Pune

Pune, now called the Oxford of the East was once a haven for the Britishers. The reason is its conducive and pleasant climate. Pune is considered a mini hillstation and has a tolerable climate throughout the year as compared to its neighbour, Mumbai.

History
In Pune, the past meets the present. It is one of those rare cities with a twin image: that of a tradition-bound place - generally considered the quintessence of Maharashtrian culture - and that of a modern industrial metropolis. Pune today straddles both banks of the Mula and Mutha rivers (tributaries of the larger Bhima River). The confluence (sangam) of the these in the heart of the city forms a spectacular scenic landmark. The oldest extant structure in the city is the rock-cut temple of Pataleshwar, from the 8th century AD. The cave-temple complex is also called Panchaleshvara cave. This cave, once situated outside limits of the old town, is now squarely in the middle of the city off the Jungli Maharaj road.

The earliest evidence found (copper plates of 758 A. D. and of 768 A. D.) reveals that the Rashtrakootas ruled this region then. At that time, Pune was referred to as Punaka Vishaya and Punya Vishaya. Copper plates of 960 A. D. and 963 A. D. refer to it as Punaka Wadi and Punaka Desha. Here Vishaya means region. Later on, the city has been mentioned as Kasabe Pune. Pune's medieval roots are also evident in number of temples and mosques. The present name "Pune" is derived from Punya Nagari (literally city of virtuous deeds). The Rashtrakutas are believed to be the earliest rulers of the city.

Culture
Pune is a vibrant cultural city and people from multiple religions and speaking different regional languages reside here. It also hosts various national festivals and cultural events throughout the year. People of Pune have wide interests in various Arts, Spiritualism and Food.

Summers
Summers here begin from early March to July. Though not as hot as Northern parts of India, the daytimes are very sunny with dry heat. Early mornings are pleasant and evenings after six, cool and breezy.

Bright summery clothes are an obvious suggestion with sunglasses for driving. The temperature ranges from 38°C to 20°C. Though, last year, summer hit a new high with 40+ a common temp.

The summers can get a little harsh and in daytime temperatures can soar upto 40°C at times, with evenings bringing in relief. Main Street, (i.e M.G.Road) is packed with hoards of people having ice creams and milkshakes to shake off the heat. The festivals of 'Holi' and 'Rangpanchmi' is not something one must miss, with umpteen 'Holi' bashes with the crowd going violent, splashing coloured water on each other to the beats of music. The innumerable swimming pools all over the city can bring in relief from the heat too.

However, the outskirts of Pune are a treat to the eyes during these times with its lush green fields and cool winds blowing.

Monsoons
Being on the leeward side of the ghats, Pune has a good three months of rains from July-August to October. Clear skies in the morning are not to be deceived by, as it does rain in the evenings. Umbrellas for pedestrians and raincoats for drivers are a must, as there lies no escape. While driving, beware of potholes and use a minimum of two pairs of shoes as drying takes about 2-3 days. Temperatures range from 18-19 degrees to 30 degrees.

Winters
From November to January, Pune has it's winter season. Though light woollens are fine during the day, early mornings, evenings and night times require more clothing as it's chilly.

6°C was the lowest recorded last year. For drivers, windcheaters and head covers are a must. Hot cupsa coffee is highly enjoyable during mornings and evenings.

The months of November and December are welcomed with biting cold and so the enthusiastic ones who want to celebrate the 'New Year', not to forget Christmas in Pune, must make sure that they have a good supply of warm party wears. Or risk wearing stringy outfits if blessed with immunity towards cold. What's more, these parties are on the outskirts.

Spring
Though not in the real sense of the term spring, late Jan to March are the most pleasant months in Pune. The sun is bright and warm and temperatures move in the moderate zone. Overall, the climate and temperature does not go to extremities and humidity is negligible here. Any time of the year Pune is perfect for morning and evening walks.

Language
The regional language out here is Marathi. Unlike many other Indian regional languages, Marathi is easy to understand, posing not too many problems to the tourist.

Fondly called as the Oxford of the East and the cultural capital of Maharashtra. Pune has grown manifolds over the past two decades in terms of population, area and habitation. The city limits have increased a lot and areas like Aundh, Kothrud and others almost uninhabited a decade back stands as one of the fastest growing suburbs. Today, Pune is a large city and one of the fastest growing ones in India.

From the cosmopolitan areas of Camp to the traditional City area and Deccan-the educational hub, Pune in all of its localities offers everything a society needs.

We have divided Pune into six neighborhoods on the basis of resources, population distribution and connectivity.

• Deccan
  (Shivaji Nagar, F.C Road, J.M. Road, Senapati Bapat Road, Bhandarkar Road, Prabhat Road, Corporation, University Road and vicinity).
  
  
• Camp
  (M.G.Road and vicinity, Koregaon Park, Ghorpuri, Dhole-Patil Road and vicinity).
  
  
• City
  (Mangalwar Peth, Somwar Peth, Kasba Peth, Narayan Peth, Ganesh Peth, Bhawani Peth, Guruwar Peth, Nana Peth, Shaniwar Peth,Raviwar Peth, Budhwar Peth, Navi Peth, Satara Road, Sadashiv Peth, Bibwewadi, Market Yard, Shankersheth Road)
  
  
• Aundh
  (Aundh, Khadki, Pashan)
  
  
• Kalyani Nagar
  (Kalyani Nagar, Viman Nagar, Bund Garden, Yerewada and Vishrantwadi)
  
  
• Kothrud
  (Kothrud, Karve Nagar, Paud Road, Sinhagadh Road)
  
  
• Kondhwa
  (Kondhwa, Hadapsar, Fatima Nagar, Lulla Nagar, Wanowarie, Salisbury Park)

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