Pune is an amazing city in the state of Maharashtra and has in store a number of tourist places. One can find historical monuments, religious places, museums, caves, parks, gardens and so many more things in this beautiful city. A metropolitan lifestyle along with so many tourist attractions makes this city a vacation spot. Pune is considered to be the cultural capital of Maharashtra. So here is a brief list of attractions that adds to the glamour and beauty of this lively city.
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Aga Khan Palace
The Aga Khan Palace was built by Sultan Muhammed Shah Aga Khan III in 1892. This palace holds a lot of importance as it served as a prison for Mahatma Gandhi, Kasturba Gandhi, Mahadev Desai and Sarojini Naidu.it was donated to the people of India as a mark to respect to Gandhi. The palace has Italian arches and huge lawns. Built over an area of 19 acres, this building has 5 halls. The palace has a number of pictures of Mahatma Gandhi and other freed fighters.
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Shivneri Fort
Shivneri Fort is a very important historical site as it is the birth place of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. It is a 17th century military fortification. The caves, rock-cut architecture and water system indicate presence of occupancy from the 1st century. This hill fort is triangle in shape and has two entrances. The fort extends up to 1 mi with seven spiral well-defended gates. There are mud walls all around the fort. A prayer hall, a tomb and a mosque are located inside the fort. The statues of Jijabai and young Shivaji have also been erected inside the fort. Other important features of the fort are the two springs that have water throughout the year.
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Lal Mahal
This famous monument is a one of the best tourist places in Pune. The original Lal Mahal which fell to ruins due to wehich a new Lal Mahal was constructed in 1988 at probably the same location. The Lal Mahal is famous for an encounter between Shivaji and Shaista Khan. The current Lal Mahal holds a collection of large size oil-paintings based on the significant events in the life of Shivaji, a statue of Rajmata Jijabai, a carving depicting Shivaji using a gold plough along with Dadoji Konddeo and Jijabai, a fiber model of Raigad with horsemen and a huge map of Maharashtra indicating the forts of Shivaji.
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Shaniwar Wada
Shaniwar Wada is an 18th century fortification which acted as a seat of the Peshwa rulers of the Maratha Empire until the 1818. It was built in 1786. Teak from the jungles of Junnar, stones form Chinchwad and lime from Jejuri were brought for the completion of this royal fort. At present the fortification wall has five gateways and nine bastion towers, enclosing a garden complex with the foundations of the original buildings.
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Shinde Chhatri
Shinde Chhatri is dedicated to 18th century military leader Mahadji Shinde who served as the commander-in-chief of the Maratha army under the Peshwasfrom 1760 to 1780. The foundation of this building was laid in 1794. The building has three floors with beautiful and huge Iron Gate entrance. The interiors have intricate carving on the walls that represents the architecture of Rajasthan. In 1794, only a Shiva temple built by Mahadji Shinde was a part of the complex but in 1965, a Samadhi of him was constructed outside the chamber of the Shiva temple.
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The Empress Garden
The Empress Garden is spread over 39 acres of land and is home to a number of exotic and rare plants and trees. This beautiful botanical garden is a wonderful picnic spot. The garden has a number of shrubs like Acalypha God-Seffiana, Acalypha Hispida, Abutilon Hybridum and others. The garden has trees of many types such as the bottle brush or Callistemon Citrinus, Cassia Fistula, Cananga-Odorata, Brownea-Ariza, Delonix Regia, Cassia Lan-castri, Baikiaea Insignis and Sa-raca.
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Peshwa Udyan
Peshwa Udyan is one of the most popular tourist places of Pune. When the Talayatala Ganpati temple was established the sand that was dug out of the lake was kept in a huge heap nearby. The Peshwas planted trees on this place. Later, the Pune Municipal Corporation constructed a garden and a zoo in this place. There are also provisions for some animal rides and boating. This is a great relaxing as well as picnic spot for the young and the old.
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Omkareshwar Temple
Constructed between 1740- 1760, this ancient Shiva Temple is situated on the banks of river Mutha. It has an impressive gateway with a music hall over it. In the centre of the courtyard is a shrine of Nandi facing the temple. The courtyard is surrounded by small rooms that are inhabited by priests. The ceiling of the temple is divided into nine domes. The interior of the temple is adorned with a number of niches and a few arches.
