Mental Health: Let’s pay heed!

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Nothing can be ever worth to end a life for this is the most benevolent gift! Having said that, sadly, empathy is so rare and coveted in this make-believe world. "Empathy is not saying I know how you feel. Empathy is saying I want to know how you feel," says life coach Jay Shetty.
We all have mourned the sudden demise of Sushant Singh Rajput- someone who was talented, intellectual, well read, leading a life that would be aspiring to many. Then, what lead to this? This has triggered us to look deeper within ourselves, our life, and importantly, mental health.

Again, it's been proven that the biggest possession for a human being or a “thinking being” over everything else is mental peace. While we share posts and mourn the loss, we should also be aware of what impact our actions and words make on others.
We need to value and believe in ourselves especially when the odds are aplenty. Reinstate self worth, it's so important to break the bubble of negative thoughts and find hope and a reason to live. Because no matter how bad a phase, it is going to pass- we all have experienced it and have come out of it.

While everyone teaches us what life should be like and we too pursue it in some way, no one really teaches us how to live life. While there is a gargantuan canvas of social media to express our joy and show the bright colours of life, sadly there isn’t much room to show our low shades- which in fact, is more important!

That is the irony of today’s age- connected to everyone, but able to reach out to none? Why we humans cannot talk about our weaknesses? Why can’t we express our lows? Seek help?  This further underlines the need to have genuine well-wishers, friends, family- to have someone to share your most inner rooted insecurities, threats and feelings.

Above all this, we need to remember and reiterate to ourselves, first and foremost, “I am my companion.” Only you have known yourself from ever. Only you have best known your struggles, pains, sufferings and joy- you have experienced it firsthand. While we talk about commitments in all kinds of relationships, do we pay heed to this commitment to ourselves? Sometimes, it’s only you who can help you. We need to be our own saviours, own counsellors- find a solution- test what works for you, what doesn't, breathe deeply, be patient with yourself. Invest in yourself. You will only emerge stronger!

So, prioritise yourself, accept and love yourself, realize your self-worth. You are important! Jay Shetty rightly puts it that it is important to love yourself first to pass on that affection to others.

At times, it’s extremely crucial to pull yourself out of the drudgery of thoughts, obsession of irrational ideas or those beyond your reach. I know it’s easy said than done. Often, life takes us to dead ends, pinning us down with all its might, but then, we need to hunt for that one reason to continue, to hang on. We need to be so resilient within ourselves. While our own mind can be the biggest monster we know; we should learn to tame it. We need to train our minds and self to react to adversities in a positive and sustained way. So many times, we have learnt lessons ourselves. There are so many battles that only you know that you have fought and won! We have learnt from our experiences. There is more to life!

Remember this-

"The story of your life has many chapters. One bad chapter doesn’t mean it’s the end of the book.”

When Nature presses the PAUSE button

When Nature presses the PAUSE button

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2020- man went on with his job, in a hurry to reach somewhere, he has never known- possessed by greed and want, like he has always been for millennia- until unknowingly, unprecedentedly, a novel virus as tiny as 70 to 80 nanometre (a human hair is about 80000 nanometre) locked him inside his own house, shunning all his routine, developments, throwing all the administration, governments of the most powerful states in a limbo. Largely, it punctured the man’s ego, showing the most intelligent and condescending creature how diminutive he is and that he is not ‘indispensable’.

In this catastrophe, what travelled faster than the virus were myths, rumours, misconceptions, and never-ending theories. Soon, literature and movies intrigued us with doomsday works referring to the virus and the apocalypse thereby. In inclusion were ‘The Eyes of Darkness’- a 1981 novel by Dean Koontz allegedly predicting the pandemic, prediction in The Simpsons and even not spared was 16^th century French astrologer, Nostradamus. People went as far as terming it a biological warfare by China and that it was lab-made. However, an analysis has shown that there is no such evidence, and it is a product of natural evolution.

While we all know this, and a lot could be written on the various aspects of corona outbreak, I would like to choose a utopian account on this. Isn’t it an opportunity for self-reflection? To pause and look inside- to introspect what we have been pursuing all the while? To connect with one and look up to the greater power- nature! Angela Fischer, Global Peace Initiative of Women said, “When outer borders are being closed we can begin again to open up our inner borders... We can devote ourselves again to the feminine wisdom inside all of us that shows us how to communicate, to be in relationship to each other and to the inner worlds.”

