpur, Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Coimbatore, Bangalore, Allahabad, Kanpur, Howrah, Jammu Tawi, Darbhanga, Goa, Gwalior, Varanasi, Bhubaneswar, Ranchi, Patna, and Jamshedpur.
Road: Pune is well-connected to other cities by Indian and state highways. National Highway 4 connects it to Mumbai, Bangalore and Kolhapur. National Highway 65 to Hyderabad, Suryapet, Vijayawada and National Highway 50 to Nashik. State highways connect Pune to Ahmednagar, Aurangabad and Alandi. Pune is served by three intra-city highways: Old Mumbai–Pune Highway; Pune–Satara Highway and Dehu Road–Katraj bypass, all part of National Highway 4.
Local: Public buses within the city and its suburbs are operated by the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML). Auto rickshaws and taxis are available for transportation within the city. Vehicles are available through mobile car booking app from Ola, Uber and others. Tour operators also provide vehicles for hire.
Tourist Interest:
The places of interest in Pune are Shaniwar Wada, Dagdusheth Halwai Ganapati, Parvati Hill, Saras Baug, Tulsi Baug, Pataleshwar Cave Temple, Chaturshringi, Aga Khan Palace, Khadki War Cemetery, Shinde Chhatri, ISKCON Temple, Osho Ashram and other places. Read in detail here.
Tour Planner:
This tour planner is made on the basis of the location of the destinations. One can make changes as per their interest, convenience and accessibility and duration of the trip.
Day 1: Start from the centre of the city with Dagdu Seth Halwai Temple, then go to Tulsi Baug, Saras Baug, Dinanath Kelkar Museum, Shaniwar Wada, Parvati Temple and end the day relaxing in the shopping malls.
Day 2: Starting from Chaturshringi temple then visit the Pataleshwar Cave temple, Khadki War Memorial, Aga Khan Palace