Moon Rise on the Horizon

Moon rise at twilight behind a veil of clouds illuminated with pink shades from the fading sunlight

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A post shared by Photography + Gaming (@kreativegeek) on Aug 3, 2020 at 5:38am PDT

#Pune #photography #weather

Ode to a Rainy Sunday

A post shared by Bhautik Joshi (@kreativegeek) on Jul 21, 2018 at 11:52pm PDT

I was yearning for a rainy weekend this monsoon season and today was that perfect Sunday when a steady drizzle has continued since morning, prompting me to spend time in my balcony staring at the rain drops soaking up trees in our society garden while enjoying hot cup of coffee. I am no fan of gloomy overcast weather however the pluviophile in me is not complaining today.

Occasional mist of rain drops accompanied by the breeze gracing my face, feels refreshing! There is some beauty to a rainy day that makes you stop for a while and take time to look at the world around you. The sight of landscape blurred by raindrops renders the weather to look more fresh once the rain has passed, the air feel more clean. Even if you are stuck in traffic if you choose to ignore the noise of urban distractions around you and listen to the rain drops falling, they don't have any tune but it creates an ambience of sound worth listening too.

This year there have been no major instances of raging downpour that continues for few days making it difficult for people to move around in the city or commuting to work. No one loves to be confined to their home watching downpour continuously or braving flooding in the name of 'spirit of the city'. That is why I love the rains in Pune which does not bring your life to a standstill apart from the regular traffic snarls and other civic issues which every major city in our country faces.

Rainy season is a phase of transformation that changes the brown landscape of scorched earth to a vibrant green carpet laid down by the clouds, dust turned to mud. Thoughts and ideas pouring like the rain, some come out in form of words some get washed away. This happy feeling does not for long however the rain touches our soul to prepare us again to deal with the mundane chores of our day to day lives.

Monsoon arrives in Pune today

After a long spell of tease with cloudy mornings and breezy evenings, Monsoon marks it's proper arrival in Pune today.

First Monday of the holy Shravan month reminds me of childhood days spent in Mumbai regularly visiting a Shiva temple near our home in Mumbai with my granny. Rainy season in Pune is hardly intimidating like heavy showers that disrupt normal life in Mumbai, it's a constant drizzle that makes you feel like ditching the umbrella and take a walk in the rain.

Mumbaikar's love to stroll by the sea, hit the road towards Lonavala or Bushi Dam while Punekar's throng towards places like Mulshi, Tamhini Ghat, Sinhagadh as favorite spots to enjoy rains. Let us hope that the rain gods continue to shower their affection for another 2-3 days to overcome water supply scare generated due to delayed arrival of Monsoon. 

 

Only problem is once the dams are full, measures to curb water scarcity would be put in a cold bag again by politicians and civic authorities.

IT Park in the Wild Wild West

Recent murder of a Infosys employee in Marunji area of Hinjewadi is addition to growing list of crimes causing concern amongst employees about their safety and security. I have being commuting for work at Hinjewadi for past 4 years now witnessing unprecedented property construction in progress changing landscape of this green belt once occupied by farmers.

Pune has two major SEZ locations where IT companies have thrived and most of these companies moved out of their STPI infrastructure from city to Magarpatta SEZ and at Hinjewadi. If you happen to visit Magarpatta you would notice presence of major utility and recreation facilities and as an SEZ location it has blended into the city easily, which is not the case with Hinjewadi.

IT park at Hinjewadi is nested between vasti's (small sections of a big village ward), all the shiny glass buildings that reflect heavy investment made by companies and real estate companies fighting out to occupy every piece of  farmland to sell dreams and luxury lifestyle to the workforce coming to work here. Concept of work life balance sprung rapid development for areas nearby like Aundh, Baner, Pimple Saudagar,Balewadi and Wakad.

When any location witnesses such rapid development it is bound to attract vultures in form of anti social elements, If you stay in any posh society at Hinjewadi today with your family there is nothing available within the IT park in form of a major grocery outlet, no malls, virtually non existent recreation centres. Only a barrage of business hotels and few restaurants. So you have to venture out quite a distance outside IT park to get a feel of the city.

Homes of working couples and bachelors staying in Hinjewadi and nearby areas have become easy target for robbers and passengers hitching rides at Wakad junction for traveling to Mumbai who fall prey to private vehicles which pose a major risk to their safety. When you enter Hinjewadi right at the exit of Wakad bridge you would notice different rules set into motion.Villagers come driving at you in opposite direction all times, road divider at end of Wakad bridge always stays dismantled used by locals to make their own U-Turn blocking traffic most of the time.

