EATING OUT IN PUNE - A Foodie's Day Out

EATING OUT IN PUNE

A Foodie's Day Out

By

VIKRAM KARVE

BREAKFAST

Misal at Damodar Bhuvan now renamed Damodar P 30 Bibwewadi ( Rs. 35/- including three slices of Pav)

I am sure you are wondering what P 30 stands for. 

I was clueless too, so I asked the owner. 

Well, P stands for PUNE and 30 Stands for the Postal PIN Code, so P 30 is Pune 30 which is the postal code for Sadashiv Peth. 

The owner claims that his Misal is typical Sadashiv Pethi Misal. 

Well, I really don’t know if it really Sadashiv Pethi, for when I was a small boy, I relished Misal at two places in Sadashiv Peth – Ramnath and Santosh Bhuvan – both on Tilak Road, and of course the famous Bedekar Misal. Damodar Misal is certainly different, and in my opinion, this is the best Misal in Pune.

BRUNCH

Chicken Momo, Corn Cutlet, Chaat, Veg Burger and Cold Coffee at Adarsh Canteen University of Pune Campus.

My daughter’s favourite place to hang out in the University Campus. This is an ideal place for easy-on-the-pocket leisurely snacking.

LUNCH

Veg Thali at Chandrakanta near Chaturshringi off Senapati Bapat Road

A real tasty sumptuous value-for-money “unlimited” meal. A Sukha Bhaji, a Rassa Bhaji, Dal, Curds, Papad, Salad, Chutney, Chapatties and Pulav. 

EVENING QUICK BITE

Yummy Lamington and Soothing Soy Milk at Spicer College Bakery on Aundh Road.

LATE EVENING SNACKS

The plate of the best Bhel in Pune (and arguably the best Bhel in the world), a Crisp Masala Dosa and a Satiating Onion Utthapa, some yummy chaat and Dahi Wada at Kalyan Bhel on Bibwewadi Kondhwa Road. 

DESSERT

Well, after this delicious foodie day, I really had no appetite left for dinner, so I ended the day with my favourite Dahi Ice Cream at Gujar Mastani House near City Pride Multiplex on Satara Road. 

And then, with the spicy sweet and sour heavenly flavour of Dahi Ice Cream lingering on my tongue, I headed home to my place in Bibwewadi.

(In between all this eating, I was busy travelling around Pune on some important work)

VIKRAM KARVE
Copyright © Vikram Karve 2012
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 stories in my recently published book COCKTAIL comprising twenty seven short stories about relationships. To order the book please click the links below:
http://www.flipkart.com/cocktail-vikram-karve-short-stories-book-8191091844?affid=nme
http://www.indiaplaza.in/cocktail-vikram-karve/books/9788191091847.htm
http://www.apkpublishers.com/books/short-stories/cocktail-by-vikram-karve.html

COCKTAIL ebook
If you prefer reading ebooks on Kindle or your ebook reader, please order Cocktail E-book by clicking the link below:
AMAZON
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005MGERZ6
SMASHWORDS
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/87925

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 he is currently working on his novel. An avid blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories and creative non-fiction articles in magazines and 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        

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

 

WATER WOES IN ROHAN TARANG WAKAD PUNE - Once More

You invest almost all your life's savings in buying a house and look forward to a comfortable retired life. Considering the huge cost of the flat (in a "prestigious" scheme from a "reputed" builder) the least you expect is a decent quality of life. But then you are in for a rude shock - you don't even get a proper reliable supply of water. Now water is a basic life need and an erratic supply of water greatly affects your quality of life. So, dear reader, before you buy a house (especially in Pune) do check out whether there is going to a water problem for water is quite scarce in Pune.


As I write this there is no water since morning and I have to suffer another "dry day" since water supply was disrupted yesterday too. So all I can do is tell you about my water woes in Rohan Tarang once again:

http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2011/12/water-woes-in-rohan-tarang-wakad-pune.html

WATER WOES IN ROHAN TARANG WAKAD PUNE - Revisited

A few months ago I had written a blog post about our Water Woes in Wakad (I am re-posting the same below). 

Thankfully the situation improved since October and we thought our water woes were over.

But it was too good to be true. Just now I read a notice that the piping system had failed again and due to heavy leakage water would be shut down to enable repairs to the water supply system and that we should be prepared some more dry days. 

They are trying to solve the problem by building the overhead tank. I wonder how that will solve the problem because there is no problem with the water tank - the problem is due to the defective water supply system and poor quality of piping. It is surprising that this is happening in a new and prestigious residential complex.

Water is a basic necessity of living and all other plus points of Rohan Tarang like having a prime location, good architectural design and luxurious frills etc get nullified if water needs are not met.

Rohan Builders are reputed builders of Pune. I wish they live up to their reputation and find a permanent lasting solution to this water problem. 

