Fourth Standard
Subject:-Geography
Topic:- Maharashtra
Subtopic:-Major Cities & Tourist places
Point:- Pune
Source:- Wikipedia
Pune
Pune is the seventh largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state ofMaharashtra after Mumbai and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula and Mutha rivers. Pune city is the administrative capital of Pune district.
Pune is known to have existed as a town since 847 AD. Pune was originally called Punawadi. In 1730, Pune became an important political center as the seat of the Peshwa, the prime minister of the Chhatrapati of Satara; it was during this era that Pune became the centre of Indian politics. After the town was annexed to British India in 1817, it served as a cantonment town and as the “monsoon capital” of the Bombay Presidency until the independence of India.
Today, Pune is known for its educational facilities and prosperity. Pune is the cultural capital of Maharashtra. Pune has had manufacturing, glass, sugar, and forging industries since the 1950-60s. It has a growing industrial hinterland, with information technology and automotivecompanies setting up factories in the district. The city is known for cultural activities like classical music, spirituality, theatre, sports, and literature. These activities and job opportunities attract migrants and students from all over India and abroad, which makes for a city of many communities and cultures.Pune is ranked as a Gamma- Global City.
Toponomy
The name Pune is derived from Sanskrit Puṇyanagara “City of Virtue”. The oldest reference to this name was found on a Rashtrakuta Dynastycopper plate dated 937, which refers to the town as Punya-Vishaya or Poonak-Vishaya. By the 13th century, it had come to be known as Kasbe Pune or Punavadi. The city’s name is sometimes transcribed as Poona in English, a practice particularly common during the British Raj. The spelling Pune was formally adopted in 1976.
History
Copper plates dated 858 AD and 868 AD show that, by the 8th century, an agricultural settlement known as Punnaka existed where Pune is today. The plates indicate that this region was ruled by the Rashtrakuta Dynasty. The Pataleshwar rock-cut temple complex was built during this era. Pune was part of the Seuna Yadavas of Devagiri from the 9th century to 1327. In 1595, Maloja Raje Bhosale was appointed the jagirdar of Pune and Supe by the Mughal Empire. It was ruled by the Ahmadnagar Sultanate until being annexed by the Mughals in the 17th century.
Maratha rule
In 1626, Shahaji appointed Rango Bapuji Dhadphale as the administrator of Pune. He was one of the first major developers of the town, overseeing construction of the Kasba Peth, Somwar Peth, Raviwar Peth and Shaniwar Peth. After the destruction of the town in raids by the Adil Shahi dynasty in 1630, and again from 1636 to 1647, Dadu Kondadev Kulkarni, a military and administrative officer of Shahaji Bhosale, oversaw redevelopment and construction of the area. He stabilised the revenue system of Pune and the neighbourhoods of Maval to the west of town. In addition, he developed effective methods to control disputes and enforce law and order. Construction began on the Lal Mahal palace, as Shahaji’s son Shivaji was to move there with his mother Jijabai. The Lal Mahal was completed in 1640. Jijabai is said to have commissioned the building of the Kasba Ganapati temple herself. The Ganesha idol consecrated at this temple is regarded as the presiding deity (gramadevata) of the city.
Shivaji was crowned Chhatrapati in 1674, thus founding the Maratha Empire. He oversaw further development in Pune, including the construction of the Guruwar, Somwar, Ganesh and Ghorpade Peths. Shivaji Maharaj encouraged development of dams in Parvati and Kondhwa regions of Pune for agriculture purposes. Pune and surrounding villages later provided manpower for Shivaji’s efforts to build an army during the period from 1645 to 1680. In between 1660 and 1670 the town was captured by Mughal General Shahista Khan, but was recaptured by the Marathas in 1670 after the battle of Sinhagad. During the 27-year long conflict between the Marathas and the Mughals, the town was occupied by Aurangzeb from 1703 to 1705; during this time the name of the town was changed to “Muhiyabad”. Two years later, the Marathas recaptured Sinhagad fort and later Pune city from the Mughals as had been done in 1670.