You enter in a zone filled with hoardings of property projects and boards with birthday messages for influential people of the local community, there are yearly festivals celebrated by local communities in Hinjewadi which force IT companies to give half day to employees sometimes, alter company transport timings. If you take a left turn from Dange chowk and go ahead of Persistent, taking another turn near TCS office this road would lead you to actual village vasti's behind and gram panchayat here is quiet modern with some political bigwigs who are staunch loyalists of NCP bastion.

This makes you realise that people here are not receptive to development that has happened at a fast pace over past few years and gram panchayat's are opposing move of PCMC to include Hinjewadi under their taxation umbrella since local bigwigs would lose control of power they have enjoyed all these years. I have heard stories of locals ganging up to corporates to employ their people for security, awarding catering contracts and allowing entry to their transport fleet when they had set up shop here, This was bound to happen and there are some strong groups within Hinjewadi who have monopoly in vehicle fleet they have deployed for many IT companies.

Employment prospects for locals got limited to certain section in these companies and farmers who have sold land here made good money probably settled elsewhere however staff working on these farms earlier have found it difficult to make it big out of the SEZ dream and when they see high rise apartments coming up on their own lands, car traffic moving like glittering display of wealth before their eyes.

Feeling of disparity and inequality fuels aggression and a feeling of hatred for the same IT workforce coming to work here. It is like two parallel universes are existing in close proximity of each other and when they collide there is collateral damage in the form of danger to civilian safety.I have seen guys leering at women in cars, or those who cover up their face while riding bikes overtaking them for fun and passing lewd comments. Pune does not have problem of poor migrant population influx that got concentrated in slums like Mumbai, it's reverse syndrome here with well to do families from different parts of the country settling in here and contributing to the mad property rush which has ruffled locals a lot and they see it as an invasion on their culture, lifestyle and a feeling of employment opportunities being snatched away from them.

Quoting example of a big township project coming up at Mahalunge area closer to Balewadi, a single lane kuccha road goes to this location with villages on the way, I passed through staring eyes of local boys spread across this road twice, if they want to block you only escape route is to drive your car through the farms on both sides of the road, this project is so far away from main road forget getting any help at night if someone mugs you up or kills you. I would never buy a house at such location even if it is dirt cheap as builders promise luxury living and high class amenities but these are of no use if your life is at stake while moving in and out of your dream house.

PMC or PCMC has no concrete plan in place to improve infrastructure for commuters working in IT companies, read about a future rail network in pipeline for connecting Hinjewadi to other parts of the city, however it is very likely to get caught in delays as the infamous BRTS project that has drained enough world bank money meant for urban transport improvement. In this situation Police force would be burdened to the maximum in controlling traffic and crime in this area. Car traffic is growing out of control with new phases coming up in Hinjewadi as exit and entry points are limited.

Pune city is considered to be safe in general in terms of crime rate and safety for woman however when majority population of city's workforce works at these SEZ locations, there is a lot at stake and only solution is to moderate growth at Hinjewadi for a while and concentrate efforts to improve infrastructure, public transport else this section of the city would stay as the Wild Wild West zone nurturing crime under the false notion of development.

 

Jalshrushti Island Resort - Hidden Gem

Many resorts have come up around Pune over past few years offering good excursion options for travellers, Mulshi is no exception to this trend however Mulshi is more of a one day picnic destination and more popular during monsoon season due to scenic beauty that descends on Tamhini Ghat.

Jalsrushti Island Resort is a hidden gem waiting to be explored for travelers visiting Mulshi, TripAdvisor community is really helpful in discovering places like this. Reaching this resort is easy from Pune city taking Mulshi Paud route via Chandni Chowk and in an hour you reach in a different world altogether away from city buzz.

There is a huge advertisement board just ahead of Jamgaon village showing direction to Jalsrushti leading to parking area. An attendant confirmed our reservation and guided us to a stairway, a small ferry operates on a pulley rope transferring guests across the river stream to resort.

Checking in at reception was fast and easy, greeted with a welcome drink on arrival. I was impressed by the well curated landscape with beautiful walkway winding across the resort real estate. We got a pond facing room Jalaka which was really beautiful and I liked the way it was themed like a tropical getaway wooden cabin equipped with retro light and switch fittings.

