TRAVELLING IN PUNE
By
VIKRAM KARVE
The best way to travel in Pune is to go nowhere.
Just sit at home, watch the travel channel on cable TV, travel in your mind’s eye and enjoy yourself vicariously.
That is if you are lucky to have electricity, and if there is no power supply due to load shedding or a routine maintenance shutdown you can do even more exciting things like meditation, playing patience, or doing nothing (doing nothing makes time pass slowly and prolongs life).
And if you are a workaholic just stay put at your workplace.
Sorry for digressing – this piece is about traveling in Pune.
The roads are dug up, there are diversions, and there is traffic chaos, so think twice before taking out your car, especially during peak hours.
A friend of mine started off towards my place near Wakad yesterday morning, got stuck in a massive traffic jam, tried to take a short cut, and got lost in the maze, like in the Bhool-Bhulaiya of Lucknow.
Many a time I have had to drive cross-country, traversing unknown paths, taking adventurous short cuts, to reach the airport or station on time.
If you’re dying for a drive, head for the nearest highway – it’s easier to get to Mumbai from Hinjewadi than to get to Kharadi, Kalyaninagar, Hadapsar, or Wanowrie.
And if you are lucky enough to live in the heart of the city or camp, just take out your parasol, put on your walking shoes and walk.
Walk, don’t drive, is the motto of the day in Pune.
But if you have made the blunder of shifting to the suburbs, it’s best to go nowhere, and languish away.
When I was a small boy (in the 1960’s and later in the 1970s too), we used to cycle all over Pune – but I dare not try it today, lest I land up in a Hospital with my bones broken or worse still in Vaikunth or Kailas crushed to pulp.
There is just no place for the poor cyclist in the murderous traffic and what’s left of the roads. The only place you can cycle is on those cycle lanes on the BRTS Route on Satara Road.
And if you have a motorcycle, or scooter, and have the guts to negotiate through the chaotic traffic, best of luck!
Otherwise try the PMT bus, or take an auto-rickshaw and tell me all about it!
There are just too many people traveling all over Pune.
I don’t know why they don’t build living accommodation for employees in the workplace – that should reduce at least half the traffic traveling to work and back, besides enhancing productivity.
Just imagine traveling from, say, your home in Kalyaninagar, Kondhwa or Hadapsar all the way to the IT Park in Hinjewadi and back every day.
What a waste to time, fuel, and emotional energy!
I am fortunate. I have to go nowhere, so it is easy for me to follow my own dictum – The best way to travel in Pune is to go nowhere
VIKRAM KARVE
To order your COCKTAIL please click any of the links below:
http://www.flipkart.com/cocktail-vikram-karve-short-stories-book-81910
http://www.indiaplaza.in/cocktail-vikram-karve/books/9788191091847.htm
http://www.apkpublishers.com/books/short-stories/cocktail-by-vikram-ka
By
VIKRAM KARVE
The best way to travel in Pune is to go nowhere.
Just sit at home, watch the travel channel on cable TV, travel in your mind’s eye and enjoy yourself vicariously.
That is if you are lucky to have electricity, and if there is no power supply due to load shedding or a routine maintenance shutdown you can do even more exciting things like meditation, playing patience, or doing nothing (doing nothing makes time pass slowly and prolongs life).
And if you are a workaholic just stay put at your workplace.
Sorry for digressing – this piece is about traveling in Pune.
The roads are dug up, there are diversions, and there is traffic chaos, so think twice before taking out your car, especially during peak hours.
A friend of mine started off towards my place near Wakad yesterday morning, got stuck in a massive traffic jam, tried to take a short cut, and got lost in the maze, like in the Bhool-Bhulaiya of Lucknow.
Many a time I have had to drive cross-country, traversing unknown paths, taking adventurous short cuts, to reach the airport or station on time.
If you’re dying for a drive, head for the nearest highway – it’s easier to get to Mumbai from Hinjewadi than to get to Kharadi, Kalyaninagar, Hadapsar, or Wanowrie.
And if you are lucky enough to live in the heart of the city or camp, just take out your parasol, put on your walking shoes and walk.
Walk, don’t drive, is the motto of the day in Pune.
But if you have made the blunder of shifting to the suburbs, it’s best to go nowhere, and languish away.
When I was a small boy (in the 1960’s and later in the 1970s too), we used to cycle all over Pune – but I dare not try it today, lest I land up in a Hospital with my bones broken or worse still in Vaikunth or Kailas crushed to pulp.
There is just no place for the poor cyclist in the murderous traffic and what’s left of the roads. The only place you can cycle is on those cycle lanes on the BRTS Route on Satara Road.
And if you have a motorcycle, or scooter, and have the guts to negotiate through the chaotic traffic, best of luck!
Otherwise try the PMT bus, or take an auto-rickshaw and tell me all about it!