Peshwa Rule
In 1720, Baji Rao I was appointed Peshwa (Prime Minister) of the Maratha Empire, ruled by Chattrapati Shahu. He selected Pune as his base and started construction of Shaniwar Wada on the banks of the Mutha. The construction was completed in 1730, ushering in the era of Peshwa control of the city. The patronage of the Peshwas resulted in the construction of many temples and bridges in the city, including the Lakdi Pul and the temples onParvati Hill. Bajirao Peshwa also constructed an underground aqueduct to bring water from Katraj Lake to Shaniwar Wada. The aqueduct is still operational. Pune prospered as a city during the reign of Nanasaheb Peshwe. He developed Saras Baug, Heera Baug, Parvati Hill and new commercial, trading and residential localilties. The Sadashiv Peth, Narayan Peth, Rasta Peth and Nana Peth were developed in this era. The Peshwas fell into decline after their defeat in the 1761 Battle of Panipat. In 1802, Pune was captured by Yashwantrao Holkar in the Battle of Poona, directly precipitating the Second Anglo-Maratha War of 1803–1805.
British rule
The Third Anglo-Maratha War broke out between the Marathas and the British in 1817. The Peshwas were defeated at the Battle of Khadki (then transcribed Kirkee) on 5 November near Poona, and the city was seized by the British. It was placed under the administration of the Bombay Presidency, and the British built a large military cantonment to the east of the city (now used by the Indian Army). The Pune Municipality was established in 1858. Navi Peth, Ganj Peth and Mahatma Phule Peth were developed during the British Raj.
Pune was an important centre in the social and religious reform movements of the late 19th century. Prominent social reformers and freedom fighters lived here, including Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Vitthal Ramji Shinde, Dhondo Keshav Karve and Mahatma Jyotirao Phule. Also, During 1902, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar resided in Pune when he enrolled in Fergusson College.
In late 1896, Poona (Pune) was hit by bubonic plague; and by the end of February 1897, the epidemic was raging, with a mortality rate twice the norm, and half the city’s population fled. A Special Plague Committee was formed under the chairmanship of W. C. Rand, an Indian Civil Services officer. He brought troops to deal with the emergency. Although these measures were unpopular, the epidemic was under control by May. On 22 June 1897, during the Diamond Jubilee celebration of the coronation of Queen Victoria, Rand and his military escort were killed. The Chapekar brothers and two accomplices were found guilty and hanged.
Poona (Pune) is prominently associated with the struggle for Indian independence. In the period 1875 and 1910, the city was a major center of agitation and social reforms, led by Mahatma Jyotirao Phule, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, and Bal Gangadhar Tilak, as well as fiminist Tarabai Shinde. They demanded the abolition of caste prejudice, equal rights for women, harmony between the Hindu and Muslim communities, better schools for the poor, and complete independence from Britain.[13] Mohandas Gandhi was imprisoned at Yerwada Central Jail several times and placed under house arrest at the Aga Khan Palace in 1942–44, where both his wife and aide Mahadev Desai died.
Independence
After Indian independence in 1947, from Britain Poona (Pune) saw a lot of development, such as the establishment of the National Defence Academy at Khadakwasla and the National Chemical Laboratory at Pashan. Pune serves as the headquarters of the Southern Command of the Indian Army. Industrial development started in the 1950s and ’60s in Hadapsar, Bhosari, Pimpri, andParvati. Telco (now Tata Motors) started operations in 1961, which gave a huge boost to the automobile sector.
In July 1961, the Panshet and Khadakwasla dams broke and their waters flooded the city, destroying most of the older sections of town, facilitating the introduction of modern town planning concepts and the development of parts of Pune. The economy of the city witnessed a boom in the construction and manufacturing sectors. By 1966, the city had expanded in all directions.