We knew that this resort did not have AC making us feel little doubtful if cooler would suffice for the crazy summer heat we are experiencing in Pune this year, surprisingly our stay was pleasant and with so much greenery around with constant flow of soothing breeze we did not even need the AC. Resort management has got most cabins covered with dry grass on roof with water sprinklers running during the day to keep ceiling cool.

There is not much to do at the resort so be prepared to get your lazy self out and savor the beauty of nature, it's pure bliss having tea and snacks during evening at the seating area outside cabin facing pond, keep your camera handy as exotic birds may just pay a visit as this resort is built on Mula river Biopark premise.

Kids may get bored with limited rides in the garden area so TV comes in handy to keep them entertained. In the evening I took my son to the pool which is also clean and well maintained. One can buy swimming costume also from the resort. Room service is swift and food is also good with enough variety. You can ask for anything specific kids like to have for breakfast or lunch/dinner. Staff is very courteous to oblige to your food request in best possible way they can.
Evening dinner has barbecue option accompanied with live Karaoke session by Lotus Shine event group from Pune, there are Ghazal nights also arranged at the resort. As a resort promoting agri tourism I found variety of trees and different fruit plantations in their premises along with poultry birds like Hen and Turkeys roaming around in the resort.

It is really commendable to manage this property almost bug free for a land mass surrounded by water body, we were expecting some company from natures friends post sunset with so many incests that get attracted to light, they were present as anticipated however we did not experience any nuisance on this front at all.

Our visit to Jalsrushti resort was a memorable one and I would surely recommend it for couples, families and friends who would love to take a break worth enjoying here and leave recharged back to the grind.

Pros:
Professionally managed property
Excellent location
Staff Service is also good
Great potential to develop as an excellent luxury resort.

Suggestion for improvement:
Organize a guided tour for guests explaining flora and fauna at the resort with little info on birds that are found around the premise.

Food quality needs attention at least for the breakfast, some items on the menu tasted very bland. Main course items also are tad oily which can be improved.

There is scope to introduce boat ride across the river stream if they get permission from authorities to do so, also resort needs some additional entertainment activities going forward which can attract corporate outing events.

Hyundai i10 IRDE2 review - Welcoming our new Greyhound

I had plans to buy a hatchback car for my wife this year and she was willing to try her driving skills on Beat but somehow she was always hassled with front dashboard and A-Pillar visibility of this car, We started looking at cars that would suit her driving style and good for 70% city driving and 30% occasional highway trips.

Confused with lot of options available on hand, I had to be mindful of our budget by trying not to exceed it too much and also wanted minimal compromise on interior quality, running cost, fuel economy and resale value of the second car.

Options Shortlisted:
Honda Brio: My wife was keen to test drive Brio, however I was never a fan of Brio’s uninspiring dashboard, front bumper design and extra large visibility on the tailgate door, plus we did not to require additional petrol car powered by 1198cc engine for city driving so I kinda played a spoilsport in cancelling this option for her.

Hyundai EON: We contacted Sanjay Hyundai outlet at Kalyani Nagar for Hyundai EON and Grand i10 test drive, the temptation to go for the Grand i10 diesel version was impulsive, we thought of stretching our budget if needed however bucket seats and front dashboard visibility were an issue again for my wife so had to drop Grand i10 from our probable list. After test driving EON we were disappointed by feeling of low cabin height and cramped leg space with noticeable lag on second and first gear pick-up.

Maruti Celerio: We then started reading through Celerio reviews, and watching TD videos, as exciting the concept of semi automatic gear sounded at the announcement of the car it was dampened with overall styling (both interior and exterior) also looking at overall package offered with Vxi version in Semi Automatic category it did not feel like a VFM offering to us.

We were also skeptical about the semi-automatic gear performance as it was a new offering in the Indian automobile market and this second car would be used by both of us and my driving style in city would have not matched with Celerio, also this car proved to be a runaway hit for Maruti brining good enough waiting period on bookings which was another downer.

Surprisingly we had being overlooking i10 on our list and when all options dried out we decided to take it for a test drive and this time I contacted Kothari Hyundai, Kharadi outlet as our experience with Sanjay Hyundai was disappointing, their staff was just willing to sell a car as fast as possible coaxing us to hurry up on documentation by instigating fear of price rise just to close a deal before month end, not even willing to offer any freebies etc.

My wife took i10 test drive and she found it perfect for her, so finally our car hunt was over, We booked i10 Sportz version and I was impressed by the overall experience at Kothari Hyundai starting with documentation, working out finance arrangements, staff attitude and promptness in dealing with queries right up to Gudi Padwa which we choose as delivery date for our new car.

