Day 3 – 3 December 2024, Tuesday
I woke up naturally at 5:30am this morning because my body clock was still quite attuned to Singapore timing, which is 2½ hours ahead. UJ made me coffee and we had a light breakfast of biscuits while sitting at the terrace. We watched the sky get brighter as we chatted and chilled. At 6:45am, we left home and drove to Parvati Hill.
The drive took slightly less than 15 minutes but we had trouble finding a parking spot so we circled for a couple of rounds before settling on a safe spot. In Pune, there is hardly any proper streetside parking or car parks so most people just park their vehicles anywhere by the roadside as long as it does not obstruct traffic. It also means that parking is free.
At 640 metres above sea level, Parvati Hill is the second highest point in Pune city after Vetal Hill (800 metres). At the top of the hill is a complex of five temples – Devdeveshwar (comprising Parvati and Shiva Temples), Kartikeya, Vishnu, Vitthal and Rama Temples. Many people come here to receive blessings from Goddess Parvati, Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu.
There are 103 steps to the top of the hill. The steps were quite wide and sloping but they were properly paved so it wasn’t too difficult. We started climbing at 7:05am and reached the top about six minutes later. Along the way, we encountered many locals of all ages who were here for their morning brisk walking and static exercises. We saw a bunch of guys who were part of a fitness group and were having a training session. We walked past them as they sprinted up the final section, panting as they conquered the last remaining steps.
At the top of the hill was the main temple, Devdeveshwar. There was an observation point in front of the temple, offering a panoramic view of Pune. However, it was a foggy day (actually smoggy would be more accurate) so there wasn’t much of a view. The temperature was 21 degrees C, which made it quite cooling.
We went in to the temple for a look. The dull yellow and brick red colour scheme, together with the numerous onion-shaped domes and turrets reminded me of the whimsical Saint Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow, Russia. There were few other visitors to the temple; apparently, most of the locals came to Parvati Hill for their morning exercise rather than for worship, so they hung around outside the temple.
There is also a Peshwa Museum here, and an equestrian statue of Balaji Baji Rao, the 8th Peshwa of the Maratha Confederacy. The Peshwas were the chief ministers of the Maratha Confederacy and they were the rulers of the Maratha empire in the 17th and 18th centuries. Pune was the capital of the peshwas and the temple complex at Parvati Hill was built by Balaji Baji Rao.
We visited the other temples and walked around the hilltop for a while before descending. In all, we spent about 45 minutes at Parvati Hill. UJ and GJ had not been here for many years so they also enjoyed the opportunity to reminisce and discover what has changed since their last visit. We went home and had a cup of tea before heading out again at 8:45am for breakfast.
UJ wanted me to try another of Pune’s specialties, Misal. The first place we went was open but the food was not ready till another 20 minutes so UJ decided to find another restaurant instead. After driving around, he found one called Jogeshwari Misal at Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak Road and we went for it.
Like Pav Bhaji (which I tried yesterday), Misal is another typical Maharashtrian dish. The vegetarian dish is eaten for breakfast or as a midday snack and it is very popular because it is easy to make, relatively cheap and has good nutritional value.
The ingredients of Misal are matki usal (sprouted moth beans), farsan (salty snacks made from gram flour), dahi (curd), onion, lime, coriander leaves and most importantly, rassa (curry gravy). Rassa is an onion, tomato, ginger, and garlic-based curry tempered with mustard seeds and spiced with turmeric, red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and garam masala. In other words, rassa is a potent mix of spices. You can control your level of spiciness by varying the amount of rassa you pour into your mix of ingredients.
Misal is also served with Pav, a soft and fluffy bun, just like Pav Bhaji. UJ ordered the “deluxe set” for me, which also included a gulab jamun (a sweet, round confectionary) and solkadhi (a slightly tangy and sour yoghurt drink). The rassa was really spicy but it was super shiok. I had to blow my nose several times but UJ said that is meant to happen if you eat Misal. To temper the spiciness, UJ asked me to drink the solkadhi, which does help to quell the spiciness momentarily.
The best way to eat Misal is by using your hands to tear the Pav into small pieces and grab the ingredients. On this trip, I learned to use my hands to eat rice and other foods. It just tastes better somehow. The Misal was so yummy I finished everything. Glad I tried a famous Pune dish and survived its spiciness!
After the fiery breakfast, we went back home and I took a nap. It was supposed to be a short one but I ended up sleeping till 11:30am. As we were both tired, GJ and I rested for a bit longer before leaving home at noon. UJ went to work so he didn’t join us for the afternoon programme, a visit to Aga Khan Palace.
To get to Aga Khan Palace, we first took the Metro from Nal Stop and alighted at Kalyani Nagar station. GJ bought paper tickets and it cost Rs 25 (S$0.41). The ride took 26 minutes and we alighted at 12:39pm. The Metro is comfortable because it is air-conditioned and very clean. However, you sit on a long metal bench and there are no seat markings or boundaries, so there is no fixed number of people who can sit on the bench.
The bench I was seated on was already fully occupied (or what I would consider full) but a guy squeezed in to sit between me and my neighbor without asking. As a result, we became shoulder to shoulder, which was quite awkward. I think the concept of personal space is not so common here. I also noticed that there are no priority or reserved seats on the train for seniors or pregnant women, and no one offered their seats. Maybe it’s because the Pune Metro is still new (it began operation in March 2022) so it will take a while for train etiquette to develop.
After getting off at Kalyani Nagar station, we had to take an Auto to Aga Khan Palace. There were many Autos waiting outside the Metro station but all the drivers refused to use the meter; they preferred to negotiate the fare. In the end, we paid a driver Rs 50 for the five-minute ride.
