India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (82 page)

VISITOR INFORMATION & TRAVEL AGENCIES
The fascinating Osho website (
www.osho.com
) offers all you need to know about the Meditation Resort. If you’re curious about the Meditation Resort but unsure about whether or not to sign up, you can join one of two daily “silence tours,” which take you around the campus and provide useful information about what to expect; the brief tours kick off at 9am and 2pm and cost just Rs 10 (this is the only way to see the resort without taking an AIDS test). If your interest is in the city itself, you could approach the
Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation
(
020/2612-6867
), which has satellite counters at the airport and railway station; they’re not a whole heap of help, however, so rather speak to locals, staff at the resort, or your hotel concierge.
K.K. Travels
(
020/2436-3399
or -0099;
www.kktravels.com
) has a counter at the Osho Resort and can handle arrangements for airport pickups (Rs 600), local sightseeing, and any onward travel (a shared taxi to or from Mumbai airport costs Rs 650 either way).
Another agency you can approach is
TC Travel & Services
(210/211 Metro House, Mangaldas Rd.;
020/6400-8216
).

GETTING AROUND
If you’re based at the Osho Resort, you’ll probably be happy to stay in the vicinity of the meditation compound, and there’s plenty to do within walking distance of the resort. Auto-rickshaws congregate near the resort entrance and are ubiquitous throughout the city; most will use their meters without having to be asked, others will happily offer you an “as you like” fare deal (in which you pay what you feel the driver’s time, effort, and fuel have been worth; be fair).
Pune Municipal Transport runs daily
sightseeing tours,
which you can book at the Pune Railway Station
(
020/3293-0008
); they’re unspectacular, but a mere Rs 152 gets you a seat on the A/C bus.

WHAT TO SEE & DO IN PUNE

With the city’s rapid expansion as a major industrial hub, many visitors (including large numbers of foreign businesspeople) tend not to venture far from the green, upmarket suburb of Koregaon Park. Situated around 30 minutes northwest of Pune’s historic heart, this is also where hundreds of Osho devotees congregate around the Westernized cafes and restaurants in the immediate vicinity of the meditation resort they’ve come to experience. While the Osho Resort is surely the central reason for visiting, the historic Old City is architecturally and culturally fascinating enough to hold your attention for a while, and it’s also where you’ll discover one of India’s most intriguing museums. You can take in the best of the city’s “other” sights in one morning, and finish off with lunch in a traditional Maharashtrian diner (see “Where to Dine,” later), before heading back to the resort for more earnest introspection. While here, do drop by the colorful
Mahatma Phule Market
where orderly rows of fruit and vegetable stalls operate in a Victorian-era warehouse. You may also want to explore some of the streets and laneways around the market—many of the haveli-style buildings are architecturally intriguing, and a total contrast to the lavish modernism in Koregaon Park.

En route to the market, you’ll probably pass the looming walls of
Shaniwarwada Palace
(Rs 100; Wed–Mon 8am–6pm)
established here by the Peshwa rulers in the eighteenth century; no need to stop, though, since the palace itself has long been in complete ruin—the highlight being the views from the ramparts. If you are interested in learning more about the history of the city and the palace, you can check out the
sound and light show
that’s staged here most evening (Rs 25; Wed–Mon 8–9pm) and gives some insight into the impact that Maharashtrian hero Shivaji had on the region. The palace is just a short distance from one of Pune’s most beloved religious icons, a statue of Ganesha, the popular elephant-headed god. The basic little temple, no more than a roof over the venerated deity idol, is known as
Shrimant Dagdu Sheth Halwai Ganpati Mandir
(Budhwar Peth),
considered one of the most important temples in India, despite being a fairly recent construction. Ganesh, who is believed to be the god who can make wishes come true (believers whisper their desires into the ear of the rat upon which Ganesha rides), gets especially intense attention during the annual Ganesh festival, and each night a lovely
arti
ceremony is held here, attended by many devotees.

A short rickshaw ride from the market brings you to the intriguing
Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum
(see below), which is one museum you shouldn’t miss. Afterwards, you can visit one of Pune’s prettiest buildings, the delicate-looking
Shinde Chhatri
(
020/2685-2141;
Rs 2; daily 9am–6pm), located south of the race course in Wanowrie. This gorgeous cenotaph inters the
samadhi
(memorial) of the great Maratha warrior, Mahadji Shinde, whose descendants, the Scindias, are the royal family of Gwalior . The vessels at the feet of the warrior’s silver likeness are used in a daily
puja
ceremony, performed in the morning. If, after your city visit, you’re keen on a bit more culture, stop off at the
Tribal Museum
(28 Queens Garden), which curates objects, icons and handicrafts associated with Maharashtra’s tribal communities; photographic displays provide some anthropological insight into their lives.