In 1990 Pune began to attract foreign capital, particularly in the information technology and engineering industries; new businesses like floriculture and food processing started to take root in and around the city. In 1998, work on the six-lane Mumbai-Pune expressway began, the expressway being completed in 2001. IT Parks were established in Aundh, Hinjawadi and on Nagar Road. In 2008 the Commonwealth Youth Games took place in Pune, which encouraged additional development in the northwest region of the city. In July 2009, India’s first death due to H1 N1 occurred in Pune. Later the city became an epicentre of swine flue due to the large number of H1 N1 cases.
On 13 February 2010, a bomb exploded at the German Bakery in the upmarket Koregaon Park neighbourhood on the east side of Pune, killing 17 and injuring 60. The explosion is now suspected to be an improvised explosive device using an ammonium nitrate fuel oil mix. The blast was a first in what was until then the relatively safe environment of Pune.
Geography
Pune is located 560 m (1,840 ft) above sea level on the western margin of the Deccan plateau. It is situated on the leeward side of the Sahyadri mountain range, which forms a barrier from the Arabian sea. It is a hilly city, with its tallest hill, Vetal Hill, rising to 800 m (2,600 ft) above sea level. Just outside the city, theSinhagad fort is located at an altitude of 1300 m.Central Pune is located at the confluence of the Mula and Mutha rivers. The Pavana and Indrayani rivers, tributaries of the Bhima river, traverse the northwestern outskirts of metropolitan Pune.
Neighbourhoods
The Pune Metropolitan Area also includes the following areas, located roughly to the northwest of Pune city. These are administered by the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation.
- Pimpri and its surroundings: Chikhli, Kalewadi, Kasarwadi, Phugewadi and Pimple Saudagar
- Chinchwad and its surroundings: Thergaon, Tathawade
- Sangvi and its surroundings: Dapodi, Wakad, Hinjawadi, Pimple Nilakh and Pimple Gurav
- Bhosari and its surroundings: Moshi, Dighi, Dudulgaon and Charholi Budruk
- Nigdi, Akurdi and its surroundings: Ravet, Talawade
With the influx of people from all over the country, suburbs and other residential areas are growing at very fast rates. As a result, it is clear that the city will be facing severe water, electricity and land shortages in the near future. However, this is not much of a deterrent right now as people, both blue and white collar, are flocking to Pune. The city is becoming known for its good quality of life, and emerging job opportunities.
Climate
Pune has a tropical wet and dry climate with average temperatures ranging between 20 to 28 °C (68 to 82 °F). Pune experiences three seasons: summer, monsoon and a mild autumn. Typical summer months are from March to May, with maximum temperatures ranging from 30 to 38 °C (86 to 100 °F). The warmest month in Pune is April; although summer doesn’t end until May, the city often receives heavy thundershowers in May (and humidity remains high). Even during the hottest months, the nights are usually cool due to Pune’s high altitude. The highest temperature ever recorded was 43.3 °C (109.9 °F) on 30 April 1897.
The monsoon lasts from June to October, with moderate rainfall and temperatures ranging from 10 to 28 °C (50 to 82 °F). Most of the 722 mm (28.4 inches) of annual rainfall in the city fall between June and September, and July is the wettest month of the year. Hailstorms are also common in this region.
Autumn begins in November; November in particular is referred to as the Rosy Cold (गुलाबी थंडी). The daytime temperature hovers around 28 °C (82 °F) while night temperature is below 10 °C (50 °F) for most of December and January, often dropping to 5 to 6 °C (41 to 43 °F). The lowest temperature ever recorded was 1.7 °C on 17 January 1935.
