How is Pune managing cultural authenticity and modernization simultaneously?
"Tulsi Bagh or Pavillion Mall"?
POPULATION AND POPULATION DENSITY
Pune, home to around 39 lakh and 90 thousand (https://www.macrotrends.net/cities/21371/poona/population) people is the second – largest city in Maharashtra. Considered as the “Oxford of the east", The city proper has a population density of 5,600 people per square kilometer (cite source: https://worldpopulationreview.com/world-cities/pune-population).
COST OF LIVING
The city is populated but has an average cost of living, the total cost of living for a bachelor is around ₹35000 in Pune. The average rent in Pune for a one-bedroom apartment in the city centre is approximately ₹20000 per month, and utilities cost around ₹2000 a month. Other costs will be around ₹16000 including markets, transportation, restaurants, and sports and leisure for one person. (cite source: https://www.nobroker.in/blog/cost-of-living-in-pune)
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(JM Road, before and after, https://images.app.goo.gl/iR85KuTQcXa4G6W4A)
GENERAL LIVING CONDITIONS
Pune has a hot semi arid climate bordering with hot and wet with average temperatures ranging between 19 to 33 °C (66 to 91 °F) (site source: https://www.pmc.gov.in/en/pune-weather-0). Pune experiences three seasons: summer, monsoon, and winter. Pune being 7th largest city, housing in pune becomes expensive, ranging between 10000 rupees to 21000 rupees. But theres a lot to discover in the city, from trampoline parks to fancy malls and restaurants you have it all. Educational wise Pune can be considered the best city to have Education in India, also its increasing employment assures that it will develope even more in the future.
HISTORY OF PUNE
Hometown to the great Marathas, most of Maharashtra’s history and Marathi culture lies in Pune. It was Maharashtra’s capital until Britishers captured it and changed the capital to Bombay. Pune Known as the ‘queen of the Deccan’ gained it’s importance because of the Bhosales of Maratha, it was temporarily captured by Mughals but got back to official Maratha rule from 1714 until Britishers captured it in 1817. Pune is not just known for great rulers but also for great freedom fighters like Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Agarkar, Jyotiba Phule, Savitribai Phule and Gopal Krishna Gokhale. Pune is also the birthplace of the poet-saint Tukaram and Dnaneshvara, the author of the well-known commentary ‘Dnaneshwari’,and the ‘Bhagavad Gita’. Pune was amongst one of the first cities in india to provide education for girls, this initiative was taken by Jyotiba Phule and his wife Savitribai Phule.
MODERN PUNE
In today’s era Pune is a whole different world in itself. Carrying the title of one of the biggest IT hubs in India and keeping up with the Marathi culture together isn’t really easy, then how Pune has managed to do it? From being home to millions of startups or feeding that one old rude Punekar uncle, Pune has it all! One of the most important economic city in India, Pune is also Known as ‘Oxford of the east’. Pune’s IT graduate number has not just increased the number for employment but it also has increased the number for creative start-up ideas. Just to name a few Firstcry.com, Storypick.com, and TastyKhana.com are few successful startups based in Pune.
CLUSTER OF DIFFERENT ETHNICITIES
pune has changed a lot but if we focus, we see that it has modernised but keeping its cultural authenticity intact. When we are changing we leave a lot of things behind like our roots but as Pune is changing it is keepin up with its root and carrying the idea of making herself better everyday. We see many people coming to pune, some love here cause they got a great job at one of its 12 IT hubs but some hate it because of rude aunties and vage uncles but no matter what we enjoy being here. we love going to all the fancy malls, or street shopping when on a budget, we love the dhol tasha at ganapati festivle even though all these punekar uncle and aunts hate noise pollution. We all come to this city with an expectation of getting something and we get it, the amount of opportunities this city gives in every sector is unimaginable. The increasing population in Pune due to its job recruitments have people all over from world with different ethnicity and nationalities. Even though there are millions of people living in this beautiful city it doesn’t let go its cultural authenticity.
