TOP 10 MUST VISIT PLACES IN PUNE , MAHARASHTRA , INDIA
IF YOU COME TO PUNE MAHARASHTRA PLEASE VISIT THESE PLACES
1 Shaniwar Wada Palace
A prominent historical landmark in Pune is Shaniwarwada which is considered as one of the best pune tourist places. It is a majestic fortification which was built in 1732 and during that time it was the seat of the Peshwas of the Maratha Empire and they ruled over there until 1818. After they lost control to the British East India Company, they could not use it longer. But when they were in the reign, Shaniwarwada was the centre of Indian politics in the 18th century and is one of the famous places to visit in pune with friends.
But in 1828, the fort was destroyed by a huge fire and later the remnants were transformed to become a tourist site. Shaniwarwada was a seven-storied capital building of the Peshwas and they wanted the building to be made of stone alone. However, after the completion of the ground floor, the people of Satara insisted that stone monument can be sanctioned and built only by the Shahu King, not the Peshwas.
With respect to it, the Peshwas were asked to continue the construction of the building by using only bricks. But when the British attacked, only the base floor survived while all the other floors were completely destroyed. Earlier, the fort used to accommodate around thousand people. The major buildings inside the fort are Thora Rayancha Diwankhana or the court reception hall of the eldest royal member, Naachacha Diwankhana which is the dance hall, Juna Arsa Mahal that is the Old Mirror Hall and so on. Since all the buildings were destroyed in the fire, only descriptions of the remaining areas are available currently.
The doorways were made of teak arches with ornamental teardrop teak pillars shaped like Suru trunks. Ceilings were beautified by numerous chandeliers and the floors were filled with polished marble adorned with rich Persian rugs. The walls displayed paintings depicting the Hindu epics. The top floor of the building enacted as the residence of the Peshwa and it was called Meghadambari. Among many Pune places to visit, this palace has it's own value and is a must visit location.
Entry timings: It is open on all days of the week from 08:00 am to 06:30 pm and there is a Light and Sound Show every day and the tickets for the show can be booked every day from 06:30 pm to 08:30 pm.
Entry fee: For Indian citizens, the entry fee is INR 5 and for foreign nationals, it is INR 125. For the Light and Sound Show, the ticket fee is INR 25 per person.
Location: Shaniwar Peth, Pune, Maharashtra 411030.
2 Aga Khan Palace
Yet another amazing landmark and one of the famous places to visit in Pune with friends is the Aga Khan Palace which was built by Sultan Muhammed Shah Aga Khan III in 1892. In the history of India, this palace placed itself on a prominent space as one of the biggest landmarks in India. As an act of charity, the palace existed and the Sultan who built it wanted to help the poor in the region.
The mighty monument is an important part of Pune tourism and is also considered to be a sparkling jewel in Indian history which had a close connection with the Indian freedom movement since it served as a prison for Mahatma Gandhi and his wife, his secretary, and Sarojini Naidu. Kasturba Gandhi and Mahadev Desai, the secretary died in this palace.
Archaeological Survey of India declared the palace as a monument of national importance in the year 2003. Aga Khan, the brilliant mind behind the birth of this majestic monument donated the palace to the Indian people as a mark of respect to Gandhi and his philosophy in 1969 and currently, the palace holds itself the vast collection of memories and it is a memorial on Gandhi where his ashes were kept. In the later years, the prominence of the palace started diminishing and the authorities neglected the importance of the monument and thus was becoming unattended as well.
The palace is exactly situated about 2 kilometers away from Bund Garden in Yerwada on Pune Nagar Road. The palace presents Utalian arches and a huge lawn at the front and it houses five falls. The total area in which the palace is situated in 19 acres including the lawn and other spaces.
Aga Khan Palace is one of the important places in Pune to visit which is an important archive as well that showcases the number of photos and portraits of the life of Mahatma Gandhi and other important figures of the Indian freedom struggle. It acts as the headquarters of the Gandhi National Memorial Society.
Entry timings: You can visit the palace on all days from 09:00 am to 05:30 pm.
