Tourist places in Pune city

[Kimmaya]

I am going to be sent to Pune from my company for some work, and during my free time there, I would like to go around in Pune and see places.

Although I don't think I would have much time I would like to make most of the time I do have seeing the tourist places in Pune city.

Due to the shortage of time, it would great to mention the most popular tourist places in Pune first.

 

[briannagodess]

Hello, @Kimmaya! Welcome to the forum!

Pune is the administrative headquarters of the Pune district in Maharashtra. It is the 9th most populous city in the country and the 2nd most populous in Maharashtra. It is also considered as the cultural capital of Maharashtra. It is known for its manufacturing, automobile and IT industries. During earlier times, Pune has been the residence of the Shivaji, the Maratha leader. Here are some of the best attractions in Pune:

Historical

• Aga Khan Palace - This palace was built by Sultan Muhammed Shah Aga Khan III in 1892. It was an act of charity of the Sultan for the people hit by famine in the region. It is also where Mahatma Gandhi, Kasturba Gandhi and Mahadev Desai were detained during the Freedom Movement in India. The samadhis of Kasturba Gandhi and Mahadev Desai are located in the palace. It also houses a memorial where Mahatma Gandhi's ashes are kept.

• David Synagogue - This is also known as Lal Deval and it's Asia's largest synagogue. You can find it in Moledina Road in Pune. It was built by David Sassoon during the year 1867. It also has a 90-feet obelisk on which a clock is hung, but it's not working anymore. It was built using red bricks and designed using an English Gothic style of architecture.

• Lal Mahal - This is also known as the Red Palace. This was built by Shivaji's father, Shahaji Bhosale, for his wife, Jijabai and also for Shivaji, his son. The original Lal Mahal is already in ruins and this present structure is a replica of the original one. Shivaji and Maharani Saiba were married in the original Lal Mahal. Shivaji himself stayed and grew up in the palace until he captured Torna Fort in 1645. The current structure was built in 1984 and completed in 1988.

• Mahatma Phule Museum - This was founded in 1875 and was formerly known as Poona Industrial Museum. In 1968, it was renamed as the Mahatma Phule Museum. It has various sections related to industry and engineering, geology and minerals, handicrafts and cottage industries, agriculture, forestry, natural history and armoury. Its industrial section has models of Indian hydro-electric and irrigation projects and oil refining methods. Its natural history section has a taxidermy collection of species of animals, birds, insects, snakes and fishes. Its armoury section has weapons from the Mughal and Maratha periods. It also has a library with vast collections of books specifically on ancient technologies. The museum also publishes the monthly journal Srishtidnyan, which aims to explain scientific terms in layman words. The journal has been publishing issues for over 88 years now.

• Osho Ashram - This is a meditation resort in Pune, founded by Osho in 1990. This ashram teaches different meditation techniques to guests for a fee. Before entering, you'd be subjected to registering and a mandatory HIV test. You'd also have to pay the entry fee of Rs. 1,400. You also have to buy two robes, one is maroon and the other is white. There's also a meditation pass to be paid, costing Rs. 760 for Indians and Rs. 1,560 for foreigners. There are various locations for meditation in the ashram. Osho's samadhi is also open for meditation, which is the place where the guru's ashes are kept.

• Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum - This museum is dedicated to the son of Dr. Dinkar G. Kelkar, Raja. It houses the collections of Dr. Dinkar G. Kelkar, like sculptures dating back to the 14th century, ornaments and musical instruments. The collection was started around 1920 and by 1960, it has over 15,000 items. Now, the museum is handled by the Department of Archaeology within the Government of Maharashtra. It has over 20,000 collections of items already.

• Tribal Cultural Museum - This museum showcases the life and history of the tribes in the Sahyadri region like the Warlis and Gonds. There's a gallery showcasing the pictures of the simple lives of the tribes. There's also a separate section for the utensils, jewelries and musical instruments of the tribes. You can also view the papier mache masks of Demons, Gods and Goddesses from Indian mythology.

• Shaniwar Wada - This was constructed in 1730 by Peshwa Raji Bao I and was completed in 1732. Later, additions like fortification walls, bastions, gates, halls, buildings, fountains and reservoirs were built by other Peshwas. In 1828, the fort and its inner structures were destroyed by a fire. It is mostly in ruins now but has become one of the most popular tourist attractions in Pune.

• Darshan Museum - This museum is dedicated to the Sindhi saint, Sadhu Vaswani. The museum showcases the life of Vaswani using real life mannequins, graphic panels, holographic screens, interactive, audio-visual material and films. It has eight zones, immersing the tourist into the life and teachings of the Sindhi saint.

• Vishrambaug Wada - This was the former residence of Peshwa Bajirao II. It was built in 1807 AD and took about 6 years to complete. Bajirao II stayed here for 11 years until his defeat in the 3rd Anglo-Maratha War. Now though, it houses a postal office and several municipal offices.

