|
Located in the heart of the city,
amidst the dissonance of the traffic, the Kasba
Ganapati holds the honour of being the first  Ganapati
of the city. Established in the year 1636 by Shivaji,
the temple was further improved by the Peshwas.
Considered the Gramdevta (the city deity),
the Ganapati got its name from its location in
the Kasba ("locality" in Marathi). And
the surrounding area came to be known as Kasba
Peth, which is important in its own right.
With diamonds studded in the
place of its eyes and a manik, a gem, studded
in its navel, the idol has a very unique and pleasing
appearance. Enclosed in silver castings, the idol
looks very bright and appealing. Though situated
in the noisy and crowded area, the temple still
gives the disciples solace and quietude.
The place is taken care of by
the Thakar family. The family devotedly and scrupulously
performs all the rites day in and day out. They
have been in this field for 15 generations!
 The
activities of the temple begin in the wee hours
of the morning. Starting off the day is Kakad
Arati, a religious recital for waking up the Ganapati
around 6 am, followed by the deity's bath. On
Sankashti and Angaarki Chaturthis, the two auspicious
days of the Hindu calendar, the deity is bathed
in Sindoor in a ritualistic bath called
the Abhyanga Snaan, after which there is
another Arati performed in praise of God
and the offerings are given.
Some more Aratis and Bhajans
occupy the evenings. The Thakars perform the last
religious services of the day by putting the God
to sleep.
-Vaishali
Deshpande
|
Pune Cantonment, very close to the Pune Race Course.
The center - stage of the garden holds a lotus pond,
which has the statue of Queen Victoria. The Empress
Garden has pretty lawns and well laid out benches
and is a hot picnic spot. A concrete stage decorated
with Warli paintings in the garden has often hosted
fashion shows and Dandiya Ras during the Navratri
festival. A nursery in one corner of the botanical
garden sells all kinds of seeds and saplings at
nominal rates. The garden has a small restaurant,
which serves snacks and cold drinks. The Empress
Garden is open on all days (except Fridays) between
8.30 am and 7 pm. Entry per person is Rs. 5. The
rate for car parking is Rs.10.
institution
where future officers of the Armed Forces are trained.
The training involves an exacting schedule of three
years before the cadets join their respective service
academies, viz.,. Indian Military Academy, Naval
Academy and Air Force Academy. All the cadets joining
the NDA after their 10+2 Examination, are trained
in the Academy for three years culminating into
graduation in B.A/B.Sc. or B. Sc. (Computer Science)
degree of Jawaharlal Nehru University. Apart from
academic training they are also trained in outdoor
skills, like Drill, PT and games. NDA has an excellent
infrastructure for all-round training of cadets.
Vast array of facilities like spacious and well-maintained
classrooms, well-
equipped
labs, two Olympic size swimming pools, a gymnasium,
32 football grounds, polo grounds, a cricket stadium
and a number of squash and tennis courts. The academic
year is divided into two terms, viz., Spring Term
(January to May ) and Autumn Term (July to December).
The must see for every visitor is the bi yearly
passing out parade, held in June and December. However
all visitors are requested to contact either the
Commandant or the Colonel - Administration before
planning a visit to the academy. 
Pataleshwar
temple. This rock cut Shiva Temple probably dates
back to the eighth century. The cool and serene
interior of the temple is a far cry from the noise
and din of the crazy street outside.
