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The area of Old City called, as the City Area is
the actual point of origination of Pune City. Centuries
ago with Shaniwarwada, from which India was ruled
for 70 years by the Peshwas, Pune rose to heights
and claimed political and cultural peaks. Pune city
comprising of the Peths, which are named after all
the seven days of the week from Raviwar Peth to
the Shaniwar Peth.They are also bazaars that dot
the city and are held on specific days of the week.
These weekly gatherings where fruits, vegetables,
spices, knickknacks, bangles, and garments are sold
offer a view into the sights and sounds and most
importantly, the smells of the typical small-town
Maharashtrian bazaar. Not to miss are the Vishram
Baug wada bungalow which is a fine sample of an
upper class Maharashtrian home and the British style
Phule market located city centre.
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Comprising of areas from Navi Peth, Swargate
till Bhavani Peth, Bibvewadi and Katraj,
it includes busy thoroughfares like Laxmi
Road, Tilak Road, Shankarsheth Road and
Satara Road. |
Since this area lies is the heart of the city and
lies between the prime areas of Deccan and Camp,
it’s a thoroughfare for most of the traffic
hence very congested. One should avoid these roads
during mornings and evenings. Driving through the
interior areas is not suggested, if you don’t
know them as getting lost is a common happening
here. Laxmi Road is a shopper's haven with the best
clothing for the Men, Women and Children available.
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Tilak
Road, Bajirao Road and Bibvewadi comprise
primarily of a number of shops and residents.
Market Yard is full of traders and offices. |
Connectivity: The Pune Municipal Transport
(PMT), is here in Swargate, hence buses from all
over Pune and State buses ply to and fro. Again
six-seaters and auto-rickshaws are easily available
here and are the most convenient mode of transport.
Cars are unadvisable to take into the interiors
due to congestion and small roads. Though Six-seaters
do not go to interiors, the buses go to a number
of places inside. Though the net culture isn’t
as prevalent as in other parts of the city, still
a number of cyber cafe’s are present. Access
to STD/ISD/FAX as is the case with the whole
of Pune is very easy.
Highlights: For shopping the Pune stuff,
there’s no better place like the Laxmi Road,
which offers a whole carnival for the shopper. The
Mastani, which is a milkshake with ice-cream and
dry fruits also ought to be tried. Sarasbaug, the
sunken garden and Parvati, the hilltop temple are
the main landmarks of this place. Satara Road also
holds the complex of Bharati Vidyapeeth, the only
other university other than the Pune University
in Pune. Market Yard, is where you’d get the
cheapest vegetables in Pune, evident with the scale
in which shopping is done here. Swargate also holds
the Jawaharlal Nehru Cricket Stadium, the only stadium
in Pune, which has held a number of International
Cricket matches over the past few years. City is
also the area, which is virtually not accessible
during Ganesh Mahotsav with the biggest Ganapati’s
and their Pandals in Pune installed here.
Must See’s: Shaniwar Wada, Pune’s
symbol undoubtedly is the top tourist spot in Pune.
Though burnt down, it still holds much aura and
history to keep the tourist guides busy. Dagdusheth
Halwai Ganpati, the biggest Ganpati in Pune is the
centre of attraction during Ganesh Mahotsav. Rajaji
Dinkar Kelkar Museum, a one man collection is a
marvel with it’s unique collection of exhibits
from Nut-crackers to Musical Instruments. The Parvati,
hill temple offers a beautiful view of the Pune
City with its neighbour attraction Sarasbaug garden
a popular place for walks, jogs and hangouts. The
Katraj Snake Park and Animal orphanage is one of
the very few snake parks in India and is a very
popular Sunday Picnic spot. It is one place to go
for it’s amazing collection of snakes and reptiles.
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