The entrance fee for Aga Khan Palace is Rs 300 (S$4.95) for foreigners and Rs 25 for locals. We started our visit at 12:55pm and spent 50 minutes touring the place. After passing through the entrance gates, we walked a short distance and reached the beautiful palace building.
Aga Khan Palace was built in 1892 by the third Aga Khan, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah, who was the 48th hereditary Imam (spiritual leader) of the Shia Ismaili Muslims. Aga Khan built the palace as a charity project to help the poor by offering them full wages. Construction took five years and the palace was built in the Indo-Saracenic style, with graceful arches, marble floors and a portico.
The palace is also significant for being the place where Mahatma Gandhi, his wife Kasturba and his secretary Mahadev Desai were interred under house arrest for two years during World War II. Gandhi survived the ordeal but his wife and secretary died here. Their ashes, together with a small amount of Gandhi’s ashes, are kept at the Samadhi within the palace grounds.
The palace rooms have been converted into a museum showcasing important moments of Gandhi’s life, the story of India’s involvement in the war, and Gandhi’s fight for the Quit India Movement. Each room was filled with information panels, historic photographs, wax figures and sculptures.
After touring the galleries, we visited the Samadhi, which is located in a quiet area near the palace building. Samadhi refers to a temple, shrine or memorial commemorating the dead, like a tomb. The three marble samadhis are enclosed in a walled complex with white marble flooring, a fitting resting place for Gandhi, his wife and secretary. It was an enlightening visit and I began to understand better India’s views towards the British colonisation of their country.
After completing our Aga Khan Palace visit, we took another Auto back to Kalyani Nagar station and hopped on the Metro for the ride back to Nal Stop, arriving at 2:30pm. We managed to squeeze in another tea break before leaving home again at 3:45pm. There’s always time for tea! This time, it was with UJ as well as we were going to their forest home to stay one night there.
It was like a road trip for me because UJ and GJ’s forest home is located on the outskirts of Pune city and we had to drive there. Traffic wasn’t too bad so it took us under an hour to get there. The further away we moved from the city, the less congested it became. The scenery got better too as dilapidated buildings were replaced by green mountain slopes. Eventually, the road became smaller as we climbed up a hill. After passing through a gate, we continued our uphill climb and the road turned into a gravel track.
Shortly after, we stopped and I alighted because UJ and GJ were “handing me over” to Dr J and VJ, who also have a forest home here. They are practically neighbours, with their homes less than five minutes apart on foot. The plan was for me to visit Dr J and VJ’s home in the afternoon before we all go over to UJ and GJ’s home later in the evening for dinner. So, I hopped into Dr J and VJ’s car and for the short ride to their home. It was like a secret transaction handover, so fun!
Dr J and VJ’s forest home was a simple bungalow nestled among lush greenery. They had a huge garden where they planted a huge variety of vegetables and fruit trees, all grown organically, of course. Dr J and VJ were like proud parents as they gave me a tour of their garden. They showed me their vegetable plot, with crops like turnip, sweet potato, spring onion, tomato and lady’s fingers. We then moved over to see the bigger plants and trees, like coffee, lemon, tamarind, chiku, banana, mango and more.
Most of us living in Singapore don’t have the luxury of having a garden in our backyard, so it was fascinating for me to see so many edibles planted here. I love the idea of having a garden to tend to, and being able to harvest the fruits of your labour. We even harvested some sweet potatoes for our BBQ at UJ and GJ’s place later.
After the garden tour, Dr J and VJ brought me into their house. It was very cosy and I can totally understand why they come here during the weekends to relax and unwind. It was so tranquil there. Only the sound of birds chirping could be heard, without any of the usual traffic and honking noise in the city. It was a perfect place to engage in artistic pursuits, be it painting, writing, composing or reading. We sat in the balcony and had a good chat over tea and biscuits.
At about 5:50pm, we went for a walk around the neighbourhood. Dr J and VJ’s caretaker had a dog, which became their dog when they came over to stay on the weekends. So the three of us plus the dog went on a little walk. They brought me to the small club house, where there was a swimming pool, badminton and table tennis courts. We also walked past some of their neighbours’ homes. The whole area was quiet and peaceful, a perfect getaway from the bustling city centre.
Around 7:00pm, we drove over to UJ and GJ’s place, which they appropriately named Zen. Despite the short distance, Dr J said it was safer to drive because there could be dangerous wildlife like leopards lurking around the mountain slopes. It was already dark so I couldn’t see much of the surroundings, but Zen was nicely furnished and styled like a villa. We walked down a short flight of steps to the main house and lawn, where UJ had already set up a grill for our barbecue.
GJ showed me around the house and the room where I would sleep for the night. The bedroom was huge and it came with an outdoor shower. The décor was chic and chill, and there was also a swing in the foyer. Totally zen.
I helped to wrap the sweet potatoes (which were harvested from Dr J and VJ’s garden earlier) with aluminum foil before throwing them into grill with the charcoal to be slow-cooked, while UJ started grilling the chicken skewers. GJ also prepared parathas to go with the chicken curry that UJ had made.
We had our dinner on the lawn, surrounded by fairy lights and colourful prayer flags. The grilled chicken was so well-marinated it was simply divine. The crispy paratha paired perfectly with the chicken curry, which was also excellent. And the sweet potatoes were just like the ones from Don Don Donki, sweet and piping hot.
It was a very enjoyable evening, having a delicious dinner on the lawn surrounded by nature and the nicest people, an oasis of calm amid the very busy Pune city. I felt so thankful for the love and hospitality that my hosts have shown me thus far.