• Sinhagad Fort (Lion's Fort) - This is located 30 kms Southwest of Pune. It was formerly known as Kondhana and was best known for the Battle of Sinhagad which happened here during the year 1671. It is believed to have been built over 2,000 years ago due to caves and the carvings in the Kaundinyeshwar temple here. In 1328 AD, Muhammad bin Tughlaq captured the fort from Nag Naik. In 1647, Shivaji conquered the fort and in 1818, the British captured the fort. The tomb of Rajaram, Shivaji's younger son, can be found within the fort. There's also a memorial to Tanaji and a temple dedicated to Goddess Kali inside.

Gardens/Parks

• Bund Garden - This is just two kms away from the Pune Railway Station. Its name comes from the bund or dam in the Mula River nearby. It was opened in 1869 under the leadership of Colonel Sellon. It has a separate jogging track, boating facilities, children's play area and food stalls. During the weekends, you might be able to watch a magic show within the park.

• Pune Okayama Friendship Garden - This is also known as the Pu La Deshpande Udyan. You can find it in Sinhagad Road in Pune. It was built around 10 acres of land with natural water channels around the area. There's a small pond here which has plenty of small fishes, which you can view from the bridge. Foods are not allowed within the garden, nor is walking in the beautiful lawns allowed. There's a small children's park that kids can enjoy here as well.

• Appu Ghar - This is also known as Indira Gandhi Udyan. It is an amusement park constructed in 1989 and completed in 1992. The park has numerous rides suitable for children and families.

• Empress Garden - This is located near Race Course in Pune. It is set amidst 59 acres of land. Originally, the garden was named Soldiers Garden and was owned by Vithalrao Purandhare. In 1838, it was acquired by the British government and was named Garden of Dr. Don. It was thereafter renamed as the Empress Garden as a tribute to the Queen Victoria. It used to be a recreation centre for the British soldiers. Now, it is owned by the Agri-Horticultural Society of Western India. It has numerous species of trees, plants and herbs.

• Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park - This is a 130-acre zoological park divided into three parts: an animal orphanage, zoo and snake park. The Katraj Lake is also located within the park. It first started out as a small zoo managed by Madhavrao Peshwe. In 1986, Mr. Neelam Kumar Khaire created the snake park inside the zoo. Eventually, in 2005, the small zoo named Peshwe Park was closed and all the animals there were transferred to the new Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park. The zoo has a white tiger, Bengal tiger, leopards, sloth bears, barking deers and sambars. The snake park has about 22 species of snakes, including a 13-foot long king cobra.

Religious

• Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati Temple - This temple was built by Mr. Dagdusheth Halwai in 1893 after the loss of his son due to an epidemic plague. It is dedicated to the Lord Ganesha. The idol of Ganesh here is 7.5 feet tall and 4 feet wide. It is adorned with over 8 kilos of gold as well. Aside from gold offerings, coconuts are also offered to the deity here.

• Gatha Mandir - This is located on the banks of the Indrayani River. There's a big statue of Tukaram sitting with a veena in his hand at the entrance of the temple. There are also about 4,000 abhangs or verses carved on the walls of the temple.

• Parvati Hill Temples - Parvati Hill is a hillock in Pune. It contains five temples namely: Devdeveshwar Temple, Kartikeya Temple, Vishnu Temple, Vitthal Temple and Rama Temple. You have to climb the 103 steps leading to the top of the hill to reach the temples. It is believed that the Peshwas built these temples.

• Pataleshwar Cave Temple - This is a rock-cut cave temple built during the Rashtrakuta period in the 8th century. The temple was made using basalt rock and is dedicated to Lord Shiva. It has a sanctum sanctorum housing a linga of the Lord Shiva. There's also a circular Nandi mandala in front of the temple.

• Chaturshringi Temple - This temple is located on a slope of a hill on Senapati Bapat Road. It is believed to have been built during the rule of Shivaji. Chaturshingi itself is the hill where the temple is located, in which Chat means four, since the hill has four peaks. To reach the temple, you have to climb about 100 steps. At the peak, there's a temple dedicated to Goddess Saptashrungi and temples dedicated to Goddess Durga and Lord Ganesh.

• Omkareshwar Temple - This is located on the banks of Mutha River. It was built in the middle of the 18th century by Krsnaji Panta Citrava. It was then inaugurated by Chimaji Appa Peshwa. The temple is about 275 years old already and dedicated to the Lord Shiva. There are also smaller temples dedicated to Shani, Hanuman, Vishnu, Ganesh and Durga. Its shikhara consists of nine layers, with the central one being the most distinct and carved. There's also a statue of Nandi in the courtyard premises. There are also Hindu inscriptions all over the walls of the temple.

• Sarasbaug Ganpati Temple - This temple was built in 1784 by Shrimant Sawai Madhavrao Peshwa. It is located in Sarasbaug and he installed the idol of Shree Siddhivinayak Gajanan here. On average, the temple receives about 10,000 visitors in a day. During the Ganesha Chaturthi, the devotees are higher at about 80,000 on average.

There you go. I covered only the most popular attractions in Pune since you said you don't have much time in your hands. I hope this helps!