Here is my earlier blog post on Water Woes in Rohan Tarang Wakad Pune

LIVING IN PUNE

LIFE IN WAKAD

WATER WOES IN ROHAN TARANG        

By

VIKRAM KARVE

Wakad Pune

03 September 2011

It is raining heavily all over in Pune. Lovely weather. Awesome view from the balcony of my 9th floor apartment in Rohan Tarang Society - rains, mist, clouds, green hills in the distance, the Mula River overflowing - water water everywhere but no water to drink. Unbelievable isn't it? But it is true. The high falutin sophisticated hydro-pneumatic water supply system in Rohan Tarang has failed us again and there is a big problem of water supply in our society. I had an inkling that this high technology was not suitable for our indigenous Pune conditions but no one listened to me, then. 

Read on, especially if you are thinking of buying a house in Pune ...

THEN

“Where are the water tanks?” I asked.

“What water tanks?” said the sales guy who was showing us the brand new apartment in the upmarket township.

“Overhead Water Tanks. There are no overhead water tanks on this building,” I observed.

The sales guy and the property manager looked at me as I were a relic of the prehistoric era, “Sir, this is modern high rise building. There are no overhead water tanks. There is a sophisticated water pumping system.”

“But at least there should be a small Sintex water tank in the balcony of each home for emergency use in case the main water supply fails,” I said.

“An ugly looking black plastic water tank in the balcony? It will spoil the whole show of the house. Sir, you are living in old times. This is a modern complex and we have an advanced water management system. It is the latest – we have it in all our projects. You will have assured 24/7 water supply,” the sales guy said and the property manager gave me a contemptuous look as if implying that I was probably unfit to live in this elite posh township.

Now my wife and son were looking at me as if I were a big embarrassment to them because of my old fashioned attitude, middle class mentality and archaic views.

I had learnt in school that water finds its own level. In my earlier home (a simple old fashioned bungalow) the main water tank was atop a hill. Twice a day they opened the valves of the huge main water storage tank and water flowed down by gravity into our overhead tank and we always knew how much water was there in the overhead tank on top of our house on the terrace.

However, as per all the “experts” standing around me, I was hopelessly outdated and this all this was obsolete technology, and it was high time I kept myself abreast with the latest things or else keep my mouth shut.

So, despite nagging doubts, I kept my mouth shut.

NOW

I wonder why we paid so much for an apartment which has such erratic water supply. Water is a basic need. Property prices in Pune are very expensive. In fact, the dismal infrastructure and the almost non-existent amenities certainly do not justify such exorbitant prices. And if they want you to pay so much, the least they can do is to ensure proper water supply.

With frequent regularity, as you are about to have a bath in the morning, the sophisticated water management system fails due to one reason or another and the water suddenly disappears and the taps dry up. And then, as desperate crisis-management patch-work repairs are carried out, we have to do without water for almost the whole day. All sorts of excuses are given – pipes burst, motors burn, pumps fail. And whenever the electric power supply fails (which happens very frequently, many times a day, and load shedding every Thursday for the whole day, in Pune) the water supply is affected (They do have a back-up generator but that doesn’t seem to help much as far as water supply goes). And this is a beautiful aesthetic brand new township called Rohan Tarang in Wakad is built by one of Pune’s leading builders, Rohan Builders, who have won prizes for their various projects. There seems to be something wrong somewhere if such failures occur in the first year itself. I hope Rohan Builders will live up to their reputation and brand name and find a lasting solution to our water woes problem.

It is all a question of appropriate technology. Why go in for sophisticated technology when we cannot provide basic inputs like proper uninterrupted electric power supply, quality material, reliable equipment and high-class workmanship which are sine qua non for efficient functioning of modern systems. Whenever I raise this matter with all concerned, including all those who scorned my old-fashioned ways, all they can do now is give me sheepish grins. One guy even told me that they have decided to have overhead water tanks on their new buildings from now on. But what about us?

Dear Reader, whenever you are buying a house, don’t forget to look for the overhead water tanks. Of course, in some parts of Pune, like Kondhwa for example, even if you have overhead water tanks they will be empty most of the time and you may have to buy tube-well or bore-well water from water tankers. But that is another story.

I pray that the problem will be solved soon and we will enjoy abundant water supply.

Till then, do commiserate with me Dear Reader ... 

PUNE

PUNE

A Most Neglected City

Musings on Living in Pune

By

VIKRAM KARVE

They may say that Pune is a most modern metropolis but in actual fact Pune is a most neglected city and does not have facilities and infrastructure commensurate to its population. (I think Pune is the seventh largest city in India after Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad and Bangalore).

Do you know that Pune is not a UPSC Examination Centre? If you want to give an UPSC Examination to join the Civil Services or the Defence Forces you have to go all the way to Mumbai which is the nearest centre. And just imagine, they call Pune the Oxford of the East.

