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The city, formerly spelt as Poona is
located just 170-km from Mumbai at an altitude of 598m.
Pune is Maharashtra's second city, which lies close to
the Western Ghat Mountains (known also as the Sahyadri
Hills), on the edge of the Deccan plains as they stretch
away to the east. Pune is the cultural capital of the
Maratha people, which is also known as the "Queen of the
Deccan."
The city of Pune first gained its importance as the
capital of the Marathas in the 17th century. It was
temporarily captured by the Mughals but again became the
official Maratha capital from 1714 until its fall to the
British in 1817. It served as the seasonal capital of
the Bombay Presidency, and after independence it is a
burgeoning city, expanding in all directions, but
especially along the Pune - Mumbai (Bombay) rail and
road routes through the industrial townships of Pimpri,
and Chinchwad.
Today Pune is one of the leading metros in India, with
the Film and Television Institute of India and National
Defence Academy based here. It is fast becoming one of
the major hubs of industry and commerce in the country.
It is also an important commercial and educational
center with distinctive features and characteristics of
its own. The region surrounding Pune, now called Greater
Pune, includes parts of the Sahyadri Hills, the Balaghat
Range (north) and the Mahadeo Hills (south), which
enclose the upper Bhima River Valley.
History of Pune:
The city was one of the pivotal bases of the 17th
century Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji, who was born
at the Shivneri Fort here. Later, Pune was handed over
to the Peshwa family, whose Maratha power rose to be a
major political force. Its influence expanded beyond the
limits of the Maratha kingdom. After the Battle of
Koregaon in 1818, Pune fell into the hands of the East
India Company. The British proposed to transform the
city into a 'monsoon capital' but instead developed it
into a 19th century Indian army town and renamed it
Poona.
Specimen Of Maharashtrian Cultural Heritage:
Pune exemplifies an indigenous Marathi culture and
ethos, in which education, arts and crafts, and theatres
are given due prominence. It is the birthplace of the
poet-saint Tukaram (in Dehu) and Jnaneshvara (in Alandi),
the author of the well-known commentary on the "Bhagavad
Gita". It is the home of great freedom fighters like Bal
Gangadhar Tilak, Agarkar and Gopal Krishna Gokhale.
Jayant Narlikar, the famous contemporary scientist, is
from Pune. Pune is the seat of North Indian Classical
music. Annually, in the month of December, it hosts a
three nightlong cultural program of vocal and
instrumental classical music, called "Savai-Gandharva".
Pune boasts of its art galleries, museums such as the
Raja Kelkar museum, which is a one-man collection of
artifacts. Recently, a National sports complex has been
built on the northwestern edge of Pune. It has produced
renowned authors like Mr. PL Deshpande, who personify
Pune's standing as an old education center. Pune has
been an example for the blending of the culture and
heritage with modernization and its side effects. With
the Pune festival, Osho Commune International, IUCAA,
FTII and a number of research and Defence
establishments, Pune has become a major attraction, with
a lot to offer to its tourists. Though mostly populated
with a Marathi-speaking community, Pune is slowly
becoming a more cosmopolitan city. |