1. De-cluttering and social distancing: When the world was all about networking, we wanted to be in touch with everyone- with the world around; the corona outbreak introduced ‘social distancing’ and isolation. Indeed, a way to detach yourself from the world and look within- for small things that matter. With even worship places being shut, man is learning to connect with the Supreme Being that has been inside him. It has given him an opportunity to de-clutter the materialistic possessions. Though hesitatingly, he is learning to spend quality time with family (that matters the most), enjoying without theatres, malls and restaurants and online deliveries! He is after a long-long time, learning to be minimalistic- cooking staple and eating home food, doing domestic chores and learning to be self-reliant!

2. An opportunity to do something you’ve always longed for: Often, you and me, everyone has complained of paucity of time, busy schedules for not having pursued our interests or for learning something new. This has come as a generous dividend to let you do exactly that. But as have been engineered to work on obligations, moving away and doing something of your own, on your own can also be a challenge. But then, let’s chuck the laziness and make the best of this rare opportunity.

3. Unity in Adversity: “Adversity allows us the opportunity to find out what we are capable of, to develop our strengths, and to access aspects of ourselves that we did not know existed and inner resources we didn’t know we had.”- Jennifer Lehr

This global adversity brought forth the humane face of many. People, celebrities, individuals- in their own capacity are coming forward to help the needy. A septuagenarian has been sending meals to the police even when her mess is shut, temples are helping to provide meals to the slogging doctors and hospital staff, while police are feeding the poor and hungry on streets; yet others are lining up (with the set rules) to donate blood. People took out time to laud the efforts of the community workers in unison.

Virologist Dr. Meenal Dakhave Bhosale designed the first India indigenous testing kit, giving the fastest results, just a day before her delivery!

Adversity, indeed, teaches us to be selfless, sharing and a little more caring!

4. The Earth is healing: We were too busy to pay heed to nature. But the pandemic has brought us to the realization that “Nature doesn't need people- people need nature”. While today there is no good news for us, humans, for our Mother Earth there is. The very vital ozone layer is finally healing, dolphins have made an entry into the Mumbai sea shores (apparently due to drop in fishing activity and ship movements) and finally, global pollution is seeing a decrease for the first time ever in over two decades.

While the world looks gloomy today, with deserted streets and places, we need to keep hope that things will turn better, and they will, as man has overcome many such deadly epidemics in the past. The world will be teeming with people once again; but what we need to be sure is- to take a lesson from this global crisis, stay grounded, stop taking things for granted, stay balanced and emerge wiser.

xx

Close-up with the verbivore

It was the identity of a verbivore and a statesman that I and many others carried at the back of our minds, as we stood cramped in the long line leading to the auditorium at PILF where the anxious audience awaited to have a glimpse of and hear Shashi Tharoor. He was visiting after 4 years and little did we know that we were up to knowing the man behind the political masking, the UN under secretary-general, animal activist and someone with profound philosophies and daring to withstand by them in the face of what looked like a crisis to his fizzling party.

In conversation with him was Manu Pillai, an equally impressive young historian.  

And he rightly started with what is the man who passes bills, an eloquent speaker still doing with Congress? While the audience was in splits, Tharoor in all composure quipped that the reason was his ‘principles'.

And ironically, when the author has written books like ‘Why I am a Hindu?’ supposedly siding with the saffron bastion, he defended it by saying- Hinduism cannot be the way someone advocates it, it is an individual choice, that is the core philosophy of Hinduism and the ways that one exercises can be varied. There are multiple schools of Hinduism. And he gains his ideology from the liberal thinker, one of the very first Hindu scholars, Swami Vivekananda.

Another impressive stance was him saying, “I chose a party that went close to my ideology.”

He has also been trolled for hailing BJP or the PM by his fellow Congressmen too. To this, he readily justified that political differences can well be within the country, but those end at the borders. ("We have had some really good foreign ministers from the opposition party as well," he said.) And since the PM is representing India, he would like the outsiders to respect him and the country’s flag that he is carrying.

His books describe India of the past that was more tolerant and so he wants the youth to read the book from 30 years ago to relish and feel like what India was like back then.