Religion
Hinduism is the dominant religion in Pune. Many Churches, Masjids, Gurudwaras, Buddhist Viharas, Jain temples and other religious buildings are found throughout the city. The most prominent communities include Marathas, Mahars, Mali, Brahmin, Marwaris, Marwari Jains, Punjabi and Sindhi people, along with the local communities. The most prominent Hindu temple in Pune is the Parvati Temple, located on Parvati hill and visible from most of the inner suburbs. The most visited temple is likely the Chaturshringi Temple, located on the slopes of a hill in the northwest of the city. DuringNavratri, there is a large procession to this temple and worshippers gather from around the country to pray here. The presiding god of Pune city is theKasba Ganpati, whose temple is found in Kasba Peth in central Pune. Sarasbaug Ganpati is also a prominent landmark in Pune.
The Pataleshwar Temple is believed to be one of the oldest temples in the city. Since 1894, Pune has celebrated Ganesh Chaturthi as a ten-day long festival, in which most neighbourhoods put up a pandal (tent) with an idol of Ganesha, often amidst a religious setting, complete with decorative lights and festive music. This festival culminates with a parade of Ganesh idols from across the city carried to the local rivers to be immersed (Ganesh visarjan). The Kasba Ganapati, as the presiding deity of the city, is the first in this parade. The idea of a public celebration was initiated by Bal Gangadhar Tilak in Pune, and has since spread to many other cities, particularly Mumbai, which now has a parade every year.
Religious persons, like Dnyaneshwar and the revolutionary spiritual poet Sant Tukaram Maharaj, were born near Pune. Their link to the city is commemorated with an annual pilgrimage to Pandharpur, 300 kilometres away, consisting of a litter of both figures being carried to the main temple of the Hindu god Vithoba. The pilgrimage is timed to end on the auspicious day of Aashadhi Ekadashi
Islam is the second largest religion in Pune. Pune has a large number of Mosques, the most prominent of which are Chand Tara Masjid, Jaama Masjid and Azam Campus Masjid. Chand Tara Masjid, located in Nana Peth, is one of the biggest and most important mosques in Pune as it is the city headquarters (markaz) for the Tabligi Jamaat. The Eid-gah Maidan located near Golibar Maidan on Shankar Sheth Road witnesses a large gathering of people for Eid namaz on Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.
There are a significant number of Christians residing in Pune. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Pune (Latin: Poonen(sis)) is located here. It is a part of the Ecclesiastical province of Mumbai established in 1854 as the Apostolic Vicariate of Poona from the Apostolic Vicariate of Bombay. On 1 September 1886 it was promoted to the Diocese of Poona.
Culture
Pune is said to be the cultural capital of the state of Maharashtra. It epitomises Marathi culture, which lays emphasis on education, arts and crafts, music, and theatre. Pune has emerged as a center of modern architecture in India, with prize-winning buildings. Pune culture reflects a blend of traditions with modernity, along with hosting classical shows.
Cuisine
Sorghum and Pearl millet are the main ingredients of traditional Pune food. Specialties include Puran Poli (a dessert bread), Bhakri (millet pancakes) with Pithla (a flour-based curry), Bhelpuri andPav Bhaji. Mastani, a thick milkshake containing dried fruit, is a speciality of the city. Vada Pav and Misal Pav are common street foods. Being a Metropolitan city, Pune also boasts a wide variety of restaurants, serving cuisines from all over the world.
Economy
As one of the largest cities in India, and as a result of its many colleges and universities, Pune is emerging as a prominent location for IT and manufacturing companies to expand. Pune has the seventh largest metropolitan economy and the sixth highest per capita income in the country.
The automotive sector is prominent in Pune. It is home to the Automotive Research Association of India, which is responsible for the homologation of all vehicles available in India. All sectors of the automotive industry are represented, from two-wheelers and autorickshaws to cars, tractors, tempos, excavators and trucks. Automotive companies like Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra, Mercedes Benz, Force Motors (Firodia-Group), Kinetic Motors have set ups in Pune. Automotive companies including General Motors, Volkswagen, and Fiat have set up greenfield facilities near Pune, leading The Independent to cite Pune as India’s “Motor City”. Several automotive component manufacturers like Saint-Gobain Sekurit, TATA Autocomp Systems Limited, Robert Bosch GmbH, ZF Friedrichshafen AG, Visteon, and Continental Corporation are located here.
