The second largest city of Maharashtra, Pune is often referred to as the “Cultural Capital” of the state. The 8[SUP]th[/SUP] largest metropolis of India, located in the Sahayadri Hills, near the west coast, Pune is a fascinating city with a healthy climate all year round. Pune is one of the biggest industrial towns of Maharashtra and known as the automobile city as many big auto mobile companies have their head Quarters here. Know as The city of students, Queen of the Deccan, Oxford of the East is the prime witness of the Maratha Empire and thus has immense historical significance. Geography and Climate Located 560 m (1,840 ft) above sea level on the western margin of the Deccan plateau on the leeward side of the Sahyadri mountain range, which forms a barrier from the Arabian sea, Pune is a hilly city, with its tallest hill, Vetal Hill, rising to 800 m (2,600 ft) above sea level. The city lies between 18° 32"North latitude and 73° 51"East longitude and 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. Pune lies very close to the seismically active zone around Koyna Dam, about 100 km (62 mi) south of the city, and has been rated in Zone 3 (on a scale of 2 to 5, with 5 being the most prone to earthquakes) by the India Meteorological Department. Pune has experienced some moderate-intensity and many low-intensity earthquakes in its history. Pune has a hot semi-arid climate (BSh) bordering with tropical wet and dry (Aw) with average temperatures ranging between 20 to 28 °C (68 to 82 °F). 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 monsoon lasts from June to October, with moderate rainfall and temperatures ranging from 22 to 28 °C (72 to 82 °F). Winter begins in November; November in particular is referred to as the Rosy Cold and The daytime temperature soars up to 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). Demographics As per provisional reports of Census India, population of Pune in 2011 is 3,115,431; of which male and female are 1,602,137 and 1,513,294, respectively. Total literates in Pune city are 2,556,743 of which 1,361,257 are males while 1,195,486 are females with an average literacy rate of Pune city is 91.61% of which male and female literacy was 95.13% and 87.91%. The sex ratio of Pune city is 945 per 1000 males. Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism and Jainism Zoroastrianism are major religions in Pune with 72.0%, 12.0%, 10.0%, 2.5% and 0.2% of the population following them. About 2% of the population follows Christianity. Marathi is the official and most widely spoken language, while Hindi and English are understood and spoken widely. History of Pune Pune has witnessed the rule of different dynasties and evidences like copper plates of 758 AD and of 768 AD that are found reveals that the Rashtrakootas ruled this region at that time. Pune was ruled by the Yadava dynasty after the Rashtrakootas. Mughal rulers then ruled the city till the middle of the seventeenth century. However, the city gained popularity with the rise of Maratha ruler Shivaji. Aurangazeb named Pune as Muhiyabad after the death of Shivaji in 1680. Pune again gained importance during the period of the second Peshwa Thorala (senior) Bajirao who ruled from 1720 to 1740. The palace of the Peshwas - Shaniwarwada was built during his time. Different Peshwas constructed various monuments. Nanasaheb Peshwa succeeded Thorala Bajirao Peshwa and ruled the Maratha kingdom from 1740 to 1761. He checked the aggressions of the Nizam and maintained peace. Nanasaheb Peshwa emphasized in urbanizing the Pune city and encouraged setting up of peths or wards in Pune. Nanasaheb Peshwa constructed Parvati Temple complex, which is known to be the pride of the Pune city. British defeated the Marathas in 1818 and established the administration in this region. Pune and Delhi were the only centres of power during this century. Pune has been recognized as a seat of learning and the Deccan College (1851) led the educational movement in Pune. The Pune-Mumbai rail track and the Khadakwasla Dam were constructed in 1857. Later many colleges were established gradually, the Deccan college, the college of Engineering and the Ferguson college. In 1857, the offices of the Department of Meteorology were shifted from Simla to Pune. The first Textile Mill was built in 1893 by Raja Bahadur Motilal Pittie. After Indian independence in 1947 a lot of development, such as the establishment of the National Defence Academy at Khadakwasla and the National Chemical Laboratory at Pashan took place in Pune. It serves as the headquarters of the Southern Command of the Indian Army. During 1950s and '60s, Industrial development started in Hadapsar, Bhosari, Pimpri, and Parvati and Telco (now Tata Motors) started its operations in 1961, which gave a huge boost to the automobile sector. Culture of Pune Named as the Cultural capital of Maharashtra, Pune epitomizes Marathi culture, which lays emphasis on education, arts and crafts, music, and theatre. The city has emerged as the hub of modern architecture in India, with prize-winning buildings and its culture reflects a unification of traditions with modernity, along with hosting classical shows. Sorghum and Pearl millet are the main ingredients of traditional Pune food and the delicacies comprise Misal Pav, Puran Poli (a dessert bread), Pithla bhakri, Bhelpuri and Pav Bhaji.[ Mastani, a thick milkshake containing dried fruit, is as well a delicacy of the city. Vada Pav, Misal Pav, Poha, Daabeli and Bhel Puri are common and famous street foods. Tourist Destinations in Pune Pune has gained immense popularity as a tourist destination in the recent years and is visited by horde of both international and domestic travelers. Most of the attractions in Pune are related to the Marathas, who once controlled much of north and western India and directly confronted the mighty Mughal Empire and the British. Some of the major attractions are: Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum Dagadusheth Halwai Ganapati Temple Darshan Museum National War Museum Tribal Museum Shaniwar Wada Vishrambaug Wada Saras Baug Aga Khan Palace Parvati Hill temples Chatushrungi Mata Temple Katraj Pataleshwar Caves Bund Garden Sinhagad and Khadakwasala Bhimshankar Wildlife Sanctuary Transportation Air Pune houses an international airport operated by the Airports Authority of India located at Lohegaon and shares its runways with the neighboring Indian Air Force base. Domestic flights to all major Indian cities of India operate from this airport and serves international direct flights to Frankfurt and Dubai. Railways Pune has a railway station named Pune Railway station, which is administrated by the Pune Railway Division of the Central Railways. Local trains (EMUs) connect the city with the industrial town of Pimpri-Chinchwad and the hill station of Lonavala and there are also daily express trains that connect the city to Mumbai, Hyderabad, Delhi, Nagpur, Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Coimbatore, Chennai, Bangalore, Kanpur, Howrah, Jammu Tawi, Goa, Varanasi, Patna, and Jamshedpur. Road Pune Station, Shivaji Nagar and Swargate are tha major bus stand of the city from where buses ply to nearby cities of the state. The city is well-connected to other cities by Indian highways and state highways. National Highway 4 (NH 4) connects it to Mumbai, Bangalore and Kolhapur, namely NH 9 to Hyderabad, and NH 50 to Nashik and state highway connect it to Ahmednagar, Aurangabad, and Alandi. To go around the city, there are both public buses and private busses. Public Buses within the city and its suburbs are operated by the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML). A fleet of auto rickshaws are found in the city, which provides easy transportation. One can even hire cabs and taxis for a tour within the city.