He also believed that had the political heavyweights kept the core ideologies of the freedom struggle at the forefront in decision making, and not the religious ones, we wouldn’t have had another Pakistan. Going further, we do not want to have a Hindu- Pakistan. That would make Jinnah happy to have divided the subcontinent on religious propaganda, he quips.

He closed by reiterating what he said to the Americans, that India is not a melting pot; but a thali of sumptuous foods in different bowls, that do not mingle but come together to give one a satisfying meal!

Anandi Gopal

आनंदी गोपाळ

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निशब्द!... काही अनुभव असतात असे, निशब्द करणारे. त्यातलाच एक म्हणजे "आनंदी गोपाळ"- विलक्षण अशा एका जोडप्याची कथा- जी आपल्याला भारावून टाकते आणि विचार करायला लावते- काय असतं या लोकांमध्ये जे पुढचा विचार करतात, माणसांच्या विचारांना बदलवतात, प्रवाहाच्या विरुद्ध जातात, क्रांती आणतात- असं काहीतरी करून दाखवतात जे पहिले कोणी केलेलं नसतं, ते घडलेलं नसतं!

हाडामासाची माणसं- तुमच्या आमच्यासारखी, त्यांना वेगळं बनवतं तर त्यांचा जिग्गर- कोणत्याही दिव्याला सामोरे जाण्याची तयारी, कशाचीही परवाह ना करता, आपला  comfort zone सोडून, तो निर्धार आणि त्याला न्याय देण्याची चिकाटी आणि अट्टहास! त्यांनी त्यांचा प्रण जपला, सगळ्यांच्या पलीकडे, स्वतःचाही, आणि स्वतःचा अंशनि अंश समर्पित केला त्या एका कार्यासाठी! आणि म्हणूनच त्यांचे नावं इतिहासात अजरामर आहे.

पण असे वागणे, जे बरोबर ते बरोबर आणि जे चूक ते चूक, हे सहज का नसावे, आज सुद्धा?

कळत, नकळत, समाजाच्या रचलेल्या व्यवस्थेला- मग ती चुकीचे असली तरी, प्रश्न न विचारता आपण मान्य करतो, ग्रांटेड घेतो. कदाचित, चूक- बरोबर, हे असंच असावं, हे समाजाने सांगण्याची गरज नाहीच आहे, परमेश्वराने प्रत्येकाला ती समज दिली आहे. बहुतेकदा, आपण accept करायला कचरतो, कारण नकळत, त्या खोकल्या विचारांनी, भीतीने आपल्या मनात घर केलेला असतं.

"लोकं काय म्हणतील?"- या विचारांनी कित्येक स्वप्नांचा बली घेतलेला असावा. पण यांनी ते करून दाखवलं- अडचणींवर, आव्हानांवर मात करत. त्या काळात जेव्हा असं करणे तर दूर, असं स्वप्न बघायचीही मुभा नव्हती.

गोपाळराव- ज्यांनी आनंदीबाईंना हे स्वप्न बघायचं बळ दिलं. समाजाच्या  बुरसटलेल्या विचारांचा कणा मोडण्यासाठी थोडा विक्षिप्तपणा गरजेचं होता, जो गोपाळरावांकडे होता. कधी कधी आव्हानं घेणं सोपं असतं, स्वप्न बघणंही, पण त्यासाठी लागणारं धारिष्ट्य, सामर्थ्य, कसरत, नेमकेपणा आणि जिद्द हे जास्त गरजेचं आणि महत्वाचं असतं. ते गोपाळरावांनी केलं- घरच्या कामांपासून ते समाजाचा तिरस्कार, अवहेलने झेलणं आणि त्याने कमजोर न पडता लढत राहणं, शेवट पर्यंत. त्यांच्या शिक्षणासाठी फिरले- कल्याण, ठाणे, कोल्हापूर, कोलकाता आणि मग अमेरिका! खूप प्रयत्नानंतरही ते आनंदीबाई बरोबर अमेरिकेला जाऊ शकत नव्हते, म्हणून तिला एकटीला पाठवले. आनंदीबाईंची तयारी बघता, जेव्हा त्यांनाही त्यांच्या धाडसाचे कुतूहल वाटले तेव्हा आनंदीबाई बोलल्या, "स्वप्न एवढं मोठं आहे, तर धाडसही मोठं ठेवायला पाहिजे ना." इथून आपण शिकलं पाहिजे.