India’s largest engineering conglomerate, the Kirloskar Group, was the first to bring industry to Pune by setting up Kirloskar Oil Engines Ltd. in 1945 at Kirkee in Pune. The Group was originally set up in Kirloskarwadi. Kirloskar Brothers Limited (India’s largest manufacturer and exporter of pumps and the largest infrastructure pumping project contractor in Asia), Kirloskar Oil Engines (India’s largest diesel engine company), Kirloskar Pneumatics Co. Ltd. and other Kirloskar companies are based in Pune.
The Hinjawadi IT Park (officially called the Rajeev Gandhi IT Park) is a project being started by MIDC to house the IT sector in Pune. When completed, the Hinjawadi IT Park is expected to have an area of about 2,800 acres (11 km2). The estimated investment in the project is 60,000 crore (US$11.34 billion). To facilitate economic growth, the government made liberal incentives in its IT and ITES Policy, 2003 and leased properties on MIDC land.[47] The IT sector employs more than 70,000 people. Major software companies in Pune include Accenture, Infosys,Capgemini,Persistent Systems, Geometric Limited, 3dPLM Software Solutions Ltd., Symphony Services, Wipro, TCS, Cognizant, Symantec, Amdocs, Tech Mahindra, Syntel, Fujitsu, L&T Infotech, Zensar, Atos, Cybage, IBM global, Sybase, Allscripts and Crest Premedia Solutions (P) Ltd. Software giantMicrosoft intends to set up a 700 crore (US$132.3 million) project in Hinjewadi.
Pune and around houses foreign direct investments like Alfa Laval, Sandvik, Atlas Copco, Keihin FIE, Panasonic, Sharp, Enkei, Tata Tokyo, Tata Yazaki, Tata Yutaka, and Lumax. Pune Food Cluster development project is an initiative funded by the World Bank. It is being implemented with the help of SIDBI, Cluster Craft to facilitate the development of the fruit and vegetable processing industries in and around Pune.
Industry
The emergence of industrial Pune began in the early 1960s, with mechanical engineering industries arriving. Pune’s proximity to Mumbai, good climate and availability of talent made it a destination for large firms like Tata Motors (TELCO then), Buckau Wolf (Thyssen Krupp now), KSB Pumps, Hindustan Antibiotics and several others.
Today, Pune has a diverse industrial population. It is one of India’s most important automotive hubs, with some domestic and international auto giants manufacturing here, including Daimler Benz and Volkswagen. Pune also has hundreds of large and small IT companies.
Pune is the largest hub in India for German companies. According to the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce, Pune has been the single largest hub for German companies for the last 60 years. Over 225 German companies have set up their businesses here.
Architecture
In addition to its temples, historical attractions in and around Pune include the rock-cut Pataleshwar cave temple,Aga Khan Palace, Shaniwarwada, Lal Mahal, Shinde Chhatri and Sinhagad fort. The city is known for its British Raj and the Garden city movement layout of the Cantonment in the early twentieth century. Notable architects who have worked in Pune include B.V.Doshi, Charles Correa, Achyut Kanvinde andChristopher Charles Benninger. Modern master pieces in Pune include the IUCAA by Correa and a number of campuses by Benninger, including his studio complex called India House. His award winning campuses include theMahindra United World College of India, the YMCA Campsite at Mulshi, the Samundra Institute of Maritime Studies, and Suzlon One Earth.
Museums, parks and zoos
Prominent museums in Pune include the Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum, Mahatma Phule Museum, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Museum and the Pune Tribal Museum. The College of Military Engineering has an archive and an equipment museum which has a rail exhibit with a metre-gauge train. A large railway museum is also coming up in Lonavala about 60 km (37 mi) away from the city on the Mumbai railway line.
