Culture and Customs
Entertainment
Gap year in Pune, India Mumbai and by extension Pune, is very different from the rest of India. There is a lot of western influence on leisure activities, eating, drinking etc. As a top university city Pune has a huge number of students and this means there are more concerts, raves, night clubs etc than most other places in India. There are several bars in the city alongside excellent restaurants of every type of cuisine.
Multiplex cinemas are now showing English language Hollywood movies alongside the wonderful colour, glitz and glamour of Bollywood films. Going to an Indian cinema is an experience in itself as you will often find people dancing in the aisles to their favourite Bollywood hit!
A must see in Pune is the Rajneesh Ashram or OSHO Commune International. This commune has a large international following and was established by Guru Bhagwan Rajneesh, it spans over 31 acres and contains a 12 acre Zen garden which is very beautiful. Cultural programmes are held regularly in the auditorium here. You can attend meditation and yoga here and participate in many different sports and activities.
In December Pune hosts the Sawai Gandharva Music Festival. It is dedicated to the classical forms of music — both Hindustani (north Indian) and Carnatic (South Indian). Many renowned artists perform through 3 consecutive days creating a hype unique to this city. It is one of the most eagerly awaited festivals in the city, and it attracts music lovers from Pune and other parts of Maharashtra and India.
There are many places in Pune that teach Yoga or you could try out Bollywood Dance classes or even Hindi! So if you would like to learn a new skill while on your gap year, the GapGuru Local Coordinator will be able to help set this up for you.
Festivals & Culture
India has over 1,000 regional festivals a year and the North has its fair share. September and October find the streets lit up with huge portraits of the Hindu Gods and Temples full of people 24 hours a day, fire walks on hot embers by devotees of the Gods are a common site at this time.
Festival of the Lord Ganesha - Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav It was in Pune in 1894 that Lokmanya Tilak initiated the concept of the "Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav" — the collective communal celebration of the festival of Lord Ganesha. During the month of August or September each year, the city celebrates the Hindu festival of Ganesh Chaturthi. Almost every neighborhood puts up a ‘pandal’ with an idol of Lord Ganesha, often amidst a mythological setting, complete with decorative lights and festive music. The 10-day festival culminates in a carnival-like procession along the busy thoroughfares of the city, with every pandal leading the idol on a float to finally immerse it in the local rivers. This is one of the most important yearly events in the city and causes quite a traffic jam as hundreds of pink elephant Gods make their way to the river!
During this time, the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation organizes the month-long Pune Festival which hosts classical dance and music recitals, a film and drama festival, automobile rallies and some traditional sports.
Diwali & Holi Late October or early November is Diwali, the Festival of Lights. It seems every household, however poor, buys a box of fireworks on this day and sets them off from dawn until midnight. Go to the tallest building and watch at night for the most spectacular fireworks show you will ever see!
Holi is held around Easter time and is a great traditional family festival. Powder paints of every colour are daubed on faces and clothes in celebration of killing a demon god. Usually the festivities get out of hand and can end with buckets of paint being poured over people or balloons full of paint thrown between apartments! Even the poor old cows don’t escape and wander around with pink horns and nose for weeks afterwards.
Pune was also home to a considerable population of the Indian Jewish community, the Bene Israel. It is home to Asia's largest synagogue (outside Israel), The Ohel David Synagogue.
Food
India is of course the land of the curry, or Masala as it is called, which literally means ‘mix of spices’. Maharashtra has particular influence from the Portuguese who founded Bombay ( Good Bay in Portuguese) as a spice trading post and food can be fiery hot, using the famous Piri Piri chilli sauce. There are some delicious snacks that are found in the area that must be tried, just ensure you’re buying this wonderful street food from a reputable seller.
Vada Pav For the equivalent of 10 pence local people eat this wonderful street food as breakfast or a snack. It is a carbohydrate feast of a special bread bun soaked in ghee with a potato (without or without chilli) deep fried fritter inside. It is dripping in calories and obviously therefore tasted fabulous! Pav Vada sellers can be found all over the city.
Misal Another food item unique to Maharashtra, Misal - a mixture of sprouted cereals, puffed rice flakes, lots of spices & special Tarri (soup) with bread, is available in almost all restaurants.
Bhel Puri This is a very traditional Indian snack or ‘Chaat’ made up of several ingredients most of which are deep fried and stuffed inside cone and then yummy tamarind sauce poured over
Most people worry about the chilli factor when coming to India. It is very easy to ask in a restaurant or café for little or no chilli at all as most preparations are made fresh. However this cannot be guaranteed and we suggest you try a tiny bit first just in case!
It’s worth coming to India for the food alone, the variety of both veg and non-veg, different rices and breads makes you realise what we don’t get back home! You can eat in any price range from street food at around 20 rupees (25p) for a meal or 800 rupees (£10) for a champagne brunch at a 5 star hotel!