Pune, Bhimashankar

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Pune – December – 2022

Although the title of this blog is “Pune”, there is very little about Pune and more about a few places around Pune that we visited in December of 2022.

I had visited most of the local places of interest when I was here last in late 1980s. This time we had stayed in Kharadi, a southern suburb of Pune.

In thirty years since my last visit, Pune has grown – or rather – overgrown tremendously. And with that all the vices of a big metro growing without proper infrastructure or planning. In Pune, I would suggest you not to leave your house unless it is absolutely necessary. You will spend more time on road – or rather – at traffic junctions and in traffic jams, than at your destination.

We had travelled to Pune by self-driven car and primary aim was to visit our daughter’s house. We had decided to travel by car so as to go to a few places around Pune which we had not gone in the past.

Driving from Gandhinagar to Pune is no fun. It is more than 700 Km and takes nearly 14 hours – thanks mainly to the 60 Km stretch around Mumbai which takes 4 hrs (Ghodbunder to Pune Expressway). As we were on Pune Expressway (NE-2) after dark, we could not enjoy the famous ‘ghat’ section.

We had very little intention of going anywhere within Pune, and after this visit, even that ‘very little’ intention is also no longer there.

We visited Aga Khan Palace (20 min from Kharadi area) and Dagdu Sheth Halwai Ganesh temple. For the later, we did not risk going by own car due to traffic and parking problems. Of course, taxis or rikshaws are equally difficult to find between main city and Kharadi area.

Around Pune: Bhimashankar and Sinh Gad (Gadh).

Pune – Bhimashankar:

A full day trip. Anywhere in Maharashtra, on road average driving speed is only 30 Km per hour. Kharadi-Pune to Bhimashankar is 120 Km and takes 4 hrs. On way is the Samadhi of Sant Gnaneshwar at Alandi (30 Km, 1 hr+ from Kharadi).

We decided not to enter the Sant Gnaneshwar temple due to extreme rush.

Bhimashankar is a Jyotirlinga (one of the twelve). Entry arrangement at Bhimashankar temple is quite confusing, however, due to less rush, had good darshan. For reaching the temple, from parking area, one has to walk for about 7-8 min to the steps and climb down about 250 steps. That means climbing up 250 steps on way back. A point to be noted.

Sinha Gad(h):

Is a popular picnic place about 35 km (1 ½ hrs) from Kharadi.

It is the ruins of the one of the many forts associated with the stories of Shivaji (greater than God for Marathi people – for political reasons - obviously).

Since in democratic India, there cannot be any restriction (in terms of numbers) on entry of vehicles and people to any place – religious or historical or tourist. On weekends, this place gets very crowded from early morning. It has a very small parking area and most of the vehicles cannot enter the parking area. So, the approach road to the fort, located on a hillock, is used for parking, creating further traffic obstructions.

Even in the month of December, it was quite hot by mid-day.

Return journey from Pune to Gandhinagar via Shani Shingleshwar, Shirdi, Nashik, Trimbakeshwar and Saputara.

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