Yesterday there was a full page advertisement in the newspaper announcing the Launch of the 50^th Passport Seva Kendra. You will be surprised to know that Pune does not figure in the list of 50 cities where modern IT enabled Passport Seva Kendras have been established under the National E-Governance Plan in consultation with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) despite the fact that Pune is touted as the IT City of India, the huge presence of TCS in Pune and, most importantly, the fast growing cosmopolitan population for which the existing abysmal desolate archaic one-room passport office is grossly inadequate. But the powers that be chose to ignore Pune and rewarded much smaller places, some of whose names you might not have even heard of. In fact passport offices in bigger cities like Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Ahmedabad have been given a sizeable number of Passport Seva Kendras but Pune does not get even one. (It is interesting to note that Kerala has the largest number of passport offices and passport seva kendras in the country, more than any other state).

Despite having so many industries and travellers, Pune does not have a proper dedicated commercial airport and has to depend on the Air Force Airport at Lohegaon. Forget about international flights, most of the time you have to go to Mumbai even to catch domestic flights as there is hardly any connectivity from Pune. Rail connectivity from Pune is pretty inadequate too considering its diverse migrant population.

Public Transport in Pune is probably the worst as compared to other comparable cities. There is no metro rail nor do there seem to be plans to start one in the near future. The bus service is pathetic, almost on the verge of collapse. Owing to the poor public transport you are forced to buy your own vehicle to commute which further adds to traffic density and makes traffic problems even worse. The pitiable conditions of the roads which are permanently dug up and are most inadequate for the burgeoning traffic makes commuting the biggest nightmare in Pune. Traffic accidents are on the rise and so are stress levels due to road rage and frustration while driving. As I once told a friend of mine – “the best way to travel in Pune is to go nowhere”. As far as the traffic problem is concerned, Pune seems to be on the verge of collapse. Sadly, no one is thinking of building walk-to-work townships integrating workplaces and residences in self-contained campuses.

Earlier Pune was a peaceful and disciplined city, but crime and indiscipline seem to be on the increase and Pune is no longer the safe, secure and courteous city it once used to be. Pune is no longer the laid-back salubrious Pensioner’s Paradise with temperate weather, clean air and verdant green open spaces; but sadly Pune has metamorphosed into a sweltering hot, grimy, polluted, unhealthy, dirty, crowded concrete jungle with hardly any greenery left. There are hardly any places to walk anymore and cycling is dangerous due to the chaotic undisciplined traffic.

I wonder why this step-motherly treatment is meted out to Pune. Is it because of its proximity to Mumbai? Is it because no one is interested in Pune?


You may not believe this but I will give you one more example. Wakad, just a stone’s throw from the famous Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park at Hinjewadi, still does not have a BSNL Landline connection so all the high-tech IT Techies are deprived of fast Broadband Internet Connectivity at home and have to make do with slow USB internet. More than one year has passed since we made a request and applied for BSNL Broadband connection but it is taking ages for BSNL to lay a simple optical fiber cable landline. That’s the laid-back couldn't care less attitude and slow pace of infrastructure development in Pune for you – no one seems to be bothered.

But there is one thing I just cannot understand. Despite the deteriorating quality of life, people from all over keep flocking to Pune and settling down here. Quite a paradox isn’t it? The quality of life goes down but the population goes up and this puts additional strain on the meagre infrastructure and facilities which makes the quality of life further deteriorate. A vicious cycle indeed. I wonder what attracts so many people to Pune. Maybe the places from where they come are really so terrible, the facilities out there so poor and quality of life out there are so bad, that in comparison their hometowns they find Pune a slightly better place to live in. But one thing is sure. Considering the crumbling infrastructure and worsening state of affairs in Pune, those who still want to relocate to Pune must be having a very strong reason to do so.

There is one more thing I cannot understand. Why are the property prices so high in Pune? Everything is expensive in Pune, but buying an affordable house has become almost impossible. Real Estate rates have gone through the roof. Considering the appalling infrastructure, inadequate facilities and unexceptional quality of life, is there any justification or rationale for such high prices? Well, Dear Reader, I just cannot fathom the answer to this paradox and I will let you answer this question and enlighten us with your views.

Is it Requiem for Pune?

Well, as a die hard dyed-in-the-wool optimist Punekar I still hope for the best and say: “Long Live Pune!”

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 2012

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 article?

I am sure you will like the 27 short stories from my recently published anthology of Short Fiction COCKTAIL
To order your COCKTAIL please click any of the links below:
http://www.flipkart.com/cocktail-vikram-karve-short-stories-book-8191091844?affid=nme
http://www.indiaplaza.in/cocktail-vikram-karve/books/9788191091847.htm
http://www.apkpublishers.com/books/short-stories/cocktail-by-vikram-karve.html

http://dialabook.in/prod_detail.php?prod=MTA0NzA=

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-gw23f9mr2o

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.

Travelling In Pune

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

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 COCKTAIL
To order your COCKTAIL please click any of the links below:
http://www.flipkart.com/cocktail-vikram-karve-short-stories-book-8191091844?affid=nme
http://www.indiaplaza.in/cocktail-vikram-karve/books/9788191091847.htm
http://www.apkpublishers.com/books/short-stories/cocktail-by-vikram-karve.html

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-gw23f9mr2o

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.