Entry fee: For Indian nationals, the entry fee is INR 5, whereas for foreign nationals it is INR 100.
Location: Pune Nagar Road, Kalyani Nagar, Pune, Maharashtra 411014.
3 Dagdusheth Halwai Temple
A famous Ganesha temple in Pune is Shreemath Dagdusheth Halwai Temple which is a major attraction in Maharashtra. The temple is visited by thousands of pilgrims every year. The annual ten-day celebrations named Ganeshotsav is the main festival conducted at the temple when celebrities and ministers arrive to pay tribute to the Lord. The main idol is insured for a sum of Rs.10 million and it is one of the very famous places in Pune and one of the amazing places to visit in Pune with family.
Dagadusheth Halwai was the founder of the temple who was a trader, businessman and a sweet maker. He was from Karnataka and settled in Pune long ago. But his son died due to an epidemic and afterwards he and his wife fell into steep depression and to heal themselves, they were advised to build a Ganesh temple by their Guru Shri Madhavnath Maharaj.
The construction of the temple was finished in1893. The great leader Lokmanya Tilak was a contemporary of Dagdusheth and a close friend of him. He had the idea of celebrating Ganesh festival at the temple and then onwards, it became an epoch-making event. The beautiful temple has Jay and Vijay, the two sentinels made of marble attracts the millions of hearts coming to visit the temple. The temple was constructed very simply so that the idol of Ganesha can be seen from outside. The idol is huge with 7.5 feet height and 4 feet width. It was made more beautiful by adding nearly 8 kilogrammes of gold. Devotees of the temple offered money and gold regularly and heaps of coconuts are also a special offer done by the people.
Entry timings: The temple is open on all days from 06:00 am to 11:00 pm.
Entry fee: There is no entry fee to be paid to enter the temple. Special poojas and offerings may cost differently.
Location: Ganpati Bhavan, 250, Budhvar Peth, Shivaji Road, Pune, Maharashtra 411002.
4 Osho Ashram
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Osho Ashram is one of the famous tourist places in Pune located in the Koregaon Park. The founder of the ashram was Rajneesh Chandra Mohan Jain who is famous among the people as Osho Rajneesh. The ashram has got another title as Osho Commune International of Pune and it is spread across 32 acres of land. Those who are eagerly waiting to escape into the laps of peace and tranquillity will fall in love with this ashram which is existing on a land of pure serenity and greenery and it offers the much-awaited break from the hustle and bustle of the city pollution and crowd. Currently, the ashram is perhaps the most visited tourist destination after it achieved fame among the tourists coming to Pune as well.
One of the most peaceful visiting places in Pune with calm surroundings that is the major factor contributing to the exciting crowd pulling the ashram holds. Space is undoubtedly dedicated to yoga and meditation that promise the visitors a rejuvenating experience, letting the body and soul preserve the natural features of being peaceful and calm. The ashram offers a lot of training programmes of different kinds based on the visitor’s choice. The programmes are on spiritual living and stress-free lifestyle and they are conducted at regular intervals. The important ones are Osho Nadabrahma, Osho Kundalini meditation, normal meditation, Osho Nataraj, Osho dynamic meditation and so on. The ashram is promised to keep on the legacy portrayed by the great guru Osho and it teaches his concepts and ideologies to the visitors. Osho Multiversity is another part of the ashram that provides extensive methods for personal development.
There you will get knowledge of healing arts, creative arts, martial arts, esoteric sciences, Sufism and much more. Also, on every month, there will be meditation camps are conducted on second Friday that has a duration of three days. Spiritual Disneyland is the name the ashram possesses since hundreds of people come here to rediscover themselves as along with the meditation, it offers a range of multiple facilities like massages, beauty therapies, sauna, swimming pool, tennis etc. Counted as Pune best places, gardens in the Ashram are open to the public every day during morning and evening hours.
Entry timings: The ashram is open on all days from 06:00 am to 10:30 pm.
Entry fee:
-Rs.870 per person for Indians for 1 day and 2-day entry tickets.
