Things to do in and around Pune : easy itinerary plan

Previous blog- The marvels of Ajanta Ellora

New home, New move!

"Now look out for a sign or signpost that says Rosewood cottage", said my dad. We were well-dressed, as if hoping to make an impression on our new neighborhood, where we planned to spend some months.

The car slid to a halt, while my mother fumbled in her bag searching for the keys. 

Rosewood Cottage was an old-world British charm that was lovingly cared for by the Rosewoods, an Anglo-Indian family. The house had new paint, while still retaining its antique furniture. The hall was draped in fine curtains. Except for the dusty floor and a few cobwebs to take care of, the place was tip-top. "It must have been an old house", said Lyn, my friend helping herself to more bread, butter and marmalade. "The place was earlier rented to some foreigners", said my mother, filling up our glasses with rich creamy milk!

Besides the Marathas and the Peshwas, Pune also had a rich history during the British rule (1818–1947). Poona as it was known then, gained eminence as The Cambridge of the East.

 Fast forward… and revisiting Pune for ol’ times sake; I was surprised to see so many luxury high-rise buildings springing up all across the city, which has now emerged into a growing metropolis and an IT hub.

Signboards to new luxurious high-end constructions in Pune

TABLE OF CONTENT

• A brief history of Pune

• Things to do in Pune city

• Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations in Pune

• Dehu, Alandi : in the footsteps of the saints

• Ashtavinayak darshan from Pune

A brief history of Pune

According to many Indian historians, the earliest mention of Pune is found in a copper plate inscription  discovered on the outskirts of Talegaon, a town on the Mumbai-Pune highway. This copper plate mentions a land grant given  by King Krishnaraj of the  Rashtrakuta dynasty, on the occasion  of a Solar eclipse on the last day of Vaishakh i.e.  the 23rd March, 768 AD. The gift in question was the village of 'Kumarigram', today’s Koregaon.

The history of the city is closely related to the rise of the Maratha empire from the 17th–18th century. During the 18th century, Pune became the seat of the Peshwas, who were the prime ministers of the Maratha Empire. After the fall of Peshwa rule in 1818, the British made the city one of their major military bases.

Things to do in Pune city

Swargate is the city center. It’s easier to find public transport like buses and shared auto to Swargate. From here you will also get inter-state buses to other places within Maharashtra.

DAY 1- Easy walking tour of Pune

Saras baug - The Sarasbaug temple houses the idol of Shree Siddhivinayak (God who makes wishes true). The idol of Ganesha was consecrated by Nanasaheb Peshwa in 1750. 

How to reach here : If you hire an ola/ uber get to the location itself. Shared autos also stop at roundabouts.  

Raja Dinkar Kelkar museum - Estimated time : 2 hrs min

It is a one-man collection of the Late Dr. D.G. Kelkar (1896 -1990). The 22,000 priceless artifacts showcase everyday life in India. Noteworthy amongst these is the controversial  Mastani Mahal, built by Peshwa Bajirao I for his second wife Mastani Bai. 

Take a break! 💫

Vishrambaug wada 350 m

Was built by the last Peshwa, Bajirao II as his residence at a cost of Rs. 2 lakhs.  The outer facade has carved woodwork typical of the Peshwa period and is memorable in its beauty to this date. Badly maintained, it presently houses a Pune postal department office.

Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganapati mandir - 350 m

Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganapati, Pune

This temple was founded in 1893 by Dagadusheth Halwai, a sweet mart seller who became a wealthy businessman. Halwai had lost his son the previous year, and at the request of his guru created murtis (image of a deity) of Ganesha and Dattatreya. He later established the Halwai Ganapati Trust.

At the heart of Pune, lies the Tamdi Jogeshwari 180 m- a temple dedicated to the Gram Devi* of Pune whilst it was still a village. The temple as we see it today was renovated  in 1705, and much bigger than the original one built in 1545 CE.  Location : near Shaniwar wada. 

*Gram Devi : Most Indian villages have their own local God or Goddess around whose temple the village evolved.

Lal Mahal  450 m- In the year 1630 AD, The Maratha ruler Shivaji's father Shahaji Bhosale, established the Lal Mahal for his wife Jijabai and son. Shivaji stayed here for several years until he captured his first fort.

