..The Pune I love

It would be a cliche if I wrote that Pune as a city has changed a fair bit .Like every other place in the world Pune isn't immune to change though it has to be said the city is still retained its hilly charm.The trees probably have lessened to accommodate the multitude of malls springing out of every nook and cranny .Albeit one has to mention Pune has massive amounts of green to it with its ghats, quaint little parks and of course beautiful treetops.
Pune is a city which abounds in hills and forts but malls aren't far behind. Having been there a few months back the fact that malls have sprung up literally everywhere did not fail to surprise me especially if one has been going to Pune for the last twenty years.These malls cater to most sections of society.

As one flies into Pune the first thing that one sees are the ghats .The daunting sight of the ghats leaves one spellbound.The hilly scenery fills us with wonder and excitement.We get a view of nooks and crannies coloured in brown with pockets of green in it.Yeah when I think of Pune the ghats are what I envision first.Having said that one could leave the climbing to experienced mountaineers . A trip to Pune is incomplete without going hill climbing (read: the not so steep ones). Standing atop the hills we get a panoramic view of Pune.

Pune for me I suppose is a home away from home.If I was asked which city do I consider to be my hometown I'd choose Pune and Kolkata.Although I live in Kolkata Pune is never too far away .Perhaps the fact that I've spent most of my holidays there influences this thought process.Spending a insurmountable amount of Durga Pujas in Pune has done this perception no harm what so ever.

The city is also a historian's dream. Being a history student exploring forts such as Shaniwar Wada and other historical sites delighted me to no end. Any aspiring archaeologist can can look around to his or her hearts content as colleges such as Deccan college has a great collection of old ruins and fossils which are a few hundred years old.

Educational institutions like Fergusson College and Pune University are beautiful places to hang out because of the greenery one gets too see there.The grass is invariably lush and the constructions are graceful indeed .It makes for a nice get away. The Film and Television Institute of India is also a establishment of repute. The movies that I got to see there were simply out of the world .The documentaries screened would appeal to all parts of society as they were relevant.Perhaps this is why Pune is known as the Oxford of the East. Foodies would also have a good time here as the city awash with eating joints of all kinds. Indian, Continental ,Chinese you name it.

The truth be told even though one might live thousands of miles away one can't really get away from Pune as the city grows on you .

By
Indrajit - writer

And Life can be better…

There is a theory in science fiction – propagated by one of the world’s most truly visionary science fiction writer, Arthur C. Clarke –we as a human race actually strive for a much higher quality of life. So, in our hearts we know that the future is really not all that dark. Deep in the core we want ionized quality air, safer homes and a way to get much more out of life. After all why the blazes are we alive – if not for a better life!

The thing is – for the neo scientific generation – future life creates a vision of living on Mars or some other planet – with a created “superior atmosphere”. Why don’t we create the same geodynamic space here? All it needs is a well thought out combination of technology with traditional thinking!

In fact, much of the new talk that is actually being translated into new buildings - and that has actually got me quite excited. New material used in the buildings can now ensure that the temperature is always at an even keel, architectural intelligence in placing the windows in a way that allows for better cross ventilation, and using the correct planting of trees that keeps things cool –to reduce solar heat gain – now we are talking!

Then again, as the news about an unsafe world looms larger – we are looking at creating safer communities. Communities, which are just not created by the strength of watchful digital technology or smarter homes, but where the sheer joy of living where happiness resonate. That we can achieve, through a term that is now in vogue, “responsible living.”

If we actually can create a greener community where we generate less waste, monitor our pattern of consumption, define a better future for ourselves, then perhaps we have got it made.
We all know we can do better. The more adventurous will say – and quite rightly - don’t wait for the inevitable if it's something you want.

A better life cannot be, "someday we'll be able to..." or "in a few years.” Ever considered that this “better life” can be inevitable and worthwhile, and now – not later.

Why wait for this “better life?”

It is time we gave a serious thought to creating in living in better communities, harnessing the power of technology, nature and even our past to make this one life that we have so much better.

It is time to move beyond the hedonistic notion of pleasure and incorporate all that we really think is worthwhile – in the way, we choose to live.

By
Shyama Dutta










Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler. ~Albert Einstein