-Rs.1790 per person for foreigners for 1 day and 2-day entry tickets.
-3 day and 4-day tickets are discounted by 15% around.
-5-day entry tickets have discounts of 25% approximately and 30-day tickets will have a discount of about 40%.
Location: 17, Koregaon Park Road, Vasani Nagar, Koregaon Park, Pune, Maharashtra 411001.
5 National Defence Academy
NDA is the sophisticated acronym of the National Defence Academy in Pune. It is the joint services academy of the Indian Armed Forces where three sections of the defence field such as the Army, the Navy and the Air Force cadets are trained together before the get pre commissioning training in the respective service academies and it is one of the famous places to visit in Pune city.
The academy is located at Khadakwasla near Pune and it is the first tri service academy in the world. Since its establishment, the cadets from the academy have led and fought in major conflicts in which the Indian Armed Forces has been called to action.
The alumni of the academy has 3 Param Vir Chakra recipients and 9 Ashoka Chakra recipients. At the end of the World War II, the then Commander in Chief of the Indian Army, Field Marshal Claude Auchinleck, after witnessing the experiences of the army during the war formed a committee to study various military academies in the world and submitted a report to the Government of India in 1946.
That committee came up with the idea of the establishment of a Joint Services Military Academy. After India got independent, the Chiefs of Staff Committee implemented the recommendations of the Auchinleck report and afterwards, the committee initiated a plan in late 1947 to establish a permanent defence academy. The foundation stone for the construction of the academy was laid in 1949 by the then Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru.
The NDA campus is situated about 17 km south west of Pune city. The administrative headquarters of the NDA, the Sudan Block is named like that in honour of the soldiers of Indian soldiers who lost their lives during the East African Campaign in Sudan. The building is a three storied one made of basalt and granite structure constructed with the famous Jodhpur red sandstone. The exterior design has a blend of arches, pillars and verandahs topped by a dome. There are a number of war relics in the campus along with an extensive library named the Vyas Library that accommodates more than 100000 printed volumes.
Entry timings: The visit to the academy is restricted to Sundays only from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm.
Entry fee: The entry to the academy is free of charge but you would need prior permission for the same. The application should be submitted a minimum 48 hours prior to the visit. Also, visitors should wear a formal dress in order to maintain the sanctity of the academy.
Location: NDA Alumni Association, National Defence Academy, PO NDA Khadakwasla, Pune-411023.
6 Explore Parvati Hill
This beautiful lush green hill is one of the prominent Pune visiting places. Not only is the place popular for trekking and escaping into nature, but is famous for its ancient Paravati Temple atop the summit. This temple, located at around 2,100 ft. above sea level, was built during the time of the Peshwas and it is one of the best places in Pune.
One of the best activities in Pune is to see the sunset from this hilltop, which is reachable after a climb of around 103 steps. There are also other temples like Devdeveshwar temple, Kartikeya temple, and Vishnu temple at the top. Don’t miss the Peshwa Museum to see pictures and exhibits about the glorious life of Peshwa rulers.
Location: Parvati Hill, Parvati Paytha, Pune, Maharashtra 411009.
Timing: The hill is open on all days from 08:00 am to 05:00 pm but the temples will be open from 05:00 am to 08:00 pm.
7 Shinde Chhatri
Shinde Chhatri is a memorial dedicated to the 18th-century military leader Mahadji Shinde and it is one of the main attraction and a well-known Pune places to visit . Mahadji Shinde served as the commander in chief of the Maratha army under the rule of Peshwas from 1760 to 1780.
The majestic representative of the Maratha rule houses a hall that marks the spot of Mahadji Shinde’s cremation on 12th February 1794. During 1794, the memorial had only one temple dedicated to Lord Shiva built by Mahadji Shinde himself and in 1965 only, a Samadhi was constructed outside the sanctum of the Shiva temple. Madhavrao Scindia was responsible for the construction of the complex along with the memorial.
