Red Velvet Cake at Fat Cats Café Pune : One of the coziest cafes in Pune is the Fat cat’s Café. My friends and I visited there after we read amazing reviews on the food there. The first thing I bought was the red velvet cake as it looked mouthwatering. It lived up to its looks and the cake was gooey and light with an airy texture to it.
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The trip to the Panshet dam was very enchanting. The early morning spent amidst nature was a thrilling experience and I was feeling very refreshed. Once I was done visiting the Dam, I headed for my next location was the Lohagad Fort. The fort is located near the town of Lonavala. The fort was built during the reigns of Shivaji Maharaj and was meant to keep the prisoners. The royal Gaikwad family was also imprisoned in this fort later on. The majestic architecture of the Lohagad Fort is sure to make everyone stunned. The rustic appeal and the old charm of the Fort still reflect from everywhere. The main attraction of the fort which is worth admiration from everyone is its gigantic gates which serve as the entrance to the fort. People of the area and adjoining believe that Shivaji and the later Maratha Kings used to store all their wealth inside the fort complex. There are many visitors who throng this place on a daily basis. A lot needs to be done however by the caretakers to keep the fort in a good condition. One of the major attractions of the fort is a store house where grains used to be stored by the Kings men during the monsoons. Immense places of water storage can be found inside the temple complex. A huge Shivlinga is also present inside the fort complex. On the facade of the fort complex one can find immense paintings. There are many inscribes on the wall which tells a lot about its history and stories.
There are very good places inside the fort complex where one can click pictures. The lush green surroundings and landscapes add more beauty to the fort. It is a perfect place to spend evening and weekend with your family if you are around Lonavala or Pune. The rich architecture of the fort also speaks volume about Maratha rulers. Once done with the visit to Lohagad fort it was time to head towards my next destination after which my Pune journey ends. This place was the famous Malshej Ghat of Pune. Sinhagad Fort Pune : A visit to the Sinhagad Fort Pune is truly liberating because of its rich past history. Perched on the isolated cliff of the Sahyadri Mountains, it has natural protection by its steep slopes. I got to know that it was earlier known as Kondana Fort. Tanaji Malusare, laid his life fighting for it under Shivaji. Shivaji aptly commented “the fort is won but the lion is gone”. This is how it got its name sinha, meaning lion. Really,worth a visit according to me.
The visit to the zoological Park tired me a bit. I was hungry too and in need of an early sleep so I headed back to my hotel. The next morning I woke up early and decided to conclude my Pune trip. The first place which I decided to visit was one of the famous recreation sites located nearby Pune known as the Panshet Dam. The journey to the Dam from my hotel took a longer than I expected. The roads leading to the dam were not in good shape. The forest of the Western Ghats is located nearby. It looked a high rainfall area and only few forests were left for the villages to sustain their living. It was a perfect place for all the nature lovers as it has many important trees and the sight of eagles, snakes and kites is very common. The place just witnessed a rainfall a day back so it was a good decision on my part to wear shoes for the tight grip. I was busy taking some pictures for my camera. The place was a perfect location for nature photography. Birds which one hardly spot in the cities can can be found here roaming freely. Kids and youngsters can be seen enjoying their time.
For the adventure lovers there is adequate arrangement of speed boats, swimming, river rafting, kayoing, camping which one can enjoy. Driving and trekking around the area is too much fun. There were many people on their two wheelers who seemed to enjoy their rides. The glimpse of nature and other sights is truly enchanting. The place was quite crowded with many tourists. Still it is a must visit place for everyone in Pune to enjoy the natural beauty of the place. The place can be a perfect destination to spend a weekend away from the city life with friends and family. There are many resorts and guest houses which one can find near the dam. Trekking lovers can also go to the nearby areas. It was a nice time spent there. After this visit i was headed for my next place which was the famous Lohagad fort of Pune. The visit to the Raja Dinkar museum ended quickly. I had a lot of time to visit some other place, so I decided to spend it at some place away from the noise and hectic life of Pune amidst Nature. The best option for this as suggested to me by a friend was the Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park. The Park was opened in the year 1999 and spreads in an area of 130 acres. It is located in the Katraj area a little away from the city of Pune. The Park is divided into 3 sections. It also has a beautiful lake which is known as Katraj Lake. I was very excited when I entered the park. My camera was ready to click some pictures of the beautiful animals and birds housed there. The first section which I visited was the reptiles section. It has a huge collection of snake, some 22 different species. The chief among them was the King Cobra, 13 feet long reptiles. Besides snake there are other reptiles, turtles and birds too in this section. After the visit to the reptile section I went towards the zoo. The zoo mostly houses the mammals like white tiger, Bengal tiger, and leopard, sloth bears, barking deers, black bucks, monkeys and elephants. The star among them was Tanaji, the Bengal tiger who deals with many visitors daily. I tried to capture the beauty of this Tiger from many angles as he kept roaming here and there trying to figure out what people like me are trying to do from outside his cage.
After the visit to the birds, reptiles and animals section I went to take stroll at the lovely green park of the zoo. The time spent there was cherished by me. It was a much needed moment of peace and calm. The lovely weather was add-on. Having done with this visit I went back to my hotel to have dinner and spend the night. There were many beautiful moments captured in my camera. The next day I decided to begin my Pune trip with a visit to the Panshet Dam. Dagadusheth Halwai Ganpati Temple Pune : Aptly named after the owner traders, profession Dagadusheth Halwai Ganpati Temple Pune is dedicated to Lord Ganesh. The temple is so popular that it is visited by thousands of visitors all the year round. I felt very fortunate to be able to go there as its owner was a wrestler who was a friend of freedom fighter Lokmanya Tilak.