Pune has public gardens, such as the Kamala Nehru Park, Sambhaji Park Shahu Udyan, Peshwe Park, Saras Baug, Empress Garden, Taljai Hills and Bund Garden. The Pune-Okayama Friendship Garden, is a replica of the Korakuen Garden in Okayama, Japan. The Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park is located at Katraj, close to the city. The zoo, earlier located at Peshwe Park, was merged with the reptile park at Katraj in 1999. Besides this, certain spots in Pune such as Hanuman Tekdi, Vetaal Tekdi and Taljai forest are popular haunts for nature lovers.
As the agro-pharmaceutical business has dwindled in recent decades, immigration from erstwhile tribal peoples now accounts for seventy percent of population growth and education syllabi have not adjusted in accordance with other industrialised regions. This has created what has become an exclusive environment in the government’s expansion of education infrastructure, and Marathi literati have received a number of grants in areas that were previously ignored. Both experimental and professional theatre receive extensive patronage from the Marathi community. The Tilak Smarak Mandir, Bala Gandharva Rangmandir, Bharat Natya Mandir, Yashwantrao Chavan Natyagriha and Sudarshan Rangmanch are prominent theatres in the city. Ganesh Kala Krida Rangamanch is the largest closed theatre in the city, with a seating capacity of 45,000.
The Sawai Gandharva Sangeet Mahotsav, one of the most prominent and sought-after Indian classical music festivals in India is held in Pune every year in December. It commemorates the life and achievements of Pt. Sawai Gandharva. The concept of Diwāḷī Pahāṭ originated in Pune as a music festival on the morning of the festival of Diwali.
Education and research
Pune has more than a hundred educational institutes and nine universities, students from all over the world studying at the colleges of the University of Pune. Pune has a large student population, and a large number of quality academic and research institutes.
Basic and special education
Public schools (known locally as “municipality schools”) are run by the Pune Municipal Corporation, and are affiliated with the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education. Private schools are run by educational trusts or individuals. They are usually affiliated to either the state board or to national education boards, such as the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education., CBSE or NIOS boards. Pune is the largest centre for Japanese learning in India. Other languages including German (taught at the Max Muller Bhavan) and French (at the Alliance Française de Poona) are popular in the city.
University education
Most colleges in Pune are affiliated to the University of Pune, established in 1948. Seven other universities have also been established in the city. Top ranked engineering colleges such as College of Engineering, Pune(COEP), Maharashtra Institute of Technology, MIT College of Engineering,Vishwakarma Institute of Technology, Pune Institute of Computer Technology, Pune Vidhyarthi Griha’s College of Engineering and Technology, Sinhgad College of Engineering, Trinity college of Engineering and Research and MKSSS Cummins College of Engineering for Women. The College of Engineering Pune, now autonomous institute of government of Maharashtra, founded in 1854, is the third oldest engineering college in Asia. The Deccan Education Society was founded by several local citizens in 1884, including social and political activist Bal Gangadhar Tilak, and was responsible for founding Fergusson College in 1885. This society currently maintains and operates 32 institutes in Pune.
The National Defence Academy, Film and Television Institute of India, Dnyaneshwar Vidyapeeth, National Film Archives, Armed Forces Medical Collegeand National Chemical Laboratory were established in Pune after the independence of India. Symbiosis International University, which operates 33 different colleges and institutions in the city which includes colleges like Symbiosis Institute of Business Management (SIBM), which is ranked amongst the top management institutes in the country and Symbiosis Institute of Computer Studies and Research (SICSR) which is one of the few colleges in India that promotes Open source technology. Pune is also home to Symbiosis Institute of Technology of the Symbiosis family.
