Tourist Attractions and Places near Pune and Mumbai

ISKCON is a wealthy organisation and it shows in their new temple recently opened (inaugurated by our president Pranab Mukherjee) in Kondhwa (Earlier got confused with Kothrud!). This one is called NVCC – New Vedic Cultural center and has grand plans. The one in Kothrud has also a Balaji temple, a replica of the Tirupati temple.

Construction is still on (as of Mid-April 2013). The temple is architecturally very beautiful and nothing has been spared to make the interiors very appealing. The central hall has huge carvings on the roof with central dome depicting Krishna and Radha. The corridors around the main hall have murals depicting various mythological stories and also many from Krishna’s upbringing.

There are three main “deities” – Sri Sri Radha Vrindavanachandra, Sri Sri Gaur Nitai & Jagannath, Baldev & Subhadra. There is also an idol of Sri Prabhupada, the founder of the ISKCON movement.

Location of the temple – See map below for route from Magarpatta.

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The darshan timings – the times when the door of the deities are open to the public are given below. The temple is also well-lit during the evening and it is a beautiful sight.

Kichdi is served free of cost through out the day. ISKCON also runs a Govinda restaurant which serves regular vegetarian fare like dosas, parathas and some sweets. The first time i went, it was during the lunch time and hence there was not much activity. The second time, i went during the late evening and darshan was on along with a bhajan. The bhajan along with the dholak and other instruments produced a mesmerizing noise. People were dancing in the central hall and it was almost a trance like situation. The energy was unbelievable and it would almost be impossible to resist the urge to dance!

On a personal note, i am not a big fan of ISKCON, because of various reasons. Anyway, the temple is a nice place to visit. Go there, enjoy the music and experience the amazing energy. Up to you, whether you want to join and become spiritually engaged with ISKCON!

written by Rajaram S

If you are looking for a break from the chaos of Pune city, then this is the place to go. Right in the middle of the city is the green haven, Chaturshringi Temple. The deity of this temple, Goddess Chaturshringi, also known as Goddess Ambareshwari, is considered to be the presiding deity of the city of Pune.

Chaturshringi literally means “four peaks”. The temple also has shrines of Durga, Laxmi, Vishnu and the miniature idols of Ashtavinayak Ganeshas along with the main shrine of Goddess Ambareshwari. During the navratri festival, the entire temple is lit up with lamps making it a wonderful sight.

Location of Chaturshringi Temple: As soon as you turn on to SB road from University road, the entrance to the temple appears on the right. Most of the time, the right turn to the temple (across the road) is blocked, so you have to go ahead and take a U-turn. There is ample parking within the temple premises. There are also few games for the kids , something like what you see in a fair. Location of the temple is shown on the map below. From the parking, you have to climb around a 100 steps to go to the main shrine. Also, a good option for a morning/evening exercise!

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You can climb further after the temple and go to the top of the hill (near the tower). From here, you get a great view of Pune city. I also found lot of birds on the top, small colourful ones. If you keep going further, you will find a trail which will take you to the other side of the hill, a short photographic walk maybe! A good place for an evening unwind and also gain some religious points in the bargain.

written by Rajaram S

If you are even slightly allergic to turmeric or the colour yellow, don’t even think about going anywhere close to Jejuri! But, it is this splash of yellow along with the red of kumkum which makes this temple a riot of colours.

Khandoba is a tribal deity (and a powerful one) and considered to be an incarnation of Lord Shiva. The temple is on a hillock originally called Jayadri and now is known as Jejuri. It is said that God manifested himself as a turmeric to a group of shepherds and hence turmeric is considered sacred at Jejuri temple.

How to go to Jejuri Temple from Pune: Jejuri is around 45 kms from Pune (Magarpatta). You have to take the sasvad road and keep going until you reach Sasvad. At sasvad, there are exits for the Balaji temple and Bhuleshwar. But, if you keep going straight, Jejuri is another 18 kms away.

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There is ample parking at the base of the hill. It seems that there are two paths to go up. The one on the back side is supposed to be longer. The way to the top from the front has around 350 steps to be climbed. But nothing much to sweat about, as you would by occupied gazing at the dozens of stalls all along the climb. All along the stairs, there are many deepmalas. It would be a great sight when all of them are lit up, have to find out when that happens. This temple is for an avatar of Shiva, so expect a big crowd on all the shiv-friendly days.

Once near the top, there is a “resting place” which also doubles as a view point. You leave your slippers here and climb a short flight of steep stairs to reach the temple.

If you are carrying an expensive camera, be extremely careful with it. Turmeric dust is very fine and if it gets into the lens (of SLRs), you are in serious trouble. In front of the main shrine, devotees throw turmeric in the air chanting the god’s name. We didn’t go into the shrine as there was a long queue that day.

The view from the top is very pleasant and would be even better with the lit deepmalas. We noticed a person who was constantly trying to collect all thew turmeric to a corner. We jokingly referred to him as a “yellow-collared worker!”

It is also said that Shivaji’s father has been in the south for a long time with Shivaji in Pune. When his father came to see him, the foothills of Jejuri was the place where Shivaji met his father. There is also a “museum” kind of setup having statues describing this meeting. In the evening light, the statues have an aura around them.

If you are the kind that loves to know the history of a place that you visit, then you should e a regular on Abhijit Rajadhyaksha’s blog. I usually take a printout of his entry and then take it with me and that helps me understand a lot more about the place without which i would just be clicking photos. For the history of Jejuri, check out his entry here.

written by Rajaram S