The taxi took me straight to my hotel Oxford Golf and Country Club. The hotel is one of the best in Pune which is known for providing excellent services to its guests and patrons. The hotel is also ideally located the Sus Road which is near to major popular tourist destinations of the city. It wasn’t more than 15 km far from the Pune Railway Station. The hotel’s building was very nice and its location was even more wonderful. Oxford Golf and Country Club Resort gives an excellent view of the golf course and the lush green surroundings. It was a perfect place for a stay and to spend time alone with oneself. The hotel staff at Oxford Golf and Country Club Resort was also very warm and hospitable and they greeted me with a smile. All my check in formalities was completed in no time and they escorted me to my room. I had booked a bedroom chalet for myself. It was quite good and beyond my expectation. All the modern amenities were present to ensure that the stay be quiet relaxing for the guests. I was very tired after an almost 24 hour train journey, so I decided to take a quick shower and have a brunch at the resort’s restaurant.
I ordered food from the room service. There are three in house restaurants in the hotel namely Harajuku specialising in Japanese cuisine, Kitsch for continental and Addah whose speciality was Indian and Maharashtrian cuisines. The restaurant specialises in all kinds of local cuisines. The hotel also had all the modern features which such as spa and salon, a modern fitness centre, banquet and meeting rooms. The corporate people can also host conferences and seminars at the resort. The services at Golf and Country Club Resort were very impressive and leave a good impression on all the people stay there. After having my food I decided to begin my travel adventures in the city of Pune. The first place which I decided to visit in the city was the renowned Aga Khan Palace. It is one of the most popular tourist destinations of the city and a must visit place for everyone travelling to Pune. Sara Baug Pune : I found Sara Baug Pune fascinating for the simple reason, that where the park is now, was once a small lake. Later it developed into a park. Children simply love it, and it is an exercisers delight. It has history attached to it, as it was built by the Peshwas. For me the connectivity was awesome as it is next to Swargate bus depot, and I got plenty of buses to get there. It was definitely within my budget.
I was completely mesmerised after the trip to Shaniwar Wada. I had read a lot about the Maratha Kings and their empire so witnessing one of their forts was a great experience for me. After this trip I went ahead with the next place in my Pune itinerary which was the Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum. The museum is a house which showcases the various collections of Dinkar Kelkar which he dedicated to his son Raja. The museum is three storey house containing various sculptures which dates back to 14th century, ornaments made from various stones like ivory, and metals like gold and silver. There is also a rich collection of the war weapons and other vessels inside the museum. It is said that Dr Dinkar started this collection from 1920 and then handed his objects to the Maharashtra Governments’ Department of Archaeology in the year 1962. The museum holds more than 20000 objects out of which 2500 are put on display for general public. Most of the items on display are the objects of everyday use from the 18th and 19th century. A visit to the museum showcases the skills and knowledge of the artists of that era. All the door frames, musical instruments, jewellery, and other paintings on display are perfect example of their art and skills. The best part of the museum for me was the Mastani Mahal. Raja Kelkar depicted this Mastani Mahal to showcase the life of Mastani, the wife of Peshwa Baji Rao I. One unique feature of the this mahal was the carving of Lord Ganesha on the seed which has his trunk on the left side which is a very rare thing as its difficult to draw or make as sculpture.
The visit to museum any museums has always been a wonderful experience for me. I enjoyed a lot and the rich collection of the knowledge and artists of 18th and 19th century thrills everyone. After this visit to the museum i thought of visiting one more place before heading for the hotel to spend the night. I decided to pay a visit to the Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park. The visit to the monuments the previous day was a thrilling experience. Pune has some mesmerising history and modern culture. This is one feature which makes the city an attractive location in India for tourists. After the visit to the Aga Khan Palace and Pataleshwar caves, I headed back to my hotel. The next day I decided to start my city tour with a visit to Shaniwar Wada. Shaniwar Wada is a very famous site in Pune and was commissioned by Peshwa Baji Rao in the year 1729. The architecture of the building seems to be completely inspired by Mughal architecture which was famous those days. The entrance to the building was amazing with a gigantic 21 feet entrance known as Mastani Darwaza. The entrance is spectacular and one of the best sights in this palace.
It is said that the security of the palace was immense with more than 275 towers having 20 to 25 soldiers on each tower guarding the palace 24 hours. A total of more than 3100 guards protected the monument from the enemies. The later Peshwas reconstructed the Shaniwar Wada seven times and completely overhauled the main building. In the year 1827 the monument caught fire and much of the artistic heritage and beauty of the palace was lost in that mysterious fire whose reasons still remains undetected. It is said that the Palace was fully decorated with beautiful stones, ornaments and other precious metals. The monument is also a fine example of the wonderful town planning of the Marathas. One can enjoy many modern features like Light and Sound effects shows, and other musicals which are organised by the caretakers of the monument. It is a wonderful place for those interested in history related to Maratha kings. The place is also a fine venue to spend few hours away from the noise and anxieties of city life. It was overall an amazing thing to visit. The pictures taken at the Fort complex were all good. After this visit I was headed for my next place of visit which was the Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum of Pune. |
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About Author.
Hello, I am Ayushi Manroa. I love travelling and have also dabbled in photography. Being a student, I mostly end up back-packing! I started this blog to record my travelogues about the amazing places that I have been to. Be it frolicking in Goa, taking a dip in the Ganges, trekking in Coorg or hitching a ride up the Western Ghats, it is all listed here along with some of my best shots. Hope you like it. Happy reading!
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