Discovering & Re-Discovering

If you have time on your hand, a group of like minded people, you have the perfect recipe for an interesting journey of discovery and re-discovery.

I leave Pune a little more richer, a little more culturally sound and a little more appreciatvie of the beautiful legacy that has been left to us.

Places/events one should not miss when they come to pune (Apart from the mandatory visit to the Malls etc.)

Sinhgad Fort

We treckked for two and a half hours to reach this fort. Now, I am not a great fan of treckking or any such activity (they don't go well with my feet which prefer stilletoes and not sports shoes), but the tapris of lemonade up the hill, the panting & gasping for breath, leaning against the rocks every 10 minutes, striking conversation with random fellow treckkers, inquiring every tapriwalla about how long is it going to take to reach the top, the dust, the grime, the sun...I will remember it for all that.
Apart from the feeling of fighting it out to reach the top, something that is another possible motivator is the local spread that you get to enjoy once inside the Fort.

GoodLuck Cafe

A landmark in the true sense of the word, so much so that the crossing where it is loacted has been named Goodluck Chowk. With a history that dates back to 1935 , it still remains one of the most popular eating joints in the city. Especially famous for its breakfast which ranges from the very English, Eggs and Bacon to the very Indian Bun-Maska. It should not come as a surprise therefore if people like me actually wake up at 6:30 to take the 7:15 bus and a 45 mins drive to reach the place and eat baked beans and toast. Totally worth it.

Chatur-shringi/Shirdi/Shani-Shingnapur

Even the most reluctant Temple -goer like yours truly should atleast once, make the trip to these Temples. Each one of them has some story that is unique about it. For example women are not allowed to worship in Shani-Shingnapur (there is an interesting story about why it is so, google it). And the houses in the villages don't have locks on the door.
Visit to Shiridi espcially during the morning aarti is the closest I have come to feeling spiritual (and that speaks a lot about the aura of the place since I am a total non-believer when it comes to puja's' and aarti's')

National Film Archives

Not really a 'touristy' place but if you want to breathe in the same air as some of the most creative brains of the country you should definitely make it a point to visit the place. You will need to go through the red tapism and the wait for collecting your passes but don't let that deter you from visiting the place atleast once.

German Bakery

Located on the very hip Koregaon park, if you want to mingle or just take a glimpse of what the hippy movement was like in the 1970s, go to German bakery. Don't expect a big sophisticated looking place rather it's a blink-and-you-miss kind of shack with a wooden board hanging on its doors which says 'German Bakery. Situated very close to the Osho asharam, (another must-go place) it is abuzz with robed and osho chappal clad firangis. A favourite amongst people of every generation. The fact that the spread at the bakery is sumptuous doesnt hurt either. Enjoy the mashed potato with vegetables or just eat a muffin and I can vouch for the fact that you would want to come back for more.

Brugge- La Chocolaterie

A recent find by our very own Aashay Manake, the place has become a hit amongst all of us. If you love chocolates (and who doesn't) this is 'the place' to go. The ambience and the service is just perfect. The girl in the shop is more than glad to explain about every chocolate and what makes each one of them so special. (Author's personal favourite is the Chocolate Ganache, highly recommended).

PIFF/Times Pune Festival

It happens every year in Jan-Feb, absoluetly a must-go if you are in Pune around that time. Pune International Film Festival is the highlight of the year. Carefully picked out movies from all over the world, it showcases the cinematic brilliance and top notch creativity under one roof. PIFF is spread across 5 days and covers almost 150 movies. Truly an experience worth having. Apart from PIFF the Festival also brings some of the most popular plays in Indian Theatre (like 'Tumhari Amrita' this year), artists, singers etc to Pune. If you are lazy you will probably not get passes since they get sold out pretty quickly.


The best part about going to all these places/events was that some part of me felt like home there.

The feeling of fighting to reach the top of a fort, the old world charm of the cafe, the subtle yet powerful creavtivity lurking in the corridors of NFAI, the oh-so-sure presence of divinity at the temples, the retro-meets-hippie-meets-chic German bakery, the pampering at the Chocolaterie or the awesome feeling you get after you have watched a movie where you don't understand the language and have to make do with the subtitles, but you just know that you have witnessed something brilliant.

Two of the most well spent years of my life, and I am glad I discovered places and events that touched me on so many levels.

And in the process of discovering any city more often than not you tend to rediscover yourself.