१६ वर्ष्यांचे असताना त्या अमेरिकेला गेल्या Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania मध्ये वैदकीय शिक्षण घेतले- भारतातल्या पहिल्या, तिथे शिक्षण घेणाऱ्या. १८८६ मध्ये त्या MD झाल्या- भारतातील पहिल्या महिला डॉक्टर! कोल्हापूर मधल्या अल्बर्ट हार्वर्ड हॉस्पिटल मध्ये त्या महिला वॉर्डच्या  physician-in-charge झाल्या. पण दूर्देवी, वयाच्या २१ व्य वर्षीच टीबीमुळे त्यांचे निधन झाले.

आज, शुक्र ग्रहावरच्या एका crater ला त्यांचं नाव देण्यात आले आहे.

वैयक्तिक दुःख, डोंगराएवढे आव्हानंही त्यांचा ध्यास मोडू शकली नाही. त्यांची हिम्मत, निष्ठा पाहून सर्व काही ठेंगे वाटते. आणि एवढ्या कालांतरानेही त्या रूढी परंपरा, स्त्री हक्कांसाठीचा संघर्ष बघून मन हैरान होते, तर आपल्यातील संकीर्ण विचारांची, शंका- कुशंकेची आणि लाचारेची लाज वाटते. आज सर्व काही सुविधा असताना, जेव्ह आपण हार मानतो, स्वतःवर भरोसा वाटत नाही, तेव्हा त्यांचे उदाहरण डोळ्यासमोर ठेवायला हवे.

म्हणतात, एका यशस्वी पुरुषामागे एक स्त्री असते, पण आनंदीबाई, सावित्रीबाई फुले, रमाबाई रानाडे- यांच्या कथा जाणल्यावर लक्षात येते कि "एका यशस्वी स्त्री मागेही एक पुरुष होता!"

© प्रियांका सरोदे

Entering the bubble

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Bubbles- we all created them when young, with soap- multicoloured, floating, bouncy, they looked fascinating! Aren’t we all living in bubbles within our own lives, thoughts? We all are in some bubble or the other separated by space and time. And we enter and exit different bubbles in a single day; some significant ones in life when our life undergoes some significant transition. This could be relocation, marriage, or a major shift. Take a day-to-day example. You get up in the morning and especially if it’s a Monday, you have to drag yourself out! You don’t feel like leaving your house (your bubble). Transitions are the most challenging- leaving one bubble and entering the other. You come to office and settle in your desk, which is a bubble in itself and as time passes, you get comfortable in it.

We all live in a variety of bubbles- routine bubble (doing routine tasks), then the most interesting- the imaginative/ creative bubble (where you dream, think of things you like, plan your vacation etc.), the casual bubble- chatting, discussing with peers (social bubbles), watching a movie, entertainment and enjoying’. (Some bubbles you don’t need an effort to move into :D) ‘The lonely bubble’- you are by yourself, thinking all kinds of stuff that others cannot hear, secretive, you don’t want to be disturbed until you transcend to another bubble. Then, there is this scariest one- ‘the ignorance bubble’- you need to get out of it! You are definitely affected by the bubble you are into- like if things are positive around, you take life in good light, while in a negative bubble, things are upsetting!

It is life’s funda- keep moving or it will become stagnant- the more bubbles you explore- the more enriching your life is. Once you’re used to it and get a knack of it, you no longer want to cling to your ‘comfort zone bubble’.

Isn’t it wonderful how we transcend from one state to another, without even knowing it consciously and living through it day in and day out- enriching lives, tracing journeys, moving on in life.

Having said that, I feel there are so many bubbles we haven’t gotten into and are thus deprived of its experience. The point I am trying to make is we need to explore the other bubbles (many times we think of trying out new things, but are stopped by our apprehensions) that we don’t know- you never know what you could discover.

The idea struck, when I read about James Grant who writes under pseudonym Lee Child. He had almost hit the bottom when 40 and lost his job in Granada Studios. He chose a challenging path but rather a satisfying one for him- of writing. So far, he has published 22 thriller books, with 23^rd in the finishing process. All this when he had zero experience in writing, but created his own world, his creative bubble!

