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Pune has
been known by a plethora of sobriquets. Popular among them: Queen of
the Deccan, cultural capital of Maharashtra, pensioner's paradise
and Oxford of the East. Pune is one of the historical cities of
India with a glorious past, an innovative present and a promising
future. The Pune Municipal Corporation administers the city. Its
boundaries extend over four hundred square kilometres and it has a
population of close to four million. Thus, Pune city has been
developed into a Pune metropolitan area, just equal in area to that
of Greater Mumbai. It is located 192 km (by rail) and 160 km (by
road) from Mumbai and is 559 meters above the mean sea level. Being
surrounded by beautiful hills and the Sinhagad fort, it has a
temperate climate. Water, which is plentiful, is supplied to the
city from Panshet, Khadakvasla and Varasgaon dams --all located
about thirty kilometers from Pune. Pune is among the greenest urban
areas in the country with more than 40 per cent of its area under
green cover.
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PUNE or
Punyanagri as it is called has had a glorious past of nearly 1000
years. Pune’s history is both illustrious and romantic. The city’s
historical associations are fast woven with Shivaji Maharaj, the
Peshwas and Lokmanya Tilak. It was here, in the Lal Mahal that
Shivaji boldly attacked Aurangzeb’s uncle, Shaista Khan and won
back the lost territories. Later it was ruled by the Peshwas. When
Bajirao-I became the Peshwa, he made Pune the headquarters of the
army and the Shaniwar Wada was built. Bazaars and shopping plazas.
Palaces and ritzy hotels. Temples, mosques, churches and even a
synagogue to visit. This sprawling metropolis conjures up a myriad
images - ancient forts, ornate palaces, lush gardens, shopping
arcades, educational institutions and rolling hills. The
Ganapati
festival celebrated yearly, called the Pune Festival, has made its
mark on the tourist map of India.
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