My Pune...my city

I have been born and brought up in this city, so i love Pune from the bottom of my heart...i have so many memories about the city...and i truly miss the old pune, the pune that many of you may have missed. While growing up here, all pune was famous for was for being a quiet hillstation. The temperatures barely rose over 30 degrees.Ahh...The good old daysPune was known as a pensioners' paradise…today it's a burgeoning mini metropolis. It was considered as a preferred holiday destination for so many Mumbaiites, who came here to take a breather from their hectic schedules and the fast pace of life. The weather resembled that of a hill station. Pune was the ultimate holiday destination to get a respite from the sveltering heat. Today, the mercury levels are rising with every passing year. University circle had a large and marvelous fountain. People of all age groups came to sit on the periphery of this fountain. The splash of cool water refreshed so many of us. Children were happy playing in the water while their parents watched them and chit chatted with friends. Today, the same University Circle witnesses choc-a- bloc traffic everyday, and a huge flyover is being constructed at the same junction and all you get now is smoke from the plying vehicles. Many of the old Puneites still remember the beauty of the old University fountain and yearn for that splash of cool water while driving past itWadas were the soul of the city. The typical Puneri patriarchal and joint families resided in these wadas that were built centuries ago. Stone walls, and exquisite architecture, huge open spaces…those who have lived in wadas have truly experienced a touch of royalty. Today, these wadas are a rarity. Very few still remain in the city. The famous Vishrambaugwada is a mini museum of sorts to let contemporary Punekars get a feel of the wada era.
Deccan Gymkhana had quaint houses, with ancient architecture. Tiled roofs, wooden doors, miniature gardens, stone walls were the unique features of most of these homes. Today, these old homes are making way for high rises and new commercial apartments with modern architecture. Ganeshkhind Road was lined with huge banyan trees and peepal trees on each side. Now, the trees have been chopped to widen the roads so that more vehicles may ply on them. Fergusson College Road, used to be a quiet street. Fergusson College was on one side and hotels Vaishali, Roopali and the erstwhile Deepa was on the other. Today, the same street has undergone a remarkable transformation. There are countless stores, restaurants, coffee shops and it's buzzing with people at very hour of the day. Aundh, Baner, Kothrud, Bavdhan has changed so much...these were desolate areas.The city of the Peshwas has its unmissable landmarks that boast of our rich heritage – a must-see for everyone in the city – Shaniwarwada, in the heart of the city, is a picturesque monument symbolic of the rich Peshwa era. The adjoining Lal Mahal, the house of Jijabai, boasts of Shivaji's valour when he masterminded a plan to foil Shaistekhan's attack on his life. Kelkar Museum houses remarkable artifacts such as weapons, textiles, palenquines, architectural and interior items from every era in Indian History The Aga Khan Palace has the memorial for Kasturba Gandhi, it was here that she breathed her last. The Parnakuti, was where Gandhiji was placed under house arrest in 1942. The Film and Television Institute of Pune (FTII) is the numero uno institute for everyone who aspires to be in the prolific film or television industry. NFAI Parvati Temple is one of the ancient and beautiful temples in the city. Lal Deval is the Jewish Synagogue.


since 2000, after the education and IT boom, Pune has changed..... the pune you guys see today is difeerent from the old pune i have seen while growing up. Today, pune is cursed for traffic, bad roads, pollution.... but i guess this has happened mainly due to influx of outsiders.Pune will always be known as the Oxford of the easst, i am so proud to have studied in the best institutions in this city. I owe what i am today to Pune.I dont think any pukka puneri, like me, ever wnats to leave this city, cause our soul lies right here, there's no place like Pune!