(Vaishali and Roopali, https://images.app.goo.gl/GGR8AS1a9mYENqm28)
LOCAL FOOD AND MARKETS OF PUNE
Pune known for keeping up Maharashtrian culture has food dining halls since 80’s like Aasha dining hall (Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/kGiMnj7PUWaLqaFK9) where you get to eat authentic Maharashtrian food, not just this but there are hotels from our daddy’s era which still exists and make us wait for hours to get a table, and vaishali (Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/m8L1E36VdaLtnnwN8) and roopali (Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/SuZ8z5xobCphHFR26) make it to this list. Even the ganpati festival which goes on for 10 days go in high spirits! Even though now we have big malls like phoenix and pavillion people would still prefer to go to F.C road, Tulsi bagh, Lakshmi road for all the shopping, from expensive jewellery to trendy footwear you have all in one and these markets are situated in Pune since the era of Peshwa. So we have to agree old is gold, because these markets have expensive and cheap stuff both, it has traditionally navari and western jumpsuits both.
(Tulsi bagh, https://images.app.goo.gl/hjxoSccKGvYpETC88)
PLACES TO VISIT IN PUNE
Pune has been modernising, it has been introducing metros, its helping India’s economy, is considered as an IT hub but we can’t stop but gush over its beauty we get through shanivar waada (Location https://maps.app.goo.gl/2zaneAWpoyNiRR4C6) which was built in 1732 by Bajirao I was a great seat of Peshwas until 1818.
(Shaniwar Wada, https://images.app.goo.gl/AbhmXpZhjNfwcCM97)
Aga Khan palace,(Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/65KifPKZLqHhVeCS8) The Aga Khan Palace was built by Sultan Muhammed Shah Aga Khan III in the city of Pune, India. The palace was an act of charity by the spiritual leader of the Nizari Ismaili Muslims, who wanted to help the poor in the neighbouring areas of Pune, who were drastically hit by famine.
(Aga Khan Palace, https://images.app.goo.gl/FgS2miSswiHm4aFL6)
Dagdusheth Halwai Temple,(Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/GYhkJAEDiaNh2dzQ7)The Dagadusheth Halwai Ganapati temple is a Hindu Temple located in Pune and is dedicated to the Hindu god Ganesh. The temple is visited by over hundred thousand pilgrims every year. Devotees of the temple include celebrities and chief ministers of Maharashtra who visit during the annual ten-day Ganeshotsav festival.
Lal Mahal, (Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/FftfbqkrZPqenizT7)The Lal Mahal of Pune is one of the most famous monuments located in Pune, India, where Shivaji, founder of the Maratha Empire spent his childhood. etc.
(Lal Mahal, https://images.app.goo.gl/x5x5roUfaMyMS2rr9)
(COEP College of engineering, https://images.app.goo.gl/2kWxvMbTmFa7HehEA)
(Film and Television Institute of India, https://images.app.goo.gl/sZRY3mnq6K2VZGBM7)
PLACES TO VISIT NEAR PUNE
And not just Pune but it’s near by places are too pretty too miss! Places like lonavala (1 hrs 36 mins, 64.5 km) is a beautiful place to visit during monsoons, it is a hill station situated near Mumbai, Lonavla is famous for lush green valleys, stunning waterfalls, serene lakes and remarkable caves, not just that tamini waterfall, (2 hr 29 min, 76.3 km) situated near tamini ghat is also one of the breath taking sites to visit and enjoy natures bliss! Devkund waterfall, (3 hr 11 min, 99.7 km) Devkund Waterfall is a waterfall located near Bhira, in Raigad district, It is a 'plunge' waterfall. and many other are too good to miss!
(Lonavla, https://images.app.goo.gl/KKye1GRd7ieqcwdw8)
(Tamini Waterfall, https://images.app.goo.gl/NRJGrDvZhuhA9adf6)
(Devkund Waterfall, https://images.app.goo.gl/MKMRD52JpqdxALdH8)
FUTURE PROSPECTS
Pune has an increasing employment growth as it has automobile clusters and also has a lot of manufacturing industries spread across MIDC industrial areas on fringes of city. Pune is also improving its transport facility by introducing metros in the city. So if you see Pune's future it is all set to become the largest municipal corporation (450 sq km) in the country. Its population will be 60 lakh by the end of next decade. It will continue to grow as an IT hub, manufacturing centre and educational spot, attracting sizable floating population and have metros established all over the city.
This beautiful city has given a lot of things to a lot people, from an old uncle and aunt to a college student to a newly hired intern, we all live here, bring our own culture but Pune teaches about her own culture to us more than anything else.
- Amruta Patil
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