Ever wondered why Pune is called so? Or why the
culturally rich peths of the city are named after days of the week? Or
why Pune is characterized by narrow roads? The astonishing and fascinating
history of Pune has often been ignored and set aside. Pune isn’t limited to the
splendid Shaniwar Wada, or even to the story of the majestic Shivaji. The
Battle of Khadki, the brave Nana Phadnis, the visionary Jyotiba Phule, and the
grand Bund Garden, all have a vast and interesting history. Pune: The Queen of
Deccan by Jayamala Diddee and Samita Gupta is your perfect handbook for getting
a flavor of Pune’s history. Simple language, interesting illustrations and
absorbing facts make it impossible to put the book down once you begin reading
it.
Pune: The Queen of the Deccan takes you on the journey
to the old roads of Punewadi. You flow in the tiny stream of Nagzhari. You
witness the empty kutcha roads of Pune, attend the evening paars with
the elderly, fight battles with the Peshwas and also build Government houses in
the Cantonment. This voyage through time not only introduces you to many lesser
known facts and fables, but also completely changes the way you look at Pune.
Diddee and Gupta’s beautiful writing makes the book a
unique and engrossing read. They truly deliver a ‘tribute to the city’ and
effectively construct Pune’s urban personality. The contrast of Pune as a
cultural capital and booming industrial city has been discussed and explained
at length. The book is divided into 7 chapters, which discuss topics including peshwai,
cantonment, colonial times, metropolis, etc. The true carriers of Pune’s
history and culture, the peths have a chapter dedicated to them, which
does complete justice to the traditional wards of the city. All the chapters
are presented comprehensively and give an overall outlook of the city during
those times.
For a beginner who wishes to know more about the
history of the city, this book is a blessing. There is no point when the book
gets boring. Santosh Bhandare’s collection of photographs ensures the same. Not
just the carefully curated photographs, but also the old maps, illustrations
add to the understanding of the reader and overall connect with the book. Any
Punekar would know the Town Hall, Fergusson College, Mandai, Aga Khan Palace.
This book describes why and how they were built and how they developed
throughout the years. A description of such locations makes the book relatable
for even a common citizen of the city. The photographs of the locations from
different time periods also help the reader connect the dots of the past and
present.
The book also teaches us a lot. As we see the city
develop, we also see how the greed for more led to exploitation and destruction
of the environment. The floods, epidemics, famines across various time periods
showcase how exploitation of nature has punished us repeatedly over time. As
the book culminates, the authors also describe how they expect their city to be
in the future. Its been about ten years since the book released, and we fail to
meet most of the parameters mentioned in the book. Pune, over time, has turned
from a cradle of culture and heritage to fast-paced industrial city with
clogged roads. But is that what we wish to be? The author leaves you to ponder
upon such questions.
Pune: Queen of the Deccan brings Pune to life.
It makes an extremely successful attempt of tracing the events that have shaped
our beautiful city. The culture, architecture, evolution, challenges,
accomplishments, administration and history are all elucidated perfectly in
this amazing read. If you have been a citizen of Pune for long, or wish to know
the hidden secrets of this magnificent city, leave your Netflix or Amazon Prime
for a weekend and try reading this masterpiece! I guarantee you won’t be
disappointed
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