History of Pune City

History Of Pune:-

Once the capital of Maratha kingdom, today Pune is renowned for its charm, serenity and adventurous attitude. It is said that the rich history of the place determines the culture, tradition and mould of the place. Pune, erstwhile known as Punya-Nagari, serves as the veritable heartthrob of the state. With a horde of titles and accomplishments to its name, Pune acts as the cultural amalgam between fashionable and traditional world. This emerging metropolis, once popular as cycle city and now scooter city, is emerging as the IT capital of country. For the strong base of the city, the glorious and magnificent history acts as the source. Being the cultural capital of Maharashtra, Pune s history has lot to display through its valuable forts, museums, palaces, little mountains and hillocks. Legendary battles, humble Nizams, vivacious Marathas, talented Peshwas and dignified British have contributed a lot in making Pune the Detroit of India. Go ahead and explore the article to enjoy the amazing history of Pune. 


2: Glory Of Maratha, Mughal and Peshwa Rule:-

At the end of 16th century, the Mughal Empire appointed Maloji Bhosale as the Jagirdar of Pune. Maloji Bhosale, the grandfather of eminent Maratha ruler Shivaji, attracted Mughals by his spectacular management. Following him, his son Shahaji Bhosale took over the responsibility of Pune and appointed Rango Bapuji Dhadpale as the administrator of Pune, under whom the city witnessed some of the stunning construction such as Somwar, Kasba, Ravivar and Shaniwar Peth. It was during the same time that Lal Mahal was established, were Shivaji and his mother Jijabai resided. After his father, as per the legacy, Shivaji was crowned as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in 1649. It was during his rule the city experienced large scale of architectural and cultural development. Being the religious and respectful man Shivaji earned the title Peoples King by his glorious administration which opposed forceful conversion of religion, ill treatment of women and several other illegal activities. In the golden era of Shivaji, Pune reached its peak. After the death of Shivaji in 1680, his son Sambhaji Maharaj took reign. However, he was defeated under the hands of famous Mughal ruler Aurangzeb. During his control over the city, he renamed Pune as Muhiyabad. With the death of Aurangzeb in 1707, Maratha Empire established power with the help of Peshwa rule. With the largest battle of Khadki in 1818, the glory of Maratha rule declined completely under the hands of Peshwa. 

3:-British Rule:-

With the decline of Marathas, British firmly established their rule in Pune. During the reign of British, Punes glory further inflated with the establishment of number of noted educational institutions like the Deccan College, College of Engineering and Ferguson College. Apart from educational institutes, several offices, factories and mills were established in the city. The Pune- Mumbai rail track and Khadakwasla Dam, constructed during British rule, further enhanced the glory of Pune.


During The Independence Struggle

During the time of Indian Independence, Pune served as an important center for social and religious reform movements. Many prominent national leaders such as Mahadev Govind Ranade, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Maharshi Vitthal Ramji Shinde and Jyotirao Phule swept the nation with their ideas of freedom and reformation. The most important political reformer of the country, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, who established the name for nearly six decades, hailed from Pune. The citys independence struggle is also associated with Gandhiji s imprisonment at Yerwada jail and Aga Khan Palace. 

 Post Independence

After countrys independence in 1947, Pune saw a lot of development in the field of science, education, research and technology. The glory of automobile sector in the city created huge employment opportunities. Punes IT expansions have further made this place one of the leading technical hub of the country. With the professional and technological boom, Pune today stands as a blossoming metropolitan of the country

Calture Of Pune City

              (CULTURE OF PUNE CITY)                           

Pune is considered by many to be Maharashtra's cultural capital and the form of Marathi spoken in Pune is considered to be the standard form of the language.The culture of Pune encompasses both the traditional Maharashtrian lifestyle that is prevalent in the heart of the city, as well as a modern, progressive outlook resulting from its being a hub for education and liberal thought. People from multiple religions and speaking different regional languages reside here. It also hosts various nat and cultural events throughout the year. Due to a large student population, Pune also hosts many youth festivals.

1.(Ganapati (Ganesh) Festival)

It was in Pune in 1894 that Bal Gangadhar Tilak initiated the concept of the "Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav"thcollective communal celebration of the festival of Lord Ganesha. During the month of August or September each year, the city celebrates the Hindu festival of Ganesh Chaturthi. Almost every neighborhood puts up a pandal with an idol of Lord Ganesha, often amidst a mythological setting, complete with decorative lights and festive music. The 10-day festival culminates in a carnival-like procession along the busy thoroughfares of the city, with every pandal leading the idol on a float to finally immerse (visarjan) it in the local rivers. This is one of the most important yearly events in the city. There are many pandals set up in important places of the city. The city has the five Maanache Ganpati- The respected Ganpati- at different places. They are the Kasba Ganpati at Kasba Peth, Tambdi Jogeshwari Ganpati at Appa Balwant Chowk, Guruji Talim at Laxmi Road, Tulshibaugh Ganpati at Tulshibaugh and Kesariwada Ganpati at Kesariwada, the ancestral home of the Tilaks. Every year, the Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati trust creates a pandal which is a replica of famous monuments and temples in India. In 2014, it was the replica of the Kailash Temple at Ellora.

2.(Shaniwarwada Dance Festival) 

In the bracing winter air, Pune has had the privilege of seeing some of the best exponents of dance. World-renowned classical dancers like, Pt. Birju Maharajji, the doyen of the kathak, the legendary maestro Padma Vibhushan Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, along with his son Ratikant and daughter in law Sujata Mohanty presented the graceful lyrical dance style from the eastern shores of our country. The beautifully illuminated Shaniwarwada is an ideal backdrop which when combined the melodious sound of ghungroos creates a magical aura under the twinkling stars. The rich cultural heritage of Pune is brought to life with a perfect blend of history, music and dance.