In my recent interview with Shatrujeet Nath, author of bestselling mytho-fantasy, The Vikramaditya series, he said, you will never know if you are good at a particular thing, unless you try. To elaborate on it, to excel, you first need to get exposed, i.e. “enter the bubble!”

Nelson Mandela said, “It always seems impossible unless it’s done.” Have you thought about it? There have been instances in your life- when taking up a new degree, a job, a challenging target or deal…you had apprehensions, you thought it to be impossible, difficult; but then you had no choice but to try and work on it and you succeeded! Nervousness is a part of doing new things, but what’s the fun without challenges! ‘Darr ke age solution hai!’ Just get into that environment. Yes, and of course, you have to groom yourself and encompass the skills required to get the task right! But it’s always about the first step- about entering into the bubble!

So, if you’ve been pondering over something, longing to learn a new skill, art or language- try your hand at something new, travel to a new place and explore, find your calling, enter the bubble to experience a new world in itself, to enhance your being!

The perks of social media

PC: Google images

It’s flabbergasting how social media that mushroomed somewhere in late 90’s has changed the very definition of not only communication, but the way we view, consume and react to information. Before its advent, interactions were so limited. We were to a large extent, frogs in our own wells, isolated beings. The comparison can help us chalk the drastic change social media has brought in our lives. The mesh of interlinking nets has brought the world on your screens. This has given us the freedom to experience distant realms of entertainment, information, adventure, science, art and probably everything down the sun and beyond and is the reason you are reading this post!

Probably that is why, we feel so hapless without our cell phones. Before social media, you didn't have any medium to express your opinions and views, even celebrities on screen didn't! For instance, you watch a movie or political discussion or news, but have no platform to respond and react unless you are a profound writer (not scribe) and find invitation for a newspaper column. Maybe you can just go as far as discussions at the family dining table. Facebook, Twitter has given us a mouthpiece to air our views, and no one would deny that everyone likes to be heard; cutting the controversies and over-board banter as a result of the latter. Freedom of speech, as you know, is subjective and one must know where to draw the line. Today, photos are clicked merely to be shared on social media! Life seems to be happening! Not tilting to the other side of the coin, social media, by all means, has ruled the roost, widened our perspectives, understanding, and changed the way we interact, communicate and even think! 
Today, you don’t know a thing, and Google comes to your rescue, so much so that it has become a verb itself! ‘Google it’ we say! Just imagine how ignorant would we have been had the information not reached us with this ease! Of course, there were means to find information earlier, but not always, did one have access to all the relevant materials. Today, thanks to the Search Guru, we have access to almost all the files.

International news can travel in a flick of a second, and thus newspapers and websites give us updates on global news. Overall, if we minus this digital intercommunication, our lives would definitely not be the same! As Brian Solis, digital analyst and author says, “Social media is about sociology and psychology more than technology.”
Why to go far, the exchange of ideas, women groups- the mutual learning and sharing through social media have contributed to community welfare. One of its best uses has been to garner support, expose corruption and create a people’s movement. It has redefined the use of hashtags with #MeToo etc. trending among the Twitterati.

The World Wide Web is a sea of engaging information waiting to be explored and pursued for our tastes and benefits. A little innovation, spark of an idea, can change destinies today as they did for Mark Zuckerberg and Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger's (founders of Instagram) or Dhinchak Pooja :D (pun).

But as we tread this digital path, what lies crucial is maintaining originality and not getting carried away with all the bombardments from all sorts of media. Posts should not be for the ‘sake of it’ but genuine, which of course, is a challenge in this ‘copy-paste’ world. In fact, the fear is also losing one’s own indigenous talent in the run. Practising ingenuity is the key.

Social media, if used effectively and rightly, to enhance one’s skills can create wonders!

Pune tithe kay unhe

Pune tithe kay unhe

PC: Google images

For those who didn’t get the adage, it means in the city of Pune, there can’t be any shortfall. And it’s ‘Pune’, not ‘Poona’ mind it! If you happen to mispronounce it, a proud Punekar will be prompt to correct you. Pune derives its name from ‘Punyanagari’- the confluence of two rivers (Mula and Mutha) is called ‘punya’.

