Pune: Nostalgia

I am not that ancient to say, 'Pune was known as Punawadi when I stepped on its ground for the first time.' But The Pune in the late fifties was much different than what it is today when we decided to stay a put in Pune, as father's job in military accounts was transferable, which would have cost our education dearly. It's about 60 years now since then, and it has come to a state where you feel whether Pune has lost its identity and has become an extended suburb of Mumbai?

Parvati at its south, Khadki in the north, Camp towards east and Nal stop on the west were the boundaries then. Hingane, Hadapsar, Katraj had not become the parts of Pune and were considered villages on the outskirts. When for winter picnics we used to visit Aranyeshwar and Padmavati there was no pucca road and one had to go along the Talyatala Ganpati, below the aqueduct of Mutha's Right canal, through ankle-deep water. Thereafter it was cross country through fields to reach Aranyeshwar. For Padmavati few more fields on the feet. Much later during festive times corporation started bus services from Swargate but here too, you had to get down in the middle of now where and again walk down for a mile or so, to reach the temples. Today Big Bazaar is a bigger landmark than Padmavati and you really have to scout for the temple.

'Talyatala Ganpati' was Ganapati's shrine for the namesake in those days too. The lake surrounding it hardly had a drop of water. The road joining Mitra Mandal colony and Tilak road was just non-existent. Few arches, maybe from the Peshwa era, stood there but nobody was bothered about them as it was made dumping ground by truckers who carried debris. The bottom of the so-called lake was uneven. It had many humps those looked like pustules to me. My granny used to say they were rabbit holes but I could never see rabbits any time so I used to call it pustule land on which my mother used to reprimand me for calling names at God's land.

River Mutha had Left canal like the present Right one. It used to pass through Nal stop, Law College, Bhandarkar Institute. After taking a turn at BMCC it used to enter Ferguson College premises after making friends with Hanuman hill on the west. Thereafter it just vanished. It was said that in PuLa's time, water flew through it. But as far as I remember, the period from 1957 to 1975 it was always dry as a desert !

Maharshi Karve's Ashram at Hingane, Vitthalwadi, were picnic spots. On the way to Hingane the bus stop, Nal stop, was named after a tap connection for the locals. It was functional till late, now there is not a drop of water even for the most thirsty! Hingane Ashram today is lost in the concrete jungle. Today one has to search for it like going on a treasure hunt!

This was Pune exterior, what about Pune interior?

Settlement on the east bank of Mutha was Pune 'Proper' while on the west bank it was 'Day Jee.' short form for Deccan gymkhana. It was the citadel of Pune high brows. It was custom for these residents to say in faint nasal twang, when one had to cross the river to come on the east side, with the neck in a correct tilt and little furrow on the forehead between the brows to show annoyance with dignity,' Had gone to village side you know !' I don't know what they say today ! [ When my Mumbai friend told a South Mumbai snob belonging to the same genre that she stays in Matunga, "Not far from the town !" came the retort like a smashed shuttlecock! By her standards, we the residents of poor Ghatkopar must be aborigines from Andaman rain forests ! ]

Pune proper was ruled by 'Wada' culture and had innumerable gulleys. To reach the other end of these gulleys, used to be a Himalayan task even for the one on two feet! 'Bhau Maharajacha Bol' and 'Munjabacha Bol' of the lot were Pune's world-famous! I really wonder what relation Pune carries with this institution of gulleys. Recently I had driven my Juggernaut, i.e. SX 4 in one of these gulleys in Bibwewadi which is a brand new locality. But the roads? I had to restrain myself from uttering explicit while negotiating my car through that maze!  I really feel that Pune is still using the Peshwa yardsticks to build the roads.

" This is nothing 'Khatrud's roads are worse," he said trying to pacify me. I didn't get,
 " Khatrud?"

 " Kothrud! All Narayan Shanwar has shifted there, they are used to gulleys, allergic to bigger roads you know !" He probably did not belong to that part of the city. But point to ponder is, one Punekar saying such thing about another! It was beyond for Mumbaikar like me!

More to come