ILS Law College, established by the Indian Law Society, is one of the top ten law schools in India. Established medical schools such as the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC) and Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Medical College train students from all over Maharashtra and India and are amongst the top medical colleges in India. The AFMC consistently ranks among the top five medical colleges in India. The Lalit Kala Kendra is an undergraduate department of Music, Dance and Drama on the University of Pune campus that has been operational since 1987. This department features a combination of Gurukul and formal education systems.
Research institutes
Pune is home to some of India’s important research institutes. Some of the major research centres are:
NCL, Pune
- National Chemical Laboratory (NCL): one of the leading chemical research establishments in India.
- Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune (IISER, Pune)
- Inter-university Centre for Astronomy & Astrophysics (IUCCA)
- National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA)
- Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC)
- Electronics Test and Development Centre (ETDC): under the STQC directorate, it is a leading testing and certification centre.
- National Institute of Virology (NIV)
- National Research Centre for Grapes (NRCG)
- Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics
- Central Water & Power Research Station (CWPRS)
- National Centre for Cell Sciences (NCCS)
- Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI)
- Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM): scientists at IITM has made significant achievements in tropical weather
- National Informatics Centre (NIC)
- Armament Research Development Establishment (ARDE)
- High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL)
- Centre for Materials for Electronics Technology (CMET)
- Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute (BORI)
- National AIDS Research Centre (NARI)
- Agharkar Research Institute (ARI)
Several military and armament research organisations are located in Pune (see the Military establishments section in this article).
Transport
Air
Pune Airport is an international airport at Lohegaon, operated by the Airports Authority of India. It shares its runways with the neighbouring Indian Air Force base. In addition to domestic flights to all major Indian cities, this airport serves international direct flights to Dubai (operated by Air India Express) and to Frankfurt (operated by Lufthansa). The Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation is responsible for the design and construction of a New Pune International Airport. The are between Chakan and Rajgurunagar, around the villages of Chandus and Shiroli, is currently being considered as a construction site. If constructed here, it will be at a distance of 40 km (25 mi) from central Pune.
Rail
Local trains (EMUs) connect Pune to the industrial town of Pimpri-Chinchwad and the hill station of Lonavala, while daily express trains connect Pune to Mumbai, Kanpur, Howrah, New Delhi,Jammu Tawi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Goa, Varanasi, and Jamshedpur. At Pune, there is diesel locomotive shed and electric trip shed. A rapid transit system has been proposed in Pune and is scheduled to begin operations in 2013. Pune Metro Rail is being planned in consultation with Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited, the corporation which built and operates theDelhi Metro. It will be a combination of elevated and underground sections, with initial routes being planned between Pimpri-Swargate and Vanaz-Ramwadi.
The city has a railway station, Pune Railway Station. The station is administrated by the Pune Railway Division of the Central Railways. All the railway lines to Pune are broad gauge.
Road
Both public and private transport are popular in Pune. Public buses within the city and its suburbs are operated by the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML). The PMPML operates the Pune Bus Rapid Transit system, the first of its kind in India, in which dedicated bus lanes were supposed to allow buses to travel quickly through the city. In reality the project has turned out to be a failure receiving little to no patronage from the local citizenry. Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation runs buses from its main stations in Shivajinagar, Pune station and Swargate to all major cities and towns in Maharashtra and neighbouring states. Private companies too run buses to major cities throughout India.
Pune is well-connected to other cities by Indian highways and state highways. National Highway 4 (NH 4) connects it to Mumbai, Bangalore andKolhapur. NH 9 to Hyderabad, and NH 50 to Nashik. State highways connect it to Ahmednagar, Aurangabad, and Alandi. The Mumbai-Pune Expressway, India’s first six-lane high-speed expressway, was built in 2002, and has reduced travel time between Pune and Mumbai to almost two hours. A ring road is being planned for the convenience of heavy traffic.
Pune is served by two intra-city highways: Old Pune-Mumbai Highway and Katraj-Dehu Road Bypass, a part of National Highway 4. The Nashik City-Pune Highway NH 50 will be part of the golden triangle(Nashik-Pune-Mumbai).