From Puneri ‘pagdya’ to ‘patya’, this city has some incredible things to its credit. So why are Punekars the way they are? Let’s take a tour:

Belief and Lifestyle: A ‘Punekar’ is always right, thinks s/he knows everything, will always find sense in what s/he says, will not tolerate a word against the city and will brag about it whenever s/he finds an opportunity. It is not surprising when people say, you cannot win over a Punekar in an argument :D 
Another signature quality of Pune, which is fallacious, is shutting their businesses from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. (For the cherished afternoon nap!). It reminds me of a dialogue from the movie ‘Pune Mumbai Pune’, when the actress, while countering the hero’s statement- ‘Pune never shuts because of rains’, sarcastically says, ‘Pune shuts only due to lunch time!’. But I would slightly disagree here. With the city becoming a cosmopolitan IT hub, the custom no more stands true.

PC: Google images

Puneri patya: The arrogance is reflected here- Puneri patya. “Kindly be patient after ringing the bell; we have people in this house and not Spidermen!” Instead of ‘Do Not Spit’, the Punekar will go a little over board- “If you spit here, your patient will not be cured”, and “Only idiots to throw garbage here!”

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Wadas and forts: Pune is home to the mighty wadas and forts that speak of the legacy of the kings and Peshwas whose valour reverberates even today in powadas (ballads). Kumbhar wada, Vishrambaug wada, stand as epitomes of the city’s elite history. These dwellings built by the Marathas were palatial, adorned with stone carved pillars. They are evident of the thoughtful civilizations built in the 18^th century,  that facilitated administrative purposes. They also had some secret features which were only known to a few. Shaniwarwada (thanks to Bajirao Mastani regained significance) - was considered the prime location for the Peshwa rulers. Built by Bajirao Peshwa, it could accommodate about 1000 people. It had 5 gates- Dilli Darwaza, Mastani Darwaja (Mastani's Gate) Khidki Darwaja (Window Gate), Ganesh Darwaja (Ganesh Gate), (used by ladies at the fort to visit the nearby Kasba Ganpati temple) and Jambhul Darwaja or Narayan Darwaj.

Apart from sight-seeing, these places have a lot of interesting tales surrounding them.

Similarly the forts- Torna, Rajgad, Raigad and Sinhgad- the famous trekking spot for youngsters are the most sort-after getaways. Another reason why one must visit Sinhgad is for the famous pithla- bhakri (besan and jowar roti) offered there. The forts were built in such a way so as to prevent easy access to the enemies. Such was the precision and insight of our ancestors that they defy the high tech, modern construction techniques used today.

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Oxford of the East: Pune, rightly called the ‘Oxford of the East’ is home to premier institutes like Fergusson College, BMCC, College of Engineering, Pune (CoEP), Agriculture College, Film and Television Institute of India (FTII)and the mother of all, ‘Pune University’, which have produced gems in their respective faculty. The Deccan Society was founded by the stalwarts of the Indian freedom movement-Lokmanya Tilak, Gopal Agarkar, Vishnushastri Chiplunkar and Madhavrao Namjoshi. Apart from these, it also houses, The Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISER), The Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) and National Defence Academy (NDA). There is no wonder that students from outskirts, other states and countries come here for education. 

The Art hub: Pune is known to be an abode of the art aficionados, rightly considered the cultural capital of Maharashtra. There is are active theatre groups instrumenting with experimental and commercial theatre. Most importantly, these are appreciated by an equally receptive audience. Balgandharva, Ganesh Kala Krida Manch and others are frequented by artists and art lovers. Another attraction are the college youth festivals- a platform to showcase talents and the Pune International Film Festival. Pune also has the patronage of hosting the Purushottam and Firodiya Karandak, the most coveted prizes for grooming artists. Same is the case with music which traces a luminous legacy. Savai Gandharva being one of the remarkable music festivals of the city.

Laxmi road: It’s the most buzzing and happening road of the city. Thus, making our way through this road is a tedious task. The road stands true to its name, probably one of the richest roads of the city, owing to the shopping arenas here. The gold and silver vendors are mounted at the ‘Sonya Maruti’ chowk. From Ashtekars to Gadgils, you will find people thronging the stores on all festive occasions seeking muhurta (an auspicious occasion) to buy jewelry.

