In Pune For The Diwali Festival

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I was fortunate enough to be invited to stay with Indian friends whilst on my visit to this strange and unfamiliar country. After the initial culture shock of arriving in Mumbia, a place very different from anywhere I've experienced before, it was very welcoming to be in familiar company and staying with such a warm and friendly family. I worked opposite Sandeep for some time prior to leaving my job at Rubicon and we got to know each other through sharing lifts to and from work. By co-incidence Sandeep would be revisiting his home country at the time I arrived.

Pune (pronounced 'Puna') is a rapidly growing city. Its become a center for technology companies and very busy in recent years. The Traffic is now very heavy especially during rush hour but it doesn't feel as boxed in as Mumbia and therefore provides a more pleasant experience.

I met Sandeep as I came off the coach only to be whisked away by auto-rickshaw to a family gathering at an uncle's house. The following day I was invited to the ceremony for the Uncle's 8 year old son. At one time it would mark the point at which the boys would be sent off to boarding school to study and the beginnings to the process of finding him a suitable spouse. Times have changed but the ceremony is still celebrated and his hair has been shaved, he wears special clothing and a headdress of flowers, performs a worship and looks a little embarrassed as a good hundred or more people fuss over him.

Riding an auto-rickshaw through the busy streets of Pune is at first like sitting in a movie theatre watching real life. Watching everything go by from my little capsule, weaving in and out and beeping through the never ending traffic; it seems quite unreal.

There isn't actually much in Pune to attract the tourists except perhaps the famous Osho Ashram. It is a meditation resort and you can go there to find peace and tranquility if you desire. It has gardens, a swimming pool and other relaxing areas complete with a regime of Yoga, massage and various other classes designed for the spiritual and enlightened. I heard a rumour that it is possible to meet partners there for the purpose of casual sex. I don't know how true that is but the Ashram does have a positive attitude to sex and a mandatory HIV test must be undertaken by all participants during enrolment.

I took a bus tour for a day to visit some of the attractions around Pune. It was a good way to see many of the smaller sights that it would otherwise not be possible to make practical journeys. The Tribal and Cultural Museum, the Zoo, several small museums and a bird sanctuary are amongst them. The Gandi National Monument which is set in some nice gardens and the Kilak museum which has many interesting artifacts were my favourites.

On the streets of Pune the markets are hotting up in preparation for India's biggest annual event called Diwali (pronounced 'Divali'). It marks four days of celebrations and festivities. On the first day of Diwali fireworks hit the skies in a big way and on the streets it literally sounds like a war zone. The louder the bangs the better as cars and buses are sometimes swerving to avoid fireworks going off in the road. Later on in the evening the family performed the worship to the goddess of wealth to wish for a new profitable financial year. That day Sandeep's family visited a temple to worship the god Ganesh. He is the first son of Shiva and Parvati. It is said the boy Ganesh was killed by his Father in anguish and his life force restored by replacing the head with that of the first animal he saw, which was the head of an elephant.

I spent a great week in Pune with wonderful hosts eating delicious home cooked Indian food. I learned how to properly calculate the meter fare for an auto-rickshaw, how to bargin to a lesser or greater degree, learned about local cultures and customs and the best ways to get about towns. This week was very enjoyable and will set me in good stead for the rest of my time in India.

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Photos

Pune
The busy streets of Pune are actually flowing reasonably well in this slightly crooked photo taken from the bus.

Chilling out after the speed boat ride
Sandeep, Sareng and I sit down for a coolish drink after a ride on the speed boat around the dam lake.

Family Celebration
An 8 year old boy is dressed up with his head shaved in this celebration.

Gandhi National Monument
Nice architecture and gardens surround this small museum of Gandhi.

Inside a Temple
When entering a temple it is customary to take your shoes off.

Coloured Powder
Stalls selling colourful powders line the market streets. Its used to create colourful artwork by simply arranging the powder on the tiled floor of your home. A new picture for each day of Diwali.

Covered Market
Here you can buy just about any type of Fruit or Veg you need for your home cooked Thali.

Tight Market Streets
The town is alive with people buying colourful lanterns, powders, new clothing, models of Shivaji, fireworks and much more

Shivaji
During Diwali Forts are built from mud and clay in honour of Shivaji Bhonslé who was the founder of the Maratha empire in western India in 1674. He was a superb warrior and is considered a great hero in India particularly in the present-day state of Maharashtra.

Temple
Many people enter the temple to worship The Elephant God

Worshiping the Godness of Wealth
Offerings of food and money are made to the Godness

Fountains
Fountains light up the area around the apartments.

Sparkler fun
I wave around sparklers in an attempt to look cool on camera.

Fireworks over Pune
Its very difficult to capture the intensity of the fireworks raining down over the city.

Family get together
The family get together to celebrate a coming marriage.