I did not want to press much on freebies so only opted for mats, mud flap and a reverse parking sensor with LED. We got 3M underbody coating done with paint protection package additionally and opted for extended warranty on the car.

I am writing this review at completion of 1700 kms drive, and car has undergone first free service at Kothari Hyundai Workshop in Kharadi.

Next Gen i10 is what Hyundai calls 2014 IRDE2 version goes to validate continuing popularity of i10 in keeping sales alive even after introduction of very successful Grand i10.

Interior
I liked the black and beige two tone interiors in i10 as it does not produce unnecessary glare on windshield while driving during day, A touch of chrome on door handles and ac vent adds to the premium appeal of i10 interiors.

Hyundai i10 feels less roomy than Chevrolet Beat both in the rear and front section however it has got apt leg and headroom for the driver though to provide a comfy ride. Front seats do not offer very good thigh support, If you push driver seat too behind for getting extra comfort for your legs, rear passenger may experience cramped leg space.

Rear seat can accommodate 3 regular size passengers, not sure if all of them would feel comfortable for long drives. It would be better for 4 passengers max.

OEM Music player: Hyundai i10 Sportz has a 2 Din music player with door fitted speakers; it was a pleasant surprise for an audiophile like me, as I liked audio quality of the music player as it packs just the right amount of bass and thump for your songs while maintaining tone clarity. Shuffling music while driving is little distracting so have to be cautious.

Performance: 4 Cylinder 1086cc IRDE2 engine feels refined and perfected for city driving, you do not feel rear body weight of i10 while driving at all which makes it easy to steer around in city traffic. Steering feedback feels little different at the center while driving at high speed. 

Tilt steering feature is useful and gear shift indication is another value add for new drivers, Rear windshield view is little wider as compared to Beat also A-Pillar is not obtrusive which offers good visibility around corners.

Gear shift: Gear shift is smooth to operate and EPS is very responsive than Chevy Beat

1st Gear: Responds well to pedal acceleration, does not feel sore on engine when you rev it or drive at slow speed.

2nd and 3rd Gear: I liked pick up on 2nd and 3rd gear in this car compared to Chevrolet Beat with no engine knocking at all even when car came almost to a standstill while driving beyond 2nd gear, which means less gear shifts during heavy traffic conditions.

4th and 5th Gear: i10 cruises well in city while driving on 4th and 5th gear; engine response is peppy and smooth. The moment speedometer crosses 80kmph mark and above 2000 rpm engine starts feeling little cranky, need to test it on highway to see how well it performs during high speed driving.

A/C: Pune’s simmering heat does take a toll on aircon, I found cooling inside cabin taking some extra time during afternoon when mercury touches extreme levels as compared Beat’s AC.

i10 scores well on braking, suspension and ground clearance. Only features I would miss in this car would be rear viper and spoiler and the option to get a Bluetooth enabled music system with steering controls.

Exterior styling does not change much in 2014 Hyundai i10, overall design still looks fresh.
 
Boot Space: 225ltr boot space is good enough for light luggage while on small trips and for regular shopping items while driving in city.

Fuel efficiency: Clocked average of 13.85 kmpl, 12.20 kmpl and 14.24 kmpl on 3 full tank refills, decent to start with. Mileage has improved after first free service, not sure how far car can run when the fuel refill LED starts blinking. 

After Sales Service Experience:
Service appointment booking process was easy and I liked upkeep of customer lounge area at their service center, it is a busy place during weekends so better to give car for servicing on weekdays, gives you enough time to explain anything specific you have to highlight to the attendant as he goes around taking notes.

Service attendant also explained what work would be carried out during first free service; allowed enough  time to inspect car post servicing was completed. We were also in for a surprise winning a silver coin in some promotional offer running when we brought the car.

Overall Impression:
Pros:
Easy to drive in city, smooth gear shift.
Good ground clearance and suspension feels improved.
Excellent OEM music player and speakers.
High quality plastic material used for interior finishing.
Easy ingress, egress and offers comfortable posture for driving.

Cons:
Placement of A/C vent on main dashboard awkward for driver, chills directly on fingers while driving.
Limited leg room for rear passengers can result in uncomfortable long drive for 3.
Missing option for rear wiper and Bluetooth enabled music system.

More updates on mileage and A.S.S experience to come ahead.




