Pune, the cultural city of Maharashtra adorns a rich historical legacy characterised with the glorious period of Marathas. Pune, situated near the western coast of India, about 115 miles south-east of Mumbai, is one of the many cities situated on the Deccan plateau, which forms the triangular portion of India. Pune contributed significantly to the freedom movement and produced heroes like Lokmanya Bal Ganga Dhar Tilak, Sane Guruji and the Chapekar brothers. Pune is a cosmopolitan city with a broad range of economic and social populace. Pune is the seat of North Indian Classical music and it continues to be one of the eminent centers of education in India. Tourists from all over the country visit this ancient city of Pune to explore its cultural richness.


Reaching There
» By Air : Pune airport is located in the Lohagaon area, about 12-km from the city. Indian Airlines and Jet Airways provide regular flights to Pune from Delhi, four flights a week to Chennai and Bangalore, two to three flights daily from Mumbai and to Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and Goa.

» By Rail : Pune has excellent railway services connecting all major cities.

» By Road : Pune is well connected by road with the all major cities within the state as well as outside the state. Daily private and government buses ply from Pune to Mumbai (4hrs). The major cities in the vicinity of Pune are Mumbai (170 km), Nasik (209 km), Aurangabad (230 km), Chennai (1,088 km) and so on.


Sightseeing in Pune
» Bund Gardens : Also known as Mahatma Gandhi Udyan, these gardens are located on the banks of Mula-Mutha River. It was built by Sir Jamshedji Jeejeebhoy for providing water to the poor. Today this the most posh area of the city.

» National Defense Academy : Situated at Khadakvasla at distance of 17 kms. from Pune, this Academy imparts basic training to the cadets of all three branches of the services, Army, Air Force and Navy.

» Parvati Hill and Temples : Private shrine of the Peshwa rulers, is now a popular tourist spot, with the Parvati and Devdeveshwar temples located on top of a hill. There is a unique museum called as the Parvati Museum here which houses replicas of ancient paintings, old manuscripts, weapons and coins.

» Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum : This is a Rajasthani-style building which presents a collection of some of the most fascinating Indian artifacts one can ever get to see. Among 36 sections full of antiques, carved palace doors, miniatures, the 'Mastani Mahal' is the most popular where Mastani was the mistress of ‘Peshwa Bajirao’, the Prime Minister of Satara. This impressive collection was donated to the Govt of Maharashtra by Shri Dinkar Kelkar and is only displayed by rotation.

» Shaniwarwada : This was once the palace of the Peshwa rulers and was built in 1736. Unfortunately, after the palace was destroyed by fire in 1827, only an old fortified wall, the majestically built 'Nagarkhana' and a lotus pool park remained.

» Pataleshwar Cave Temple : This is a 8th century rock-cut temple, located deep in the heart of the city, at Shivajinagar. Reminiscent of Ellora, the temple has been painstakingly built from a single rock and possesses huge pillars, a Shiva shrine and a Nandi bull.

» Saras Baug : Saras Baug is a popular evening spot with beautiful lawns and the renowned Ganesh temple built by Madhavrao Peshwa.

» Lal Deval (Synagogue) : A red brick and trap stone building of English-Gothic style, the Lal Deval was built by the famous David Sassoon in 1867.

» Pashan lake : This beautiful lake is a home to a variety of migratory and residential birds and is located 12 kms. north of NDA.

» The Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) : A premier institute, FTII imparts training in all major branches of film training in all major branches of film making and is known to have produced some of the finest film professionals of the country.

» Yoga Institute : Directed by Mr B K S Iyengar, the ‘Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute’, is an internationally reputed Yoga institution. Here courses for short and long durations are conducted as per the requirement of the individuals and the availability of time.


Shopping in Pune
Shopping in Pune can be a great experience where Laxmi Road is a favorite shopping place as this is a place where you can get everything ranging from the best of jewellery to the fanciest of sarees. M.G.Road, popularly known as ‘Camp” serves not only as a shoppers haven but also as a perfect place to window shop! Apart from these areas, Dhole Patil road, Koregaon Park and Fergusson College roads have boutiques and shopping plazas well equipped to offer a fulfilling shopping experience.


Accommodation in Pune
Accommodation are plenty in Pune to suite the convenience of the tourists. There are several world class facilities are available here for accommodation. One can pick up from luxury and budget categories. All the accommodations are ideally planned for the tourist coming from all over.
Some of the hotels are mentioned below :
» Hotel Regency (4 star)
» The Sagar Plaza (4 star)
» The President hotel (3 star)
» Kundan Palace ( 3 star)
» Hotel Woodland ( 3 star)