3.(Literature and Theatre)

Pune has given birth to or attracted a body of organisation for the Marathi literati. Marathi theatre (Drama नाटक — रंगभूमी ) is an integral part of Marathi culture. Both — Experimental (प्रायोगिक रंगभूमी) and Professional Theatre — receive whole-hearted patronage from the Marathi community. Tilak Smarak Mandir, Bala Gandharva Rangmandir, Bharat Natya Mandir, Yashwantrao Chavan Natyagriha and Sudarshan Rangmanch continue to serve these art forms.

4.Historical and architectural Attractions

Apart from its various temples, other historical attractions in and around Pune include the rock-cut Pataleshwar cave temple, Aga Khan Palace, Shaniwarwada, Lal Mahal, Shinde Chhatri and Sinhagad fort.
The city is also known for its British Raj "bungalow architecture" and the Garden Cities Movement layout of the Cantonment in the early Twentieth Century. Christopher Charles Benninger landmark architectural works surround the city, including the Mahindra United World College of India, the Centre for Development Studies and Activities, the YMCA Retreat at Nilshi and the Samundra Institute of Maritime Studies.

4.Museums, Parks and Zoos

Prominent museums in Pune include the Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum, Mahatma Phule Museum, Babasaheb Ambedkar Museum, Pune Tribal Museum and the National War Museum.

Pune has a number of public gardens, such as the Kamala Nehru Park, Sambhaji Park, Shahu Udyan, Peshwe Park, Saras Baug, Empress Garden and Bund Garden. The Pune-Okayama Friendship Garden is located on Sinhagad road, and is also named as Pu La Deshpande Udyan. It is a recreation of the Korakuen Garden in Okayama, Japan.^[

The Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park is located at Katraj, close to the city. The zoo, which was earlier located at Peshwe Park was merged with the reptile park at Katraj.

5.(Food)

Pune has a variety of foods and cuisines. A common meal item is bhakri-pitla, or flat millet pancakes and flour-based curry. Savoury items such as chivda and bakarvadi, and sweets are available in various shops and restaurants. Street vendors also offer snacks such as Vada pav, Bhelpuri, Misal and Kutchi Dabeli. One can also find the Mastani, a thick milkshake with dried fruits, which is named after Queen Mastani of the Peshwas.

Several restaurants in Pune offer Udupi cuisine, Kolhapuri cuisine, Maharashtrian cuisine and other Indian and Western cuisines. Pune has many dining Halls spread out across the city catering to students and office goers. These are modest sit-down eateries that serve all-you-can-eat meals at affordable prices. Indian and western fastfood franchises such as Pizza Hut, Domino's, McDonald's, Subway, Smokin Joes and Papa Johns have outlets in the city, and are comparatively more expensive. There are several coffee houses (including Irani cafes) and modern chains such as Cafe Coffee Day, Aromas Cafe and Barista Coffee.

6.(Entertainment)

Pune has many multiplexes and cinema theatres, showing the latest Bollywood and Hollywood movies. These multiplexes are situated in various parts of the city. Marathimovies are screened at Prabhat and City Pride. Multiplexes include INOX near Pune station, E Square on University road, City Pride on Satara road, City Pride at Kothrud, City Pride at Deccan, BIG Cinemas at Kalyani Nagar and Chinchwad, Fame at Akurdi and Wanowarie, Pimpri-chinchwad,Mangala at Corporation. Other than the cinema there are various other leisure facilities such as go-karting at Manas Resorts and the Pancard club. a bowling alley at 3D Destination

Pune is becoming a good party destination with people from multinational cultures flocking to Pune. Discos, pubs and bars are becoming common in Pune.

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Information about Pune

Pune (former name: Poona) is the 8th largest metropolis in India. It is in the Indian state of Maharashtra. The city is famous for the great Maratha king Shivaji Maharaj. The game of badminton was invented there in the 19th century. It is also the birthplace of spiritual teacher Meher Baba. Mula and Mutha are the two rivers that flow through the city. It has also been referred to as the "Queen of the Deccan", "Oxford of the East", "Detroit of India" by some. It has a major Information Technology (IT) center. This city is managed by the Pune Municipal Council (PMC). Pune is a city of knowledge and often known as the Oxford of the east. In Marathi, it is known as vidyeche maherghar which means, the hometown of education. Till 2015, the population of Pune was 8,242,142. ^[1]The name Pune comes from the Sanskrit word - Puṇyanagara. It means "city of virtue"Pune is known for its educational facilities, having more than hundred educational institutes and nine universities. Pune has well-established glass, sugar and metal forging industries since the 1950's. Pune is also known as the "Oxford of the East."Pune was once the centre of power for the Maratha Empire. It is known to have existed as a town since 847 AD. Pune was the first capital of Shivaji Maharaj.It is the cultural capital of Maharashtra. There are many historic places like Shaniwar Wada, Lal Mahal and many museums like the Aga Khan Palace, Raja Kelkar Museum, National War museum, etc.The climate of Pune is suitable to reside in, hence a large number of people settle here. Today, Pune has many complexes, shopping malls and multiplexes but I would never forget places like Tulsi Baug, Kesari Wada, etc. There are many research centres present in Pune.Students not only from other cities and States come here to study, but international students from various countries are also found here. There are many clubs for different sports activities in this city. The main attraction of the city is the Ganesh festival which is celebrated with great joy, this is because the people of this city are co-operative. There are many educational institutions like Symbiosis, SP and Fergusson. Many people in Pune are food lovers, there are numerous hotels, restaurants, coffee shops along with famous bhel-puri and wada pav centres.People in this city are well-mannered and disciplined. There are many reasons for Pune city to be liked by everyone.