There are just too many people traveling all over Pune.
I don’t know why they don’t build living accommodation for employees in the workplace – that should reduce at least half the traffic traveling to work and back, besides enhancing productivity.
Just imagine traveling from, say, your home in Kalyaninagar, Kondhwa or Hadapsar all the way to the IT Park in Hinjewadi and back every day.
What a waste to time, fuel, and emotional energy!
I am fortunate. I have to go nowhere, so it is easy for me to follow my own dictum – The best way to travel in Pune is to go nowhere
VIKRAM KARVE
Copyright © Vikram Karve 2011
Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.
Did you like this blog post?
I am sure you will like the 27 short stories from my recently published anthology of Short Fiction COCKTAILTo order your COCKTAIL please click any of the links below:
http://www.flipkart.com/cocktail-vikram-karve-short-stories-book-81910
http://www.indiaplaza.in/cocktail-vikram-karve/books/9788191091847.htm
http://www.apkpublishers.com/books/short-stories/cocktail-by-vikram-ka
COCKTAIL ebook
If you prefer reading ebooks on Kindle or your ebook reader, please order Cocktail E-book by clicking the links below:
AMAZON
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005MGERZ6
SMASHWORDS
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/87925
Foodie Book: Appetite for a Stroll
If your are a Foodie you will like my book of Food Adventures APPETITE FOR A STROLL. Do order a copy from FLIPKART:
http://www.flipkart.com/appetite-stroll-vikram-karve/8190690094-gw23f9
About Vikram Karve
A creative person with a zest for life, Vikram Karve is a retired Naval Officer turned full time writer. Educated at IIT Delhi, ITBHU Varanasi, The Lawrence School Lovedale and Bishops School Pune, Vikram has published two books: COCKTAIL a collection of fiction short stories about relationships (2011) and APPETITE FOR A STROLL a book of Foodie Adventures (2008) and is currently working on his novel and a book of vignettes and short fiction. An avid blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories, creative non-fiction articles on a variety of topics including food, travel, philosophy, academics, technology, management, health, pet parenting, teaching stories and self help in magazines and published a large number of professional research papers in journals and edited in-house journals for many years, before the advent of blogging. Vikram has taught at a University as a Professor for almost 15 years and now teaches as a visiting faculty and devotes most of his time to creative writing. Vikram lives in Pune India with his family and muse - his pet dog Sherry with whom he takes long walks thinking creative thoughts.
Vikram Karve Academic and Creative Writing Journal: http://karvediat.blogspot.com
Professional Profile Vikram Karve: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve
Vikram Karve Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/vikramkarve
Vikram Karve Creative Writing Blog: http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm
Email: vikramkarve@sify.com
vikramkarve@gmail.com
AMAZON
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005MGERZ6
SMASHWORDS
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/87925
Foodie Book: Appetite for a Stroll
If your are a Foodie you will like my book of Food Adventures APPETITE FOR A STROLL. Do order a copy from FLIPKART:
http://www.flipkart.com/appetite-stroll-vikram-karve/8190690094-gw23f9
About Vikram Karve
A creative person with a zest for life, Vikram Karve is a retired Naval Officer turned full time writer. Educated at IIT Delhi, ITBHU Varanasi, The Lawrence School Lovedale and Bishops School Pune, Vikram has published two books: COCKTAIL a collection of fiction short stories about relationships (2011) and APPETITE FOR A STROLL a book of Foodie Adventures (2008) and is currently working on his novel and a book of vignettes and short fiction. An avid blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories, creative non-fiction articles on a variety of topics including food, travel, philosophy, academics, technology, management, health, pet parenting, teaching stories and self help in magazines and published a large number of professional research papers in journals and edited in-house journals for many years, before the advent of blogging. Vikram has taught at a University as a Professor for almost 15 years and now teaches as a visiting faculty and devotes most of his time to creative writing. Vikram lives in Pune India with his family and muse - his pet dog Sherry with whom he takes long walks thinking creative thoughts.
Vikram Karve Academic and Creative Writing Journal: http://karvediat.blogspot.com
Professional Profile Vikram Karve: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve
Vikram Karve Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/vikramkarve
Vikram Karve Creative Writing Blog: http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm
Email: vikramkarve@sify.com
vikramkarve@gmail.com
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.
Bangalore is going that way too!
ReplyDeleteLoved your narration style Vikram sir.Indeed Pune has developed into a traffic tangled city now thanks to the rapid growth due to IT.I guess both Bangalore and Pune are cousins when it comes to this problem.They were never planned to be very big and suddenly a series of investments and they skyrocketed as tier 1 cities of India.
ReplyDeletehii..
ReplyDeleteNice Post Great job.
Your words sometimes echo in my mind and during my leisure time, i read your write ups again and again.For Pune Hotels booking , packages & information you can visit here: Travelmasti
ReplyDelete