 

Kasba peth ganpati  110 m- This temple deity is closely associated with the legendary Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji. It is said that just when he and his mother Jijabai moved to Pune an idol of Lord Ganesha was found near the house of a local resident - Vinayak Thakar, who lived right next to the Lal Mahal, their home & Jijabai saw this as an auspicious sign & and promptly built a temple here.

Shaniwar wada   240 m- The old seat of the Peshwas until 1818. In 1773, Narayanrao, who was the fifth and ruling Peshwa then, was murdered by guards on orders of his uncle Raghunathrao and aunt Anandibai. A popular legend has it that Narayanrao's ghost still calls for help on full moon nights. Various people, working around the area, have allegedly reported the cries of "Kaka mala vachava"(Uncle, save me) by Narayanrao Peshwa after his death.

The best time to visit this historical site would be around 6 pm and soak in the ambience, click some good pics and wait for the sound and light show at 7.30 pm (Marathi), 8.30 pm (Hindi) which is good.

 

DAY 2- Pune city sightseeing tour

Mahadji Shinde Chhetri - is the memorial of the great Maratha nobleman Mahadji Shinde. You can see the warrior’s painted silver likeness, swathed in a flame-colored turban and elaborate shawl. At his feet are the original prayer vessels, used to propitiate the family deity each morning. A sign asks you not to open an umbrella within the Chhetri’s precincts, as it would be an insult to the warrior’s memory.

Pataleshwar Cave temple and Jangli Maharaj Mandir - are located next to each other.The Pataleshwar Cave Temple is a rock-cut cave temple, carved out in the 8th century in the Rashtrakuta period. 

Still in use, this temple, similar to the caves at Ellora, has been painstakingly hewn from a single rock and includes massive pillars, a Shiva shrine and a Nandi bull.

Parvati hill- Atop this hillock is the Parvati Temple, the oldest heritage structure in Pune; built during the rule of the Peshwa dynasty. 

Besides the temple, the Peshwa Museum is situated there. The samadhi of Balaji Baji Rao lies where he spent the last moments of his life. Parvati water tank supplies water to half of the city Pune.

Chatushrungi Temple- The temple is located on the slope of a hill on Senapati Bapat Road It is said to have been built during the reign of the Maratha king Shivaji. The temple is looked after by Chattushringi Devasthan (Temple) trustees. Chattushringi (Chattu means four) is a mountain with four peaks. The Chattushringi temple is 90 feet high and 125 feet wide and is a symbol of power and faith. One has to climb more than 100 steps to reach the shrine of Goddess Chattushringi. In the temple premises there are also temples of Goddess Durga and Lord Ganesh. This includes eight miniature idols of Ashtavinayaka. These small temples are located on the four separate hillocks.Also includes the temple of vetal maharaj at the baner pashan end.

Koregaon park- Home to Osho ashram, Koregaon park is a hip and trendy neighborhood with some exclusive cafes, dining and nightlife. It’s a nice idea to walk around this quiet and well-kept street. You will be lucky if the ashram allows entry to look around the garden and visit their orientation center. I was told they charge 1000 rs, so I skipped it.

Aga Khan Palace-  was built in the year 1892 by Sultan Mohammad Shah Aga Khan III in Pune. Since then it is one of the biggest landmarks in Indian history. The Aga Khan Palace of Pune was an act of charity by the Sultan who wanted to help the poor in the neighboring areas of Pune who were drastically hit by the famine. It is a fine piece of architecture, with some lavishly decorated guest rooms and suites that take you back to the royal past of the heritage building. The palace holds great significance as from 9th August 1942 to 6th May 1944, it was the prison for Mahatma Gandhi, his wife Kasturba and his secretary Mahadev Bhai Desai, the last two passed away in between their captivity at the Aga Khan Palace itself. In 1969 Aga Khan IV  donated the palace to the Indians as a mark of respect to Gandhi and his philosophy. Noteworthy is that it houses a memorial to Gandhi where his ashes are kept.

 

Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations in Pune

If you are in Pune during Aug-Sep (dates may differ each year), there’s a good chance to experience Ganesh Chaturthi, a 10 day festival in honor of Lord Ganesha- the elephant-headed deity, the god of prosperity and wisdom.

The festival is celebrated by Hindus all across India, but Pune has earned a reputation of its own, with the city decorated and lit up with large-scale ganpati pandals. The credit for these grand celebrations goes to Bal Gangadhar Tilak, who during the British Raj, gave a public form to the Ganesh festival celebrations as a way of getting around an order that barred public meetings. 

