Beautiful Pune… a fading image

I was born in 1943, in a suburb surrounded by hills in the north-western part of Pune. As a kid, I played in the hills and the memories o...

I was born in 1943, in a suburb surrounded by hills in the north-western part of Pune. As a kid, I played in the hills and the memories of the serene and tranquil atmosphere that prevailed then are still etched on my mind. It is with a very sad heart that today I see the very same area being invaded by concrete. In stark contrast to the lush green mangroves, the banyan trees and the ever-so-fragrant lavender and champak trees, which covered this entire landscape, one is today confronted with lifeless concrete blocks, or apartments, as they are now called.

The canal, which quietly wound its way through the area, provided ample water to the tall and magnificent trees stretching from Karve Road to the Agricultural College.

The rare species of trees in the Fergusson College’s Botanical Garden also drew water all year round from this very same canal. This botanical green is probably one of the rare landscapes from the past which has remained unscathed till date. Even the canal remains totally dry today.

Forget motorcycles or cars, even bicycles were a rare sight in the late 1950s. Only the truly majestic black Rolls Royce, occupied by the equally majestic Maharani Chimanbai Gaekwad, was a regular feature on the Bhandarkar Institute and Prabhat roads then. Sensing the serenity in the atmosphere, her royal highness would deliberately instruct her chauffeur not to exceed the speed-limit of five miles per hour! Of course, today’s folks totally disregard such speed-limits and zoom about on their bikes, often knocking down others.

I remember that the playgrounds of Deccan Gymkhana and PYC would be full of aspiring young cricketers or tennis players. Today, it seems like youngsters prefer to just hang around some cafes in and around the Fergusson College Road.

Some time ago, I met a friend at the Cafe Good Luck, one of our old haunts. She has since settled in the United States of America and was shocked at what she saw here. “Oh, what have all of you done to this beautiful place in the last 30 years. Did you remain passive spectators when such wanton destruction of surroundings, values and culture took place?”

I could only hang my head in shame and reply, “My dear lady, what you say is true. It almost seems like a tale of two cities…”