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In-Depth Information
( 02114-282230; d without/with AC from ?1740/2090; )
Set off the highway, close to the
Karla-Bhaja access point, this place is much more peaceful than Lonavla. Rooms and cot-
tages are well kept, and there's a good restaurant.
Getting There & Away
Karla and Bhaja can be visited on a local bus (?15, 30 minutes) to the access point, from
where it's about a 6km return walk on each side to the two sites. But that would be ex-
hausting and hot. An autorickshaw should charge about ?500 from Lonavla for the tour,
including waiting time.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Pune
020 / POP 3.1 MILLION / ELEV 535M
Once little more than an army outpost, Pune (also pronounced 'Poona') is a city that epi-
tomises 'New India', with its baffling mix of capitalism, spiritualism, ancient and modern.
Today, it is a thriving centre of academia and business. Pune is also famous, or notorious,
globally for its number-one export: the late guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and his ashram,
the Osho International Meditation Resort.
Pune was initially given pride of place by Shivaji and the ruling Peshwas, who made it
their capital. The British took the city in 1817 and, thanks to its cool and dry climate, soon
made it the Bombay Presidency's monsoon capital. Globalisation knocked on Pune's
doors in the 1990s, following which it went in for an image overhaul. However, some
colonial-era charm was retained in a few of its old buildings and residential areas, bring-
ing about a pleasant coexistence of the old and new, which (despite the pollution and hec-
tic traffic) makes Pune a worthwhile place to explore. In September Ganesh Chaturthi
brings on a tide of festivities across the city, and provides a fantastic window for explor-
ing the city's cultural side. On a more sombre note, the fatal 2010 terrorist attack on the
German Bakery, a once favourite haunt for travellers and ashramites alike, remains a pain-
ful memory in this peace-loving city.
The city sits at the confluence of the Mutha and Mula rivers. Mahatma Gandhi (MG)
Rd, about 1km south of Pune train station, is the main commercial street. Koregaon Park,
northeast of the train station, is the destination for backpackers and pilgrims. Here you'll
find numerous hotels, restaurants, coffee shops and of course, the Osho Ashram.