The architecture of the building is the main attraction as it resembles the architectural styles used in Rajasthan along with a touch of the Anglo style which is also a reason that it is counted in best Pune tourist places. It shows a picturesque blending of two different cultures.The beauty of the building is heightened due to the presence of fine, alluring carvings. The carvings and the idols of the saints of the Shiva temple are made of yellow stone and the floor of the sanctum sanctorum is constructed using black stone.
The hall inside the structure is decorated beautifully with paintings and photographs of members of Shinde family. But it began to accommodate bad conditions as years passed but currently, its glory being recovered by painting the walls and restoring the old beauty to it. The historical identity and the architectural brilliance played on the walls of the building make it a famous Pune visiting place.
Entry timings: The building remains open on all days of the week from 06:00 am to 09:00 pm.
Entry fee: There is no entry fee to visit the landmark.
Location: Wanowrie, Pune 411001, India.
8 National War Museum
Offering an astounding getaway to commemorate the memory of brave Indian soldiers who lost their lives in the line of fire, National War Museum is one of the most amazing Pune tourist places. Engulfed by a blanket of greenery, National War Museum is the only war memorial in South Asia that was built by the contributions of common citizenry.
National War Museum is an interesting visit to appreciate the efforts of citizens in Pune in acknowledging the valour of Indian soldiers. One who visits here can get a chance to get a glimpse of a MiG-23BN which was used in the Kargil war. Another fascinating thing on display here is the replica of INS Trishul which offered its services in the India-Pakistan War of 1971 and Liberation of Goa. National War Museum offers a great trip for students and people interested in Indian defence history.
Location: Prince Of Wales Drive, Ghorpuri Lines, Dobarvadi, Ghorpadi, Pune, Maharashtra
Best Time to visit: July to March are the best months of the year for seeing this place on a trip to Pune
Entry fee: There are no entrance fees to visit here
Timings: National War Museum can be visited any day of the week from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm
9 Vishrambaug Wada
A resonating reminder of Pune’s rich cultural heritage, Vishrambaug Wada was built in 1807 as a mansion for Peshwa Bajirao of Pune. It boasts of its majestic design and architecture with cypress-shaped columns, decorated ceilings and imposing verandahs. The place can be visited during a heritage walk in Pune that is organised every Sunday and offers an entertaining musical performance to the public.
The place is replete with its historical charm and leaves a lasting impression on everyone’s mind. It is one of the most interesting Pune tourist places that will take you back to the times of Peshwa rule in the erstwhile Maratha kingdom. The place has been undergoing constant renovations and houses a post office and some other offices of Pune Municipal Corporation.
Location: RB Kumthekar Rd, Perugate, Sadashiv Peth, Pune, Maharashtra
Best Time to visit: Anytime throughout the year is great for planning a trip to Vishrambaug Wada
Entry fee: The entry fee at Vishrambaug Wada is INR 5/ USD 0.07 Per Person
Timings: Vishrambaug Wada can be visited by the tourists from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
10 Saras Baug
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One of the most scenic attractions in Pune, Saras Baug is a great place to plan a visit with your friends and family. This place is popular its beautiful 25-acre park and the famous Talyatla Ganpati temple. Dedicated to Lord Ganesha, this temple attracts a number of devotees who come here to pay their respects and seek God’s blessings. It is one of the ideal Pune tourist places if you are visiting with children or looking for a relaxed spot for picnicking in the city.
Saras Baug offers a refreshing experience as you are surrounded by a lush green landscape and indulge in various rides like giant wheels to bring out the kid in you. Another attraction of this place is the presence of a wide array of eateries which are just a delight for foodies in Pune. One can look forward to enjoying some lip-smacking dishes outside Saras Baug like pav bhaji, bhelpuri, panipuri etc.
Location: Saras Baug is located within a radius of one kilometre from Swargate bus station and 3.6 km from Pune Railway Station.
Best Time to visit: Anytime throughout the year is great for visiting Saras Baug in Pune.
Entry fee: There are no entry charges to enter Saras Baug in Pune.
Timings: The garden remains open for tourists from 9 am to 6 pm every day.
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I will surely visit these places in future with my family
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