Pune (/ˈpuːnə/ POO-nə; Marathi: [ˈpuɳe] ⓘ, ISO: Puṇē), previously spelled in English as Poona (the official name until 1978),[14][15] is a city in the state of Maharashtra in the Deccan plateau in Western India.
[25] Pune was seized by the British East India Company in the Third Anglo-Maratha War; it gained municipal status in 1858, the year in which Crown rule began.
Pune was a major centre of resistance to British Raj, with people like Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Bal Gangadhar Tilak playing leading roles in struggle for Indian independence in their times.
Mughal emperor Aurangzeb renamed a small neighbourhood in central part of the old city as Muhiyabad (the only divergent naming) some time between 1703 and 1705 in memory of his great-grandson Muhi-ul-Milan, who died there.
Shahaji appointed Dadoji Konddeo to help Jijabai in the administration of Jagir and in the reconstruction of the town.The Lal Mahal residence of Jiajabai and Shivaji was completed in 1640 AD.
[45] Historian Govind Sakharam Sardesai lists 163 prominent families that held high ranks and played significant roles in politics, military, and finance in 18th century Pune.
[47] The settlement of the regiments of the 17 Poona Horse cavalry, the Lancashire Fusiliers, the Maratha Light Infantry, and others, led to an increase in the population.
The city was also a centre for social reform led by Gopal Ganesh Agarkar, Mahatma Jyotirao Phule, feminist Tarabai Shinde, Dhondo Keshav Karve and Pandita Ramabai.
[54] Savarkar used to study in Fergusson College and performed the "Holi" of foreign items near Mutha river bank [citation needed].
[65] To integrate urban planning, the Pune Metropolitan Region was defined in 1967 covering the area under PMC, the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, the three cantonments, and the surrounding villages.
[68] On 13 February 2010, a bomb exploded at the German Bakery in the upmarket Koregaon Park neighbourhood in eastern Pune, killing 17 and injuring 60.
[72] Pune has evolved greatly since Indian Independence, from notable universities, colleges and management schools, earning it the nickname of the 'Oxford Of The East', to being one of the most important automobile manufacturing hub.
[90] Since the 1990s a number of landmark integrated townships and gated communities have been developed in Pune such as Magarpatta, Nanded city, Amanora, Blue Ridge, Life Republic and Lavasa.
[93] The 2017 Annual Survey of India's City-Systems (ASICS) report, released by the Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy, adjudged Pune as the best governed of 23 major cities.
[120] These temples were commissioned by the Peshwas, who ruled the city at the time, and are dedicated to various deities including Maruti, Vithoba, Vishnu, Mahadeo, Rama, Krishna and Ganesh.
Every year in the Hindu month of Ashadh (June/July), the Paduka (symbolic sandals) of these saints are carried in a pilgrimage, the Pandharpur Vari, to meet Vithoba.
Chand Tara Masjid, located in Nana Peth, is one of the biggest and most important mosques in Pune as it is the city headquarters (markaz) for the Tablighi Jamaat.
Hazrat Babajan, identified by Meher Baba as one of the five perfect masters, has a shrine (Dargah) erected in her honour under a neem tree in Pune Camp.
The Osho International Meditation Resort, one of the world's largest spiritual centres, is located in Koregaon Park and attracts visitors from over a hundred countries.
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), owned by the central government, as well as private enterprises such as Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea are the leading telephone and cell phone service providers in the city.
[161] The Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park in Hinjawadi is a ₹ 60,000 crore (US$8.9 billion) project by the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC).
[186] The Sawai Gandharva Sangeet Mahotsav, one of the most prominent and sought-after Indian classical music festivals in India, is held in Pune every year in December.
Lokamanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak started the public celebration of the festival as a means to circumvent the colonial British government ban on Hindu gatherings through its anti-public assembly legislation in 1892.
[200][201] Changes in state government,delay or changes called for by the ministry of defence, or the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and local opposition has delayed the project by several years.But with approvals in place from relevant authorities the project is going to be making progress per a statemt made by the civil aviation minister in June 2024.
Due to the then ongoing metro construction related work and high incidences of accidents, dedicated bus lanes from Yerawda to Vimannagar were removed in 2023.
Daily express trains connect Pune to Mumbai, Nashik, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Nanded, Miraj-Sangli, Kolhapur Jaipur, Raipur, Nagpur, Visakhapatnam, Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Coimbatore, Bangalore, Allahabad, Kanpur, Howrah, Jammu Tawi, Vijayawada, Darbhanga, Goa, Gwalior, Varanasi, Bhubaneswar, Ranchi, Jalgaon, Patna, and Jamshedpur.
[212][213][214] Major highways: Once known as the "cycle city of India", Pune has experienced a rapid growth in the number of motorised two wheelers replacing the bicycle.
[254][255] Pune is home to a number of governmental and non-governmental research institutes focusing on a wide range of subject areas from the humanities to the sciences.
[262] Savitribai Phule Pune University broadcasts programmes focusing on its different departments and student welfare schemes on its own FM radio channel called Vidyavani.
[268][269] Popular games and sports in Pune include cricket, athletics, basketball, badminton, field hockey, football, tennis, kabaddi, paragliding, kho-kho, wrestling, rowing, and chess.