 

Social Itinerary and Civic Issue Management

If you fancy yourselves as a traveller this one should interest you, we all like to visit places of our interest in different ways depending on the type of travel we undertake. Whether travelling with friends or family we like to do some planning on how to reach the venue, which route to take, what's the best time to move, which dhaba or food joint to stop on the way etc etc.

Once your trip was over we used to share our experience among friends earlier, then came the era of blogging and social media which allowed us to open up our experience to like minded travellers who could benefit from our experience and have a smooth journey. There are many internet blogs and forums abundant with such information. At times reading so much material on the internet and leaves you more confused. 

This is where a service like JoGuru comes handy when you want to filter out the right info related to your travel plans in the form of an itinerary, check out an article featured on this portal which explains in detail what this start up from Pune aims to do in making lives easier for globetrotters.

Another site which caught my attention this week is ChangeBhai, this portal allows you to report civic issues along with pictures, was surprised to see some issues reported from Pune already fixed. If such help is available for citizens on internet we should make use of it for overall betterment of our community. Lot of arm chair activists give up when it comes to taking a civic problem heads on and what remains is a diarrhoea of tweets and posts on social media.

Hats off to people who have created this portal and taking issues that concern the common man to the right authorities which may go unnoticed due to social apathy and lack of awareness on methods to deal with such problems.

Around Pune: Trip to Dapoli

My road trips to the coastal belt of Maharashtra have started connecting on the map with dots starting downwards from Mumbai with Beaches like Kihim - Alibaug - Akshi - Kashid - Murud (Near Janjira Fort) - Diveagar - Srivardhan – Harihareshwar, two more which got added on recent trip are Murud and Palande beach.

I was planning to visit Bhandardara during long weekend and public holidays of Holi - Good Friday, unfortunately I missed out on the booking schedule for the resort planned and I stumbled on to Nisarga Sahavas resort on Trip Advisor while searching for alternative destination & hotels. This change of plan worked for us and we really had a good time exploring the coastal town of Dapoli and nearby beaches.

We followed (1) Tamhini Ghat – Mangaon route, alternative route available is via (2) Mahabaleshwar – Wai – Bhor - Varandha – Khed also would help you reach Dapoli, the second one is slightly extended one but good to drive.

Started from Pune on 28th Mar in the afternoon at 2:30 pm towards Chandni Chowk road heading towards Pirangut - Mulshi, encountered traffic in the city and managed to drive through Tamhini ghat by around 4:30 pm and took a break for evening tea and breakfast at Orchard Resort (Gold Valley) right after the Tamhini Ghat ends. It was already 5:00 pm and we were yet to touch Mangaon. Few bad patches of road in the ghats did slow us down. A small stretch of almost 4-5 Km road ahead of Orchard resort towards MIDC area is very good to drive, Moving forward from Nizampur we reached Mangaon.

From Mangaon keep driving straight on a patch of 10 km Mumbai - Goa road which is in very good condition, and then you can take a turn right near Lonere Bus Stand going towards the first village ahead which is Goregaon - Purar - Mhasala - Ambet - Mhapral - Kumbharli - Chinchali - Shenale - Dhutroli OR you can continue ahead of Lonere instead of taking a turn right towards Goregaon village and once you reach Mahad you can take a turn towards Latwan village road which also connects to Dapoli

While on SH 70, we luckily took a diversion at SH 100 instead of following Mandangad Route shown on Google Navigation as it was already dark and we double checked with a local before taking this route. This is a narrow 2 lane road, however in very good condition to drive, seems to be recently constructed.

On SH 100 go straight driving past Kumbale Village - Palgad and a right turn connecting SH 96 at Kumbharvadi - Pisai - Kherdi and then Dapoli, from here at Ambedkar Chowk take a right and again a left at short distance from Kalaskar Chowk towards SH 96 and at Jalgaon Village take a right turn inside a dusty road up to 3 Km which would lead you straight to Nisarga Sahavas Resort. We reached at 8:30 pm and were literally exhausted. Currently this resort has 7 rooms in total, we booked an A/C Bamboo Cottage which is very hygienic and clean, though surrounded by dense tree cover all around, no mosquitoes or any other bugs troubled us during the stay.

Nisarga Sahavas initially started as a nursery plantation 35 years ago and spread over 10 acre promoting Agri Tourism. After keeping our luggage in the room we headed straight towards dining area which has a nicely constructed walkway to a tent based structure. I had a chance to look at various awards and accolades Amrute family has won in Ratnagiri for promoting Agri Tourism and supporting tribal population in the nearby area with work related opportunities from their farm based occupation.