Sports and recreation
Popular games and sports in Pune include athletics, cricket, basketball, badminton, field hockey, football, tennis, kabaddi, Paragliding, kho-kho,rowing and chess. The Pune International Marathon is an annual marathon conducted in Pune. The 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games were held in Pune.
Cricket is played between clubs affiliated with the Maharashtra Cricket Association, which maintains a domestic cricket team (the Maharashtra cricket team). This team, one of three based in the state of Maharashtra, competes in interstate matches and leagues, such as the Ranji Trophy. Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, is where National and One Day International matches take place. It has been named after the First Prime Minister of Independent India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.
An Indian Premier League cricket team based in Pune began play in 2011. The team is named as Pune Warriors India and was brought for Rs.1702 Crores or $370 million. It is the most expensive team in the Indian Premier League, and it is owned by Sahara Group. It is captained by Sourav Ganguly and includes players like Yuvraj Singh, Michael Clarke, Graeme Smith, Ashish Nehra andRobin Uthappa. A new stadium Subrata Roy Sahara Stadium built in Gahunje on Mumbai – Pune express way, inaugurated on 1 April 2012, is the Home Ground of Pune Warriors. The Subrata Roy Sahara Stadium has a seating capacity of 55,000 and is built on the Mumbai Pune Expressway. Blades of Glory, India’s first cricket museum, is based out of Pune. Run by Rohan Pate, a former Maharashtra Under-19 cricketer, inaugurated during IPL V by Sachin Tendulkar and located in the quaint Sahakar Nagar.
The Pune Football Club, also known as Pune FC, is a recently founded football club that plays in the Indian Football League. It was established in August 2007. Pune has basketball at the Deccan Gymkhana club and at Fergusson College. American football coach J. D. Walsh held his first JDBasktball India camp in Pune. The Elite Football League of India (ELFI) – an American gridiron football competition slated for a Fall 2012 kickoff – has announced that the Pune Marathas will be a member-franchise.
The National Education Foundation organises Enduro3, a cross country adventure race in Pune. It is normally a two or three day event with activities like cycling, trekking, river-crossing and rifle shooting. The city has been host to the 2009 FIVB Men’s Junior World Championship.The Pune Race course, located in Pune Cantonment, was built in 1830 over 118.5 acres (0.480 km2) of land. The land is controlled by the Indian Army. The racing season is from July to October every year. The Royal Western India Turf Club manages the race course. The course has two training tracks and two racing surfaces. Major racing events include The Pune Derby, RWITC Invitational, Independence Cup and the Southern Command Cup.
The beginnings of badminton can be traced to mid-19th century Pune (then known as Poona). During a party, a few guests fastened feathers onto champagne corks and used the bottles as bats. They called this game Poonai. The first rules of the game were written in Pune in 1873, by the British.
Notable personalities from Pune
- Bal Gangadhar Tilak (Lokmanya Tilak)
- Pandit Bhimsen Joshi
- Mahadev Govind Ranade
- Anandi Gopal Joshi
- Pandita Ramabai
- Shantanurao Laxmanrao Kirloskar
- Mahatma Jyotiba Phule
- Savitribai Phule
- Ga Di Ma
- Shivaram Rajguru
- Gajanan Digambar Madgulkar
- Maharshi Dhondo Keshav Karve
- Dr.Vijay Bhatkar
- P.K.Atre
- Sharad Talwalkar
- Shanta Shelke
- Hrishikesh Kanitkar
- Dhanraj Pillay
- Daso
- Dr. Vijay Gokhale
- Vasant Shankar Kanetkar
- Vinayak Damodar Savarkar
- Vishnu Digambar Paluskar
- Shivaji (Shivaji Maharaj)
- Kusumagraj Mr V V Shirwadkar
Braintor Library 