J
Joshi's Museum of Miniature Railway
Inside the small Soudamini Instruments factory in eastern Pune is what is claimed to be India's only miniature city, the lifelong obsession of model train…
Getty Images/Hemera
Pune
A thriving, vibrant metropolis, Pune is a centre of academia and business that epitomises ‘New India’ with its baffling mix of capitalism and spiritualism (ancient and modern). It’s also globally famous, or notorious, for an ashram, the Osho International Meditation Resort, founded by the late guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh.
Pune was initially given pride of place by Shivaji and the ruling Peshwas, who made it their capital. The British invaded 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 aesthetic was retained in a few old buildings and residential areas, bringing about a coexistence of the old and new, which (despite the pollution and hectic traffic) makes Pune a worthwhile place to explore.
Explore Pune
- JJoshi's Museum of Miniature Railway
Inside the small Soudamini Instruments factory in eastern Pune is what is claimed to be India's only miniature city, the lifelong obsession of model train…
- RRaja Dinkar Kelkar Museum
An oddball of a museum that’s one of Pune’s true delights, housing only a fraction of the 20,000-odd objects of Indian daily life painstakingly collected…
- Aga Khan Palace
The grand Aga Khan Palace is set in a peaceful wooded 6.5-hectare plot northeast of the centre. Built in 1892 by Sultan Aga Khan III, this graceful…
- OOsho Teerth Gardens
The 5-hectare Osho Teerth Gardens are a verdant escape from urban living with giant bamboo, jogging trails, a gurgling brook and smooching couples. You…
- SShaniwar Wada
The remains of this fortressed palace of the Peshwa rulers are located in the old part of the city. Built in 1732, Shaniwar Wada was destroyed by a fire…
- GGandhi National Memorial
You can peer into the room where the Mahatma Ghandi used to stay as well as gawk at photos and paintings representing moments in his extraordinary life at…
- PPataleshvara Cave Temple
The curious rock-cut Pataleshvara Cave Temple is a small and unfinished (though actively used) 8th-century temple, similar in style to the grander caves…
- JJangali Maharaj Temple
Adjacent to the Pataleshvara Cave Temple is the Jangali Maharaj Temple, dedicated to a Hindu ascetic who died here in 1818.
- TTribal Cultural Museum
About 1.5km east of the train station, this small museum showcases artefacts (jewellery, utensils, musical instruments, even black-magic accessories) from…
Top attractions
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Pune.
See
Joshi's Museum of Miniature Railway
Inside the small Soudamini Instruments factory in eastern Pune is what is claimed to be India's only miniature city, the lifelong obsession of model train…
See
Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum
An oddball of a museum that’s one of Pune’s true delights, housing only a fraction of the 20,000-odd objects of Indian daily life painstakingly collected…
See
Aga Khan Palace
The grand Aga Khan Palace is set in a peaceful wooded 6.5-hectare plot northeast of the centre. Built in 1892 by Sultan Aga Khan III, this graceful…
See
Osho Teerth Gardens
The 5-hectare Osho Teerth Gardens are a verdant escape from urban living with giant bamboo, jogging trails, a gurgling brook and smooching couples. You…
See
Shaniwar Wada
The remains of this fortressed palace of the Peshwa rulers are located in the old part of the city. Built in 1732, Shaniwar Wada was destroyed by a fire…
See
Gandhi National Memorial
You can peer into the room where the Mahatma Ghandi used to stay as well as gawk at photos and paintings representing moments in his extraordinary life at…
See
Pataleshvara Cave Temple
The curious rock-cut Pataleshvara Cave Temple is a small and unfinished (though actively used) 8th-century temple, similar in style to the grander caves…
See
Jangali Maharaj Temple
Adjacent to the Pataleshvara Cave Temple is the Jangali Maharaj Temple, dedicated to a Hindu ascetic who died here in 1818.
See
Tribal Cultural Museum
About 1.5km east of the train station, this small museum showcases artefacts (jewellery, utensils, musical instruments, even black-magic accessories) from…
Guidebooks
Learn more about Pune
Uncover the heart of travel and be inspired to see new sights with one of Lonely Planet’s in-depth, award-winning guidebooks.