Starry sky looked very clear from the verandah of our room, for a difference no television works best when you are away from the hustle bustle of city to be close with the nature. An angry crow banging on to the window outside woke us up in the morning (No alarm needed), this crow is a regular visitor here and keeps fighting with his image he sees on the reflective glass on window pane outside, a thought came to my mind a lot of us keep doing that in our lives even without a reflection.

Having tea in morning and evening on the verandah leaves you with a feeling of bliss, strong breeze blowing across and hearing birds chirping all around, it really could not get better than this. Room service is prompt. You can order breakfast in your room as well.

There are some activities at the resort to try like Burma Rope, Obstacle task, Archery, Rifle Shooting, Net climbing etc. paying extra charges. They also organize bird trail visit, Tribal dance show, Bullock cart ride and Barbeque on request. Nisarga Sahavas has lot of plantation variety in their backyard with ample Cashew, Chickoo, Jackfruit, Mango and various other trees. We spotted an entire herd of Gray Langur’s moving through trees behind our cottage; luckily I was able to take good pictures of them as they played close to the activity area which had lot of interesting stuff for them.

Mr. Ashish Amrute who currently overlooks the management of this resort with his staff won us over with their warm hospitality. Our kid found company to keep himself engaged with his son Advait. The food is really awesome and being home made it tastes more sumptuous. When you are in Konkan you cannot miss having Solkadi, Apart from Rice, Daal and Chapati we had variety in food like Moong Usal, Valachi Usal, Kothimbir Wadi, Ukadiche Modak and a special gravy dish made out of kaju seed which is plucked while cashew is raw.


We decided to pay visit at Kadyavarche Ganpati temple next day which is 30 Km away from the resort, driving down a pleasant ghat ahead of Dapoli, touching road leading to Palande beach which fulfilled one of my dreams to drive along a coastal road adjoining the sea, the entire view was magnificent which enhanced further the moment we started an uphill climb to a newly constructed bypass road leading to the temple, Shady and long coconut trees, short and narrow lanes winding through small villages, the picturesque view all along was very refreshing.

While returning from the temple we halted at Palande beach which has few spots where you can take your vehicle on to the beach directly. It was past noon and the sand had really heated up so we did not have any chance to relax on the rock bed nearby or the beach, spent some time in the water and moved ahead on way to Dapoli. We saw some ad boards on SH 96 road retailing cashews at factory price; travelling 7 Km ahead from our road to resort just before the ghat begins for Umbarli village there is a cashew processing factory by the name Samartha Cashew. You can buy flavored cashews like Chocolate, Litchi, Chili Masala, Schezwan, Black Pepper etc. from them and also avail a free tour of their facility with a staff member who explains the entire cashew processing system.

Next day we left for Murud beach which was also very clean and well maintained. Hopped on to a boat for Dolphin show and spotted two of them slightly away from the shore line, my kid was really excited watching dolphins on his first boat journey in the sea, back on the beach you can drive ATV bike, go paragliding, ride banana boats, high speed water bikes, camel ride and many others to choose from. We left from the beach by afternoon and headed back to resort as my kid was down with little fever that day and wanted to go back to the resort. We decided to skip tour of Suvarnadurg fort and Amrute’s nursery walk around in the evening to relax and let our kid rest before leaving for Pune next morning.

I did not expect a wonderful resort like Nisarga Sahavas to be present amidst a forest in a village area. Hats off to Mr. Ashish Amrute and their staff for maintaining such a lovely place, I wish they continue upkeep of this resort the way they are doing currently and improve it further in terms of overall infrastructure of the premise. Mr. Amrute quotes on promotional material for Nisarga Sahavas as “Hospitality is a way of Life" and it proves to be true which is really great and something that a guest would always cherish post their visit.I am willing to skip any beach facing resort for Nisarga Sahavas to stay and visit tourist attractions nearby which I have missed during my current trip.

After having breakfast next morning, Little Advait gave a parting gift to my son which was a sketchbook of flowers and visiting birds at Dapoli, We hardly got a feeling of leaving a resort but surely departing from a home away from home. Starting at 11 am, we took the route towards Mandangad fort on our return which is not very good but motorable and safe to drive during daytime, it also has lot of small ghats with great view all along. I surely have honed my ghat driving skill on this trip.

My Chevrolet Beat (Petrol) pulled with ease across all the ghats as I had never taken it for a frequent uphill drive before anywhere, hardly had to switch off A/C while driving up across ghats, unless the climb was very steep. It handled rough roads well and did not cause much body roll, except for slowing down on specific patches in Tamhini ghat which are really bad and demand cautious driving.

