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| Entertainment |
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Music, Movies and Theatre |
| This city offers
opportunities for the culturally and musically inclined, food lovers and
fashion lovers. For those interested, there are discotheques and pubs in the
Cantonment area. During the summer months 'rain dances' and beauty pageants are
held regularly. Western music performances and rock shows are held throughout
the year. Such information can be found in the local dailies. Most of the
colleges here have very professionally organised annual festivals offering a
gamut of Western and Indian music competitions, fashion shows and fun games.
Also the famous Gandharva Mahotsav held here every December attracts serious
music lovers. You can hear great performers of Indian classical music at a very
nominal price. |
| Empire Cinema, Connaught Road and West End Cinema on Moledina Road both show
pulpy English language films, while West End also screens Bollywood flicks in
the afternoon. The Film and Television Institute of India, Law College Road is
known for its many famous alumni and offers more serious movies, though you
have to be a member. Nehru Memorial Hall, in the Cantonment area, and Bal
Gandharva Theater, Jangli Maharaj Road, stage performances of Indian drama,
music and dance. For more detailed listings and schedules, see the "Pune Plus"
section in The Times of India |
| Sports |
Sports lovers can rent tennis courts. Table tennis and badminton courts are
also available at the Deccan Gymkhana, Ladies Club and WIE complex. Swimming is
also frequently enjoyed here and one can buy a day or a month's pass at the S P
College swimming club or the Law College swimming club.
For water sports, you can visit Panshet Dam and try your hand at
kayaking or wind surfing at the recently developed water sports complex. There
are special facilities for speed boats and water scooters. Limited
accommodation is available. It is easily accessible from Pune. |
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Festivals |
| Ganesh Festival |
While Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated all over India, the festival is most
extravagant at Pune. Traditionally a household affair, it was converted into a
public celebration a century ago when the freedom fighter, Lokmanya Tilak, used
it to unite people during the freedom struggle. Ganesh (or Ganapati) is
after all, the remover of all obstacles - the god of luck. All through out the
10-day festival -- families and friends come together to eat modak,
the famous sweet loved by Ganesh and enjoy organised theatre, art and music
performances. At the end of the 10th day, plaster and clay images of
Ganesh, many of them six-metres high are taken by individual families and mandals
or groups and carried in huge processions to be immersed in water. The
immersion ceremony starts at around 5 pm in the afternoon on the 10th
day and for some ends around early morning of the next day. A specific route is
followed, lined with food stalls for the hungry and thirsty. Many Puneites camp
out on this route for the entire night to get a good glimpse of the idols. This
procession is the climax of the very popular Pune Festival organised by MTDC,
consisting of classical dance and music performances, folk dances, and village
festivities including bullock cart races and wrestling. |
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