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The city Pune is located just 170 km away from Mumbai at an altitude of 598 km.
Pune is known as Maharashtra second city, which lies close to western ghat
mountains on the edge of Deccan plains as they stretch away to the east. Its a
cultural capital of the maratha capital.
Shivaji, the great Maratha leader, was raised in Pune, which was granted to his grandfather in 1599. Later it became the seat of power for the Brahmin Peshwa family until 1817 when it fell to the
British and became their alternative capital during the monsoon. Pune (pronounced and often spelt 'Poona') has a rather more pleasant climate than muggy Mumbai.
With fast (but full) express commuter trains connecting Pune to Mumbai in less than four hours, many people who can't afford the sky-high prices of accommodation in Mumbai commute daily between the two cities. As a result, big city influence has rubbed off on Pune, and fashion shops and fast-food outlets are constantly springing up. Pune boast a prestigious
university styling itself as the 'Oxford of the East'), and is a major industrial centre. For many western visitors, the city's major attraction is the Osho Commune International, better known as the ashram of Bhagwan Rajneesh.
Today Pune is one of the leading metros in India, with the film and television
institute of India and national defence Academy based there. It is fast becoming
one of the major hubs of industry and commerce in the country. It is also an
important commercial and educational centre with distinctive features and
characteristics of its own. The region surrounding Pune, now called Greater
Pune, includes parts of the Sahyadri Hills.
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