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Pu La Deshpande Park

Pu La Deshpande Park also known as Okayama Friendship Garden, the Japanese Garden, Sinhagad Road Gardens and parks in the city of Pune contribute a lot in enhancing the beauty of the city. Moreover these are the places that contain ample fresh air replete with oxygen which is a rarity otherwise in the city. This is the reason why city people come to these gardens early in the morning and fill in as much oxygen as they can so that they could spend a fresh day through and through. This is the reason why tired city souls flock to these gardens in the evenings and find a chance to relax their weary minds and limbs. Gardens in the city are important from the tourism point of view as well. In short, gardens in Pune are many and beautiful.Pu La Deshpande Udyan is one such place in Pune of immense tourist importance. The garden has played a vital role in taking the name and fame of the city to the global platform.

Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum

Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum is in Pune, Maharashtra, India. It contains the collection of Dr Dinkar G. Kelkar (1896–1990), dedicated to the memory of his only son, Raja, who died early. The three storey building houses various sculptures dating back to the 14th century. There are also ornaments made of ivory, silver and gold, musical instruments, war weapons and vessels, etc.

The collection was started around 1920 and by 1960 it contained around 15,000 objects. In 1962, Dr Kelkar handed his collection to the Department of Archaeology within the Government of Maharashtra.The museum now holds over 20,000 objects of which 2,500 are on display. These consist of mainly Indian decorative items from everyday life and other art objects, mostly from the 18th and 19th centuries. There is a particularly fine collection of musical instruments.

One interesting part of the museum is the "Mastani Mahal". Raja Kelkar made a marvellous attempt at depicting the palace of Queen Mastani (wife of King Bajirao Peshwa) with its remnants. The most beautiful piece among in the collection is the carving of lord Ganesha on the seed. The idol of lord Ganesha is shown with his trunk towards the left, which is quite rare and difficult to build or draw.

Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park

Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park commonly known as the Rajiv Gandhi Zoo, is located in Katraj near the city of Pune in India. It is managed by the Pune Municipal Corporation. The 165-acre zoo is divided into 3 parts: an animal orphanage, a snake park, and a zoo, and includes a 42-acre Katraj lake.

The zoo has been open to the public since 1999, with more than 1.3 million visitors during 2007-2008. Earlier, the animals were located at Peshwe Park inside Pune city, while the Katraj facility was primarily a snake park. Slowly the snake park became a rescue center for wild animals. Eventually the zoo was moved to Katraj and the rescue center and snake park were isolated to offer privacy to rescued animals. Peshwe Park was eventually closed down as it did not meet the needs standards of the Central Zoo Authority of India (CZAI). This zoo has good collection of reptiles, mammals & some birds.

Parvati Hill Temple

Parvati Hill Temple is a picturesque and sacred mount located in Pune. Parvati Hill Temple, believed to be built during 17th century, is an important Hindu religious destination in Pune located on top of majestic Parvati Hill. It enshrines the idols of Goddess Parvati, Lord Ganesha, Lord Vishu, Devateshwar and Lord Karthikeya. This temple was solely used for the prayers of Peshwa rulers in olden time, later it was opened to public.Steps with specialized stone architectural works of Maratha lead to the hill temple. The Parvati hill is an ideal location for trekkers. Nearby attractions include Parvati Museum enclosing old manuscripts, rare coins and weapons, Sati Monument and Vetal Chabutra.

Mulshi Lake

Mulshi Lake is primarily a tourist attraction nearby Pune. The Lake is formed in the catchments area of Mulshi dam. The Dam is a perfect spot for picnic, with scenic surrounding, unexploited Sahyadri hilly terrains, lusting green dense forests and also some ancient forts like Koraigadh and Dhangad.The dense forest around the Dam and lake offer the views of some rare wild animals and also views of variety of trees including Teak, sag, mango trees and oak. The forest cover and the lake are habitats of bird flora and many varieties colored birds can be spotted here. The Munshi Lake and dam are really charming for a nature loving visitor.

Pataleshwar Cave Temple

Pataleshwar Cave Temple a rock cut shrine dating back to 8th century, is historical temple in the middle of Jangli Maharaj Road in Shivaji Nagar Pune. The temple is made out of a single hard stone and the main deity is Pataleshwar. The temple bears massive pillars and constructed with the architectural excellence like that of Elephanta caves in Mumbai.A temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and a Nandi Mandapam adorn the entrance to the cave temple. Jangali Maharaj Temple is placed nearby. The temple is an exquisite specimen of Hindu devotion and is a religious destination worth to visit.

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June - October -> 28(°C) - Rainy
December - January -> 25(°C) - Winter

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