Pune
Pune, also called Poona, is a sprawling city in the western Indian state of Maharashtra. The city first gained importance as it became a capital of the Peshwas (leaders) of the Maratha Empire in 17th century. After its fall to the British in 1817 it was made into a seasonal capital of the Bombay Presidency. In 1990s Pune was hit by globalization which triggered its overhaul, however, some colonial-era charm was retained and still exist here. Nowadays, it is a vibrant, thriving metropolis which represents academia and business flavored with mix of capitalism and spiritualism. Only traveling through the country and speaking with multiple people from various backgrounds made us realize at what scale Pune is recognized.
City was and still is popular tourist resort, offering cool weather, hotels, parks, cultural attractions, religious and historic monuments. Pune is known for the grand Aga Khan Palace which currently holds one of the most important person’s in India – Mahatma Gandhi – ashes in its garden and is considered a memorial place.
Pune is also globally famous, or notorious, for an ashram, the Osho International Meditation Resort, founded by the late guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. As we stayed close by, we had an opportunity to get a small glimpse into the resort and did not find anything astonishing about it, however, we believe that it is much more interesting and important for meditating folks who spend a fortune to get inside. On the other hand, in the city we witnessed much more sophisticated site for meditation – the 8th century Pataleshwar Cave Temple which is dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. Old and different than anything else you will find in town (also free).
Despite the usual in India pollution, terrible water sewer system (you can witness it after a heavy rain) and hectic traffic, here you will find a pleasant coexistence between the old and new, which makes Pune a worthwhile place to explore. Once here, relax and try to enjoy little things!
Helpful tips
Restaurants. After traveling through India, we gathered experience and tips from locals which we want to share with everyone who will be reading this. If you come to India for a short period of time it is good to know that here certain bacteria are in almost every food, water and even air which can put you to bed for couple days if you have too much of it. To adapt to it, your body needs time and small amounts of the bacteria.
First, it is better to avoid eating too much of street food as it contains quite a lot of bacteria even though it is so cheap. We do not say that you should not eat street food at all, just keep it small quantities at a time. If you cannot wait to try and eat all sorts of street food just try it little by little and not everything on one go.
Second, when choosing a place where to eat, pay attention to other travelers’ reviews of the place. It is very important how the people from abroad felt about the food rather than locals.
Third, if there are any doubts regarding the hygiene of the place, we encourage to eat vegetables and avoid meat dishes.
We are well aware that everyone is different, and you feel your body the best. So, do what you want to do and keep in mind that these recommendations worked for us, we did not get sick while in India even for a day.
Markets. Prices in grocery shops are the same as through whole India, prices are printed on the packages, thus, you never need to wonder whether someone is taking advantage of you.
We would advise against drinking tap water in whole India, especially if you come just for a short time (couple weeks) as your body needs time to adjust to certain bacteria which is everywhere and taking too much of it at the same time can put you bed for couple days. Even though in some sources you could find that water is safe to drink, or that filtered water is alright we suggest to double check with your host or locals before you do that. We did not risk it too much, especially in the beginning of the trip, however, we did drink quite a lot of filtered water which was kind of alright just had a bad taste in most places.
Transportation. To get to Pune you can use plane, train, bus, bike or car. As it is a large city and close to Mumbai it has great accessibility, on top of that you can use any other transport you feel like using.
In the city it is common to use public transportation such as buses, taxies or Tuk Tuk’s which are the fastest way to get around the city. Tuk Tuk’s are a quick and cheap option where you must bargain though or use Ola which is amazing by the way and almost twice cheaper than Uber. Most of the time we used buses for big trips from one end to another and walked as it helped to get to know the city and see not only the touristic places and we recommend you do the same if you have a chance.
Best of luck planning your holidays in India!
Is there anything else you would like to visit while in India?
If you have anything in mind, please let us know and let’s discuss it.
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