Head to Swargate and let the celebrations sweep over you, while taking a walking tour from one pandal to the other. The most famous among them being :

• Tambdi Jogeshwari Ganpati was started by none other than Lokmanya Tilak in 1893.

• Shri Kasba Ganpati 

• Tulshibaug Ganpati

Dehu, Alandi : In the footsteps of the saints

◆ Dehu – the birthplace of Sant Tukaram Maharaj and a  place of pilgrimage.

He was born in 1608 and Vaikundha in 1650. There is a temple (built in 1723) in honor of the sant. The ‘Warkari sampraday’ carried over by Sant Tukaram Maharaj and his literature (Abhang) in Marathi are considered the pinnacle of Bhagawat Hindu tradition. 

Sant Tukaram Maharaj samadhi, Dehu

Sant Tukaram is venerated by Hindus as well as Sikhs. He wrote a large number of devotional poems in archaic Marathi identified as Abhang. His composition (poetries) are also found in Guru Granth Sahib.

◆ Alandi - is popular as a place of pilgrimage for being the resting place or (Samadhi) of the 8th century Marathi  Bhakti sant, Sant Dnyaneshwar. 

Sant Dnyaneshwar, after translating the Hindu scripture, Bhagavad Gita from Sanskrit into Marathi attained sanjivan Samadhi under the Siddheshwar temple in Alandi.

Sant Dnyaneshwar samadhi, Alandi

A temple complex has been built at the spot of Sant Dnyaneshwar's samadhi. It is visited by hundreds of thousands of pilgrims, and in particular, those of the Varkari Sect. 

Ashtavinayak darshan from Pune

Is a pilgrimage to visit each of the eight ganesha temples. There are many ganesha temples, but these 8 are believed to be Swayambhu (self-originated). All these temples are at various locations in Pune. According to Hindu Shastra, start with the Moreshwar temple at Morgaon first and then in sequence visit the temples at Siddhatek, Pali, Mahad, Thevur, Lenyandri, Ozar, Ranjangaon and lastly Moreshwar temple again. This will complete your Ashtavinayak darshan. There are many tour operators in Pune who conduct Ashtavinayak yatra tours.

Attempting to visit some temples at my own pace, this is what I could achieve over 2 days :  Theur Chintamani, Jejuri (not Ashtaviyak temple), Morgaon & Ranjangaon.

With an early start, and several transport hiccups along the way I managed to get to Hadapsar and then :

◆ Theur Chintamani Vinayaka temple19 km/ 40 min- The idol here is facing east and has a left side trunk with carbuncles & diamonds in the eyes of Vinayaka. The Theur temple has been a spiritual magnet of the Peshwas, especially Madhavrao I. He reconstructed the temple and used to visit before engaging in any battle and after the battle to pay his gratitude for the success in battle.

Theur Chintamani Ashtavinayaka
 

Peshwa Wada or Peshwa Palace situated behind the temple was Madhavrao’s residence and today all activities of the temple are taken from this place. 

◆ Khandoba temple, Jejuri (not Ashtaviyak) 40 km/ 1.15 hr- Lord Khandoba is much revered amongst the Dhangar tribe, herdsmen, shepherds, farmers and the nomads of this region (around Jejuri, Maharashtra). His Idol is typically depicted with four arms, in one of which he holds a Bhandara-patra or the bowl of turmeric powder. Bhandara means turmeric in Marathi, and turmeric signifies gold.

Khandoba temple, Jejuri Maharashtra

Therefore, throwing turmeric around symbolizes the gold and riches that Lord Khandoba should bless them with. Bhandara festival takes around Aug.

◆ Shri Mayureshwar Morgaon 17 km/ 30 min- is the first in the series of Ashtavinayaka temples. The temple flourished due to the patronage of the Peshwa rulers and descendants of Moraya Gosavi(Moroba).

Shree Mayureshwar- Morgaon, Ashtavinayak

◆ Shri Mahaganapati Ranjangaon 35 km/ 1 hr via Shirur-  This temple is from around the 9th and 10th century. It’s well-kept and getting darshan is easy as it is organized.

Shri Mahaganapati (Ashtavinayaka) Ranjangaon

Photo gallery

Khandoba temple, Jejuri Maharashtra

Khandoba temple, Jejuri Maharashtra

Khandoba temple, Jejuri Maharashtra offers amazing views of Saswad and Dive Ghat

Next blog~ Escape to Mahabaleshwar-Panchgani