It was Rangpanchami on Easter Sunday and lot of villages were celebrating Holi again. Few miscreants at  2-3 villages on the route to Mandangad were trying to stop cars passing by to collect paltry cash in the name of Rangpanchami celebrations, however we sneaked past them without stopping just to get my car soaked in few colors of Holi it had remained safe from during the actual day when color play happens.

Passing from Mangaon and Nizampur we took a lunch break at Orchard Resort again which was very crowded with visitors returning to Pune from their long weekend trips, from here we went driving slowly across Tamhini ghat up to Mulshi taking pictures on the way and reached home by 6 pm closing on to our memorable vacation. March was just the right time to take this trip as view of mountains and farms across the way were beautiful, with foothills still surrounded by green cover before it vanishes completely after the summer sets in, even Mulshi river has enough water right now to provide a great landscape view.

Dapoli serves as a multipurpose destination to places around which are easily accessible and if you like clean and less crowded beaches, places of religious interest and prefer to have safe travel with family, Dapoli would definitely not disappoint you and I surely recommend visitors to stay at Nisarga Sahavas for a unique lodging experience you would treasure in your travel memoirs.

Montage clip of the trip below and Image gallery link on Flickr

Short Video feature: Pune Street Food

Check out an interesting short documentary feature made by a Pune student on street food in the city, commendable editing with subtitles to support Marathi translation, a touch of good background music would have improved the overall feel of the video.

Pune Mall Mania

Pune's mall frenzy has reached a state where it could cost dear to retailers and real estate companies pumping money in setting up these swanky places which are turning into more of a recreational place to hang out, rather than actually promoting actual sales for shops leasing places at an expensive price.

Consider eastern belt of the city and you can note the actual distance at which these malls are located defies any commercial logic. These malls are located near Yerwada - Kalyani Nagar - Koregaon Park - Viman Nagar.

1) Ishanya Mall - Pulse Mall (2.5 km)

2) Pulse Mall - Phoenix Market City (1.9 km)

3) Phoenix Market City - Inorbit Mall (700 mts)

4) Jewel Square Mall - Koregaon Park Plaza (3.1 Kms)

5) Koregaon Park Plaza - Mariplex Mall (1.5 Kms)

Few years back Mariplex Mall was the only mall in this area and the rate at which malls have swelled goes to prove retailers and real estate companies would have sensed a potential for business which is not the case as per a recent Assocham report Pune's 42% mall space is still vacant.

Vendors like Croma electronics, Reliance book and digital store outlet, Spencer have closed shops and moved between these places maybe as a part of consolidation strategy, with so many options nearby it's eventually causing consumer fragmentation and malls purely survive on hypermarket, dining or pub outlets and multiplex presence with no significant value add for the consumers beyond these categories. In fact there are many well established restaurants in most areas of the city which do not require a mall presence.

Many of these malls have got on to social media platforms to attract visitors by organising weekend event's and contests etc. Apart from Phoenix Market City and Inorbit mall I doubt other malls are actually succeeding in retaining vendors or attracting shopper volumes, In fact Pulse mall is probably on the verge of closing shutters.

Some concentration of malls at M.G Road is still a better deal because as a location it offer's proximity to the  local shopping outlets which are already existing along with the malls. What Pune also lacks is a shopper's paradise like Manish market, Heera Panna in Mumbai, Nehru Palace, Palika Bazaar in Delhi etc. Maybe traditional spots in Peth area and Laxmi road bazaar could evolve in future to be such shopping destination for Pune.

For now I think mall mania should pause for some time to see how retail market develops in Pune.

Home grown hybrid solution for cars

I noticed a Maruti Alto car with this logo today while travelling to office today, I thought probably it would be some kind of CNG branding stuff by some firm into vehicle mods, however I was proved wrong when I checked out this product's website which has being developed in India, Pune by KPIT Cummins and Kalyani Bharat Forge and surprisingly has also got media coverage earlier this year.

Both these companies have come up with a fuel efficient alternative to spruce up the battery power in your car with an additional motor installed as a kit that claims better fuel efficiency and cost savings for the car owner. USP targeted for this product is to convert your existing car into a fully functional hybrid vehicle. check out one of the video features below which explains how this product is going to work. Hatchback car models are surely going to loose some boot space and the basic cost quoted for a car like Alto is going to be around INR 65,000 and for sedan sized cars it may go beyond INR 1,25,000.