Tulshi baug: When you come here, you don’t think online shopping has made any difference to this

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ever-flourishing market. Latest fashion accessories, clothes; you name it and you’ll find here. You are certainly spoilt for choice. It is crazily crowded, and you will seldom bump into a salesperson trying to sell you apparels at his shop. And the most important thing- ladies, you can try all your bargaining skills here!  

Amid this chaos, lies a lane in tulshi baug, quiet and serene for copper items. You’ll find the best antiques and handcrafted items here.

ABC: I am not mentioning the chronology. It’s the Alpa Balwant Chowk- a paradise for book lovers! All the students, from pre-primary to PHD, belonging to all faculties of the university- be it engineering, medical or law, come to shop for their books here. Wholesale markets with a 50% return policy offer everything in a platter!

Camp: Another place to hang out is Camp. Again it’s the shoppers’ favourite destination- be it cheap roadside shopping or brands, it meets the needs of all. The clover centre shopping arcade is all-in-one centre for shopping. Eateries like Pasteurs, Marzorin and Ram Krishna, to name a few in Camp have always been a Puneite’s favourites.

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Fashion statement: The Puneri pagdi is an ideal souvenir to carry for it is a trademark of its identity. The Puneri pagadi as we know came into use by Peshwas and later by freedom fighters, like Lokmanya Tilak and reformers Mahadev Ranade. It is considered as a symbol of honour and pride. Now it can be spotted during traditional days during college festivals.

The traditional Puneri pagadi and nauvari saree can never go out of fashion; in fact they reinstate the fashion statement. Nauvaree saree is a traditional attire of the Maharashtrian woman and made of a nine yard long cloth. Exactly nine yards! We wonder today how the ladies then managed it! But the complete look- with a nauvari saree, nath (nose ornament), hair bun with veni (hair accessory), green bangles, anklets complimented with a chandrakor bindi (that of a shape of crescent moon) makes it all worth! Nothing else can make up for this traditional look.

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Foodies’ heaven: Ah! Writing about this is challenging as I already have my mouth watering for I am talking about puran poli- wheat or maida roti made with a stuffing of jaggery and dal. A hot puran poli right out of the pan with ghee over it is a favourite (and weakness) of every Puneite and you cannot be any exception. This is savoured with ‘katachi amti’ (thin tangy tempered spicy dal). 

A simple food item in the staple diet is pithla bhakri. It has reached corners of the world finding place even in the kitchens of starred hotels as it is very healthy and tasty! For foodies, Pune has Chitale, Joshi Vadewale, Vaishali for South Indian dishes, Kalyan Bhel, Bedekar Misal, Kayani Bakery for shrews berry biscuits and the famous Budhani Wafers. So, if you happen to visit Pune, you should not miss on these lip-smacking cuisines or you simply haven’t experienced Pune ;P

Ganesh Utsav: One would say Ganesh Utsav is celebrated all over, but if you want to experience the authentic one, you must visit Pune, for it was here that Lokmanya Tilak elevated the festival to a social level. It is the most awaited festival and celebrated in pomp and grandeur. The atmosphere for these 10 days is palpable with chants of Ganesha echoing in the air, decorated pandals, aartis and relishing modaks (yumm!). These are the most happening days with special celebrations and events planned throughout.

The Manache Ganpati, from the time the social festival began, are Kasba Ganapati, Tambdi Jogeshwari, Guruji Talim, Tulshibaug Ganpati and Kesariwada Ganpati. Dagdusheth is another revered and most visited temple here.

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Dhol tasha- Undoubtedly the world’s best dhol tasha is found here. Even in the age of DJs and dolbys, the resonating dhol-tasha does not fade out. The city hosts numerous dhol tasha groups consisting volunteers from all walks of life, some only for girls. Participants can be as young as 8 years and as old as 45 or more. Their dress code is usually kurta pyjama and pheta (head gear). These groups start their practice months before the Ganesh festival. These pathaks play with such invigorating energy- an amalgam of strength and devotion that you are left awestruck, mesmerized! 

Pune is one of the few cities who has retained its culture and heritage, takes pride in it, while imbibing modernism and moving ahead with time. You can experience here, the quaint, peaceful surroundings and also dynamism. It is up to you to have your own rendevous with this 'punya nagari'. This is trying to give a glimpse of the city and its characteristics, which is quite vast and diverse to sum it all up. But I hope you now agree to ‘Pune tithe kay unhe!’.