In and around Pune: Parvati hills

Pune has several monumental temples/structures which dated back to the Peshwa Empire. Parvati hills is one of them, located in the middle of the city’s population at the 2100 feet above sea level and 260 feet from the city level. We decided to pay a bike ride here instead of lazing around in the house. This time of the year is too hot to go anywhere else, so better catch up this one.

So from our place, Parvati hills area is around 24 KM. You have to go through the busiest areas of the Pune to reach here, areas where I can’t see a house with a proper parking place. Road side is the official parking here I guess. 

So after bargaining through these lanes we were riding uphill till we stopped at a point where road was further splitting. Navigator was telling to go to left, however boys standing at the corner advised for right. Now, in usual case we should have followed the navigator but given that the locality was a densely populated one with narrow lanes and small houses with teen shade on roof top, women sitting and chit-chatting at the entrance of the house while their kids were playing considering the street as backyard of the house, we suspected the navigator and better thought of going with the locals. 

After 5 mins of this, I swear to never underestimate the power of navigator. That road was leading us to downhill. We turned back to that splitting point and took the left road and we keep on driving till we see another couple asking an Auto rickshaw driver for the entrance gate of the temple. Instead of it, driver told the back door entry in the temple- “Is pahadi par chadh jaiye, kamar barabar ki deewar hai..faand k bindaas jaiye mandir me” (climb in that hillock and there is this wall of height up to your waist, cross it and go in the temple).

We parked the bike there only under a tree and climbed the hillock. The wall we found there was way more than the up to waist height. But we got a beautiful view of the city from the hillock.

Ultimately we have to make a round around the hillock and reach up to the front of the temple, where there was a gate of up to waist height. We entered the temple soberly instead of sneaking from the back.

Inside there are 3-4 temples for Nana Saheb Peshwa, for lord Vishnu and Lord Hanuman. Along with that there is one museum of the things from the Maratha era.

This museum is of particular attraction as they house everything from that era. Right from the swords, spear and knives to women’s Jewelry, palanquin, kettle drums, pots to store the water made of brass and copper, kitchen cutlery, coins and what not. 

There is a small shop in the temple premises which serve the snacks, tea coffee and cold drinks. We had the cold drink and left the place. While returning back to the parking place, we saw the main entry of the temple. A fleet of stairs from down the hillock lead up to the temple.

While coming back we stopped at the café Goodluck, another attraction in Pune for quick tea and bun maska. Café is full all the time and you have to wait some time to get the table. Otherwise if you want only tea, you will be served by a side window. They also serve the very famous Irani tea. We thought of having it but decided otherwise when was told it is black tea. Had tea and bun butter jam and left for the day.

Happy Ghumakkadi :)