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Pataleshwar Cave Temple
Pataleshwar Cave Temple is an 8th century rock cut temple that was built during the rule of Rashtrakutas. The temple is made of basalt and is dedicated to Shiva. There is a sanctum on each side of the temple. There small rooms have linga, symbolic of Shiva, inside them. Inside In front of the cave is a circular Nandi mandapa that is supported by square pillars. There is a brass temple bell that hangs outside the basalt entryway.
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Parvati Hill Temple
Parvati Hill is a hillock on Pune that has a Parvati Temple on the top. The temple has a historical importance and offers the most beautiful views of the neighboring areas. The hill has 103 steps that lead to the temple. This temple premises has 5 temples namely Devdeveshwara temple made of blackstone, Kartikey Temple, Vishnu Temple, Vitthal Temple and Rama Temple. The Peshwa Museum and the samadhi of Balaji Baji Rao is also situated here.
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Katraj Snake Park
Katraj Snake Park houses a wide variety of snakes and other reptiles. Information about snakes with pictures is displayed in a library within the park. Festivals and programs are held to spread awareness about the snakes. Recently a zoo was also established in this park to attract more and more people. The park is one of the most important tourist places in Pune as it attracts people of all ages.
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Splash Mountain Water Park
Splash Mountain Water Park is an amusement park that attracts a large number of people. Spread over an area of 15 acres, the water park has 28 types of rides. Dark Cave, Multi Lane, Lazy River, Rain Dance Ride and Wave Pool are some of the most famous rides of at this place. The park also offers superb facilities so that you enjoy your day without any worries. The park is famous among people of all age groups.
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Pu La Deshpande Udyan
Pune-Okayama Friendship Garden or Pu La Deshpande Udyan is a garden located on Sinhagad Road. The structure and design of the garden has been influenced by 300 years old Okayama’s Kōraku-en Garden in Japan. The sprawling green grass and beautiful colorful flowers along with the mesmerizing landscape make Pu La Deshpande Udyan one of the best places to visit in Pune.
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National War Museum
National War Museum was built in 1997 as a memorial for all those soldiers who laid their lives for the country. It is made up of pillars and spreads across 25 feet of land. The major attraction of the museum is MIG 23 BN Jet Fighter which was used during the Kargil War. The museum displays arms, uniforms and personal mementos which were given as a Scottish contribution to the British Army.
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National Film Archive Museum
National Film Archive Museum was established in 1964 with the objective of tracing, acquiring and preserving the heritage of Indian cinema; classifying, documenting data and undertaking research relating to films and for acting as a centre for the dissemination of film culture. The museum has over 10,000 films, over 10,000 books, over 10,000 film scripts, and over 50,000 photographs. It also organizes film teaching scheme comprising of long and short term Film Appreciation courses conducted in collaboration with the Film and Television Institute of India.
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Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum
Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum is a very important museum in Pune and contains the collection of Dr. Dinkar G. Kelkar dedicated to the memory of his only son, Raja. Sculptures dating back to the 14th century along with ornaments made of ivory, silver and gold, musical instruments, war weapons and vessels are found in this place. The museum now holds over 20,000 objects of which 2,500 are on display. The door frames, vessels, ornaments, musical instruments, paintings and carvings are some of the best attractions of this museum.
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Darshan Museum
Darshan Museum is dedicated to the noted Sindhi Saint and scholar, Sadhu T. L. Vaswani. It is built on a space of 10000 sq. feet. The museum takes you on a journey of the life and events of Sadhu Vaswani through a series of audio, video and multimedia presentations. Real life mannequins, graphic panels, holographic screens, interactive, audio-visual material, films, have been used to make this museum technologically advanced and effective.
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Khadakwasla
Khadakwasla is a dam on the Mutha River 20 km from the city of Pune. It is the most important source of water for the city. This dam was originally built in 1879. Sinhagad Fort and the twin dams of Panshet and Varasgaon lie close to this place. Peacock Bay, Kudje village, and Neelkanteshwar, located near Bahuli village just past Kudje are some of the most important attractions around this place.
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