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Pune, formerly called Poona, is the second largest city (after Mumbai) in the state of Maharashtra, India. According to the 2001 census provisional results, it had - according to official statistics - a population of 3.755 million in 2001. This figure includes the people residing in the city of Pimpri-Chinchwad which has historically been considered as a twin of Pune. The real population of the combined metropolitan area should be between 4.5 to 5 million in 2004. Marathi is the language of the majority of the people residing here and they call themselves 'Punekar'. 'kar' is a marathi language suffix used to denote a person belonging to the preceding village or city name. This being a metropolitan city with many English literate people, 'Puneites' is also a term commonly used to describe the people of this city, particularly in English dailies.
GeographyThe city developed on the confluence of rivers Mula and Mutha. They are the tributaries of the river Bhima which flows east rising from the Western Ghats of Maharashtra. On the south-western side of Pune is the Khadakwasla dam lake that is used to supply water to the city. Beyond that lies the historically famous Sinhagad fort which is now a major tourist attraction. HistoryThis is a historically important city. The Maratha empire was headquartered here, and the district has several hill forts along with many ancient temples. It grew in importance under the British when it housed a major cantonment town. Today, Pune is the headquarters of the Southern Command of the Indian Army. The cantonment area is still a major fixture and adds to Pune's cosmopolitan flavour. Prior to the Marathas, evidence of inhabitance comes from relics like the Kasba Ganapati, Taambdee Jogeshwaaree, Pataleshwar cave. The cave, also called Panchaleshvara caves, is situated outside the old town, but now squarely in the middle of the city, on Jungli Maharaj Road. Its sculptures date to around 700, similar in style to the much grander rock temple at Elephanta, but never completed. More importantly it is an active Hindu temple. In front of the excavation is a circular Nandi mandapam (pavilion). EconomyPune is a major industrial centre, particularly for automobile manufacturing. It is home to one of the world's largest two-wheeler manufacturers - Bajaj Auto. Tata Motors has its plant here, in a small corner of its large property. DaimlerChrysler also has an assembly line for its Mercedes Benz brand. Whirlpool has an appliance manufacturing plant near Pune. Pune also has a burgeoning software industry. Many of India's major software players such as TCS Infosys and Wipro and global majors like SAS, Avaya, Veritas Software,BMC Software have a major presence in Pune. With the construction of the six lane Mumbai-Pune_expressway, this city is now less than a three hour drive from Mumbai. EducationIt has many institutions of higher education, including the University of Pune, several colleges of Engineering (notably,the Government College of Engineering [2] (http://www.coep.org.in/),Sinhgad College of Engineering, Maharatshtra Institute of Technology, Vishwakarma Instituteof Technology among others), and Medicine ( B.J.Medical College and the Armed Forces Medical College),IUCAA (Inter University Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics) and the NCL (National Chemical Laboratory). The National Defense Academy, which trains officers of India's armed forces is located at Khadakvasla, on the outskirts of Pune. Fergusson College happens to be one of the most important colleges in this city. It was established in 1885. Students from all over India, and many African countries come to Pune for higher education, particularly engineering and management. Pune is rapidly becoming a major centre of Information Technology in India. With numerous engineering and management institutes it was once called the "Oxford of the East" by Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first and longest serving Prime Minister. CultureDuring the months of August or September each year, the city celebrates the Hindu festival of Ganesha. The festival culminates in a carnival like procession along the busy throughfares of the city. The city also has a active theater community. It is was the birth place of Meher Baba as well as the home of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. Rajneesh's Osho Ashram helps bring a very international flair to the city. Pune has been one of the centers of the neo-Buddhist revival movement begun by B. R. Ambedkar in 1956. It also hosts headquarters of the Trailokya Bauddha Mahasangha Gana, the Indian affiliate of the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order. In the month of December Pune plays host to the Sawai Gandharva music festival. Many renowned performers of Indian classical music perform through 3 consecutive evenings creating an extravaganza which is unique to this city. Places of InterestParvati Temple Important Roads
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Pune DistrictPopulation (2001): 7,224,224 Pune DivisionPune Division is one of the six divisions of Maharashtra. Pune Division is bound by Konkan Division to the west, Nashik Division to the north, Marathwada (Aurangabad Division) to the east, and the state of Karnataka to the south.
External linksOfficial Websites
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