Sitting atop the Deccan Plateau with the Mutha River flowing alongside is the popular city Pune. This is the second largest city in Maharashtra. Also known as the “Queen of Deccan”, this hilly city has a royal history of being home to the Rahstrakuta Dynasty taken over and ruled by the mighty Chhatrapati Shivaji. Besides the boom in Industrial and IT zones within the city, the last few decades have seen a rapid growth in the sector of tourism in Pune. Boasting of being the second city after Hyderabad to offer “high quality of living” and attracts travellers for its historic monuments, culture, traditions, mouth watering street food and natural beauty offered by small hill tops, gardens and parks. Above all, for Mumbai-based individuals trapped in the daily schedule of work life, Pune, barely four hours away offers the best sought after place to visit. A general holiday guide to Pune suggest the same with special mention of the famous Sawai Gandharva Sangeet Mahotsav, that is an Indian classical music festival staged during the month of December every year.
Ardent classical music enthusiasts can plan a trip during this season to enjoy a blend of the modern life and its century’s old musical heritage. Being home to the prestigious Pune University, considered as the “Oxford of the East”, Pune is the ideal higher education destination of many students. Short vacations or admission months bring about family to some of Pune’s popular tourist places such as the Chaturshringi temple of Goddess Ambareshwari, Ambedkar museum, Parvati temple, Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park,
Dagaduseth Halwai Ganpati temple, rock carved Pataleshwar temple, Aga khan palace where Mahatma Gandhi was kept under house arrest and the famous Shaniwar wada built during the time of Bajirao Peshwa.
The outskirts of Pune also have several sightseeing places such as the Shinde chatri memorial and the Empress garden with beautiful floral diversity. To seek out mental refreshment some of Pune’s tourist attractions include the commercial theatre, Osho International Meditation resort of Koregaon Park, and forts exhibiting awe inspiring Maratha architecture. Pune trip is incomplete without pampering one’s taste buds with the Maharashtrian delicacies such as Puran Poli, Misal Pav and Mastani milkshake among many others. This place is easily the most favoured travel destination in Maharashtra, which if visited for a long stay allows weekend shuttle trip to twin cities Lonavala and Khandala, Mahabaleshwar, Nashik, Matheran, Shirdi and world heritage sites Ajanta and Ellora caves.
A good travelling guide makes the entire journey memorable and fun filled. To discover the 6th century old civilization of Pune within its “smart” city life, one can join the Pune tour with Tour My India. With various packages you can actually enjoy a world class vacation that gifts unmatched expeditions and breathtaking sights to capture.