Do you think this product/service is going to be commercially viable? or the trend of skipping petrol cars in the favour of diesel cars going to continue in India. If this product does not cause any safety issues to the car with the kind of battery installation is shown in the video, I think it can work well with the Indian consumers and could probably emerge as a viable option to adopt hybrid car technology at affordable cost.

Real Estate nexus in Pune

Pune's municipal limits have swelled beyond control in last few years. One would find endless hoardings of construction projects (along with birthday wishes hoardings for local goons or so called karyakartas and leaders) on Pune roads. Property price correction is nowhere in sight in Pune with the builder lobby which is hand in gloves with the politicos for a government run jointly by NCP-Congress combine with BJP, Shivsena and NCP sharing power in municipal corporation it could get no worse for city. There is no actual opposition party that exists in city's political set up right now.

Shahid Balwa the head of DB realty group under scanner for alleged role in 2G Scam has 2 big projects in Yerwad currently under construction, after his arrest there was halt that was put to one of the projects that was being carried out on a land owned by a trust which was supposed to build a park in public - private ownership model silently made a deal of this land with DB realty, PMC washing off their hands and when the actual order came from Maharashtra CM the work was halted on this land for some time as they hype died down, construction work has begun on slow pace. Sharad Pawar and his family members name keeps coming up in almost all land scams in Pune which goes to prove what kind of control this family has on the property market in Pune.

Names of family members related to Narayan Rane, Ajit Pawar have also come under limelight for some or the other land scams, Pune's previous commisioner Mahesh Zagade was quitely replaced due to his relationships that got sore with the builder lobby in Pune. Builder's in Pune are not even willing to touch 1 BHK projects due to the presence of large count of IT, ITES workforce that is willing to pay for amenities and for flats starting from 2 BHK. Once a pensioner's paradise is slowly urning into concrete jungle like mumbai now. Luckily there are few high rise buildings in the city but the rapid growth of malls, commercial places and residential projects is creating pressure on pricing of property which is seeing only way up and people looking out for affordable housing have to look at areas in the outskirts of the city or satellite areas near PMC or PCMC municipal limits.

Lavasa project which came under environment ministry's radar for the wrong reasons was nothing that state government or central government would not have being aware of all these years. Land grabbing by politicos and rampant exploitation by builder lobby in Pune is what defines pune's real estate scenario currently.

Some links to read Below

Mid-Day article on land grabbing | Forum based news on tricks played by pune builders

Sad state of electronics chain stores in Pune

Pune is touted to be a fast growing IT hub that has placed the city amongst an important destination for retail sector to take note of. When i settled in Pune from Mumbai by the end of year 2004, The eastern corridor in the city was nowhere close to development and it was then the outskirts of Pune city. As the city grew and expanded it has now become the most happening spot in the city and this area of the city came to limelight nationally post the Pune German Bakery bomb blast incident.

A lot of major retail groups set up their shops in this area of the city which now has a host of malls, as a electonics and gadgets enthusiast i always knew Pune definately could not match the charm of Lamington road in Mumbai when it came to electronics market, however even it came to buying a simple cable extension and misc electronics need these so called electronics megastores never used to have any and it required me to do some searching in nearby places to get a fixed source for buying or rely on ebay.



Recently Croma electonics closed down their outlet at Ishanya mall and even Dass Electronics has closed few outlets in the city along with a branch at nagar road, if you check their website today it has not even being updated i suppose from last Aug-Sep'10. These stores opened with lot of promises but somehow they could just not afford to pay huge lease amounts on commercial property compared to the sales that may not help them break even over a particular period of time. There were some small time laptop shops too which opened in the fortaleza society vicinity, opposite Gold Big Cinemas even they closed down soon.

The retail story is somewhere not clicking right in Pune, if you are even lucky to find what you need do not expect good after sales service from the stores in malls. Once you are out of the bright and airconditioned atmosphere of the mall with your product you have brought, as a consumer you are history. The so called "IT crowd" is not sufficient to register impressive sales, Pune  has a higher share of student population too which comprises of high footfalls and low spend category that's hurting the growth of retail sector here.
 
Every time i visited Croma or Dass a disinterested or overexcited salesman would come to you suggesting you stuff that you are not seeking, pushing products of some brand that their store is endorsing. At times these sales guys would form their own groups strolling in the store chatting and having a gala time. Same kind of attitude prevails with sales staff at Big Bazaar, Hometown, Lifestyle and Housefull stores which i have visited and experienced.