{"id":7843,"date":"2025-02-19T12:46:45","date_gmt":"2025-02-19T12:46:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.globalwanderings.co.uk\/new\/?p=7843"},"modified":"2025-05-02T15:41:24","modified_gmt":"2025-05-02T15:41:24","slug":"pune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.globalwanderings.co.uk\/new\/2025\/02\/19\/pune\/","title":{"rendered":"Pune"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sat 15th Feb 2025. Another first. I thought I was just getting a regular bus for the six hour trip to Pune. It certainly looked very ordinary inside – rather worn and mildly decrepit but it turned out to be electric!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Pune<\/a> is certainly a very large city of\u00a0 seven million people and like many large cities in India is currently building a Metro system. I didn’t go on it but here’s a photo taken near the hotel and the Mutha River which also runs through the city.<\/p>\n

\"\"
\nArrived at Hotel Sapna<\/a>. I’ve actually stayed in a few Hotel Sapnas in India and the name means Dream. Hardly a dream hotel but not too bad:<\/p>\n

\"\"
Hotel Sapna<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It was next door to the Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj garden. Interesting for two reasons. The first is that they were having a flower come veggie show so I went there for a look around. The flowers on show were quite good but quite frankly the display of limp lettuces and rubbery carrots was pretty poor. The second reason is the name. Sambhaji<\/a> is the most famous (maybe the only) Hindu warrior king. More information about him can be found online but as he was from round here, he is almost worshipped and it seems almost everything in Maharashtra is named after him from this garden to the International airport in Mumbai.<\/p>\n

\"\"
\nEven the sweeper ladies, as in all India, are very colourful.<\/p>\n

\"\"
\nSunday 16th Feb 2025.<\/p>\n

After the last few days of full on touristing, today was designated for just a wander around the old town. First up, of course, breakfast and another plate of poha. Very nice.
\n

\"\"
poha<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n

First stop of the walk was Shivaji’s old house, Laal Mahal.<\/a> It was supposed to be his childhood home but the place was actually a modern building built in the old style and quite frankly rather boring inside with just a few poor oil paintings of some of his great victories.<\/p>\n

\"Laal
Laal Mahal<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

From here I wandered down one of the main streets of old Pune until I came to the Golden Ganesh Temple or to give it its full name: Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati Mandir.<\/a> I didn’t realise until I got near that it was having a huge festival. The sign below says “Darshan pass 100Rs” Darshan<\/a> means to have a sight of the god or idol which is very auspicious. In this case the golden Ganesh. The queues were enormous so I didn’t fancy waiting in line and it is also forbidden to take photos inside the temple as well but they did have a window on the outside so I managed to get a photo from there.<\/p>\n

\"Dagadusheth
Dagadusheth Halwai Ganapati Temple<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Dagadusheth
Dagadusheth Halwai Ganapati Temple<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
The golden Ganesh<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Another Ganesh was outside:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

and I met a few interesting characters<\/p>\n

\"\"
Dagadusheth Halwai Ganapati Temple<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Near the temple, not surprisingly were a huge number of shops selling worship regalia.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

And I made a short video:<\/p>\n