Pune Things to Do

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Ajanta - Natural
Ajanta is a World Heritage site of Buddhist caves that dates from 200BC. The cave art and architecture at Ajanta has been well preserved because the caves were abandoned and not rediscovered until 1819. The discovery happened when British officers were on a tiger hunt.

The caves are located in an isolated wooded horseshoe-shaped ravine. The thirty temples at Ajanta are set into the rocky sides of the gorge. The complex of caves at Ajanta consists of halls of residence (the Vihara) and monument halls (the Chaitya).

The sculptures and paintings in the caves detail the life of Buddha as well as a depiction of history through court scenes, street scenes, scenes of domestic life, animals and birds.

Lonar Meteorite Crater - man made but not originally designed to attract tourist
The Lonar Meteorite Crater is among the world's five largest craters. A British officer first discovered the Lonar Meteorite in 1823 but it is mentioned in ancient scripts.

A falling meteorite formed the crater over 40,000 years ago and scientists believe that the meteorite is still embedded in the ground.

The edge of the Lonar crater is home to several Hindu temples and wildlife such as langur monkeys, gazelle, peacocks and abundant bird life.

A shallow saline lake is located at the bottom of the crater. When Emperor Akbar was in power, there was also a salt factory at Lonar.

Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum - Man Made to attract
Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum houses the one-man collection of Dr D.G. Kelkar. With over 20,000 objects on display, the collection is dedicated to the memory of his only son `Raja' who died a tragic death.

For over sixty years, Dr Kelkar, traveled throughout India to villages, tribal settlements, and temples to collect items that offer a glimpse into life in India.

Some of the items on display at the Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum include musical instruments, kitchen utensils, paintings, coins, textiles, sculpture, ivory and toys.

The toys are a reflection from the 18th to 20th C and are made of wood, paper maché, and metal.

The kitchen items include utensils and equipment from diverse periods in time.

Strings, blowing and beating musical instruments are the main exhibits in this collection. They reflect Indian craftsmanship and feature musical instruments from famous Indian musicians.

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hindu temple into caves. In front there's a park with a very extraordinary tree...and street children grabbing you for some rupee.

take off your shoes in the cave.

the picture is The circular Nandi mandapa , built during the Rashtrakuta dynasty

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A part of the Ghandi's ashes are here at this palace. The stone is outside the garden of this nice bilding. Inside you will find a musuem dedicated to Ghandi.

100 rupee for foreigners...Indians can enter for 15.

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Very close (1 minute walk) from the coronet hotel. I don't remember or can not read the name of this tiny museum. You find many different things here, from weapons to stuffed animals to engineering projects to old posters.
It costs only 5 rupee. But i got in for free because they had no change for my 100 rupee bill. I guess it explains a lot about the size and popularity of this place.
Anyway, it's okay when you are passing by and it's raining. Also the garden is a relief from the crowdy street.

you cud try mulshi (dam), if you go further into the village near the lake it is a lovely place to just chill or put up a tent & fish.

(good - strange things are possible) this picture is at another place, a mosque, where beleive it or not these people (10) are lifting this boulder contributing just their index finger. it is a holy place so one will have to respect the rules.

there is also a snake park, if you are new to pune.

Shopping capital of Pune, Laxmi road is very cheap to shop. It is situated in the centre of the city and is famous all over Pune. Visit it. The roads are very narrow, so parking is a problem. So rickshaws or city buses are best way to reach here.

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This is one of the best bakery i have ever tried. everytime i go to pune i do visit this place and return with bag loads of stuff
I have become only too aware of the value of Pune’s snacks and speciality foods, and thought it was time I delved into their origins. Long before Pune became known as the ‘Pensioner’s Paradise’, the city was famous its Kayani Bakery. One of the oldest and best-known bakeries in the city, the Kayani Bakery, owned by Mr Noshir Kayani, quickly became the hot spot for Pune’s local people as well as tourists. Its products are clearly a class apart and have sold like hot cakes (pun intended) over the years, even as film stars and other high-society Mumbai-wallahs drive down to Pune to pick up Kayani’s famous Shrewsbury biscuits.
People who live in the Pune Camp area where the bakery is situated will readily narrate tales of how they queue up outside the bakery at 7 am to make sure they get these biscuits, straight from the oven! Today the biscuits, along with the other melt-in-your-mouth products like mawa cakes, have found their way to major supermarkets and airport shops in some cities of India.

the best thing they have r the shrewsberry buscuit and they are so popular that you have to queue up outside their East Street bakery early in the morning to make sure you get your fill before the day's freshly baked stock sells out. You have to patiently stand in line, struggle to get the attention of the surly guys behind the counter, and place your order. You have to be sure of what you want - coz the aforementioned surly guys don't take too kindly to dilly-dallying. You tell them what you want, and within seconds, your order is ready, you pay and leave. This is service without a smile, just clinical efficiency. Though their cold demeanour may be a turn off, one bite of Kayani's warm, buttery, shrewsbury biscuits, and all is forgiven. Over the years, imitators have sprung up, but no one can ever beat the original. you should go there before 11am or everything get finished!

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"I am not a priest, I am just a friend. I am here to explain to you how I have discovered truth. Doubt has been my own process, my own way to reach to truth. And I would like you to become more and more sharp, intelligent. Doubt more scientifically. Just as in science doubt helps you to discover, it also helps in the inward journey."
"All that you need is just to be silent and listen to existence. There is no need of any religion, there is no need of any God, there is no need of any priesthood, there is no need of any organization. I trust in the individual categorically. Nobody up to now has trusted in the individual in such a way. So all those things can be removed. Now all that is left to you is a state of meditation which simply means a state of utter silence. Even the word meditation makes it look heavier. It is better to just call it a simple, innocent silence."

Osho