- Shweta Dandekar

Pune is one of the most diverse cities in the country. People from different regions of the country and world come here to build a life. Different dialects can be heard when walking on the roads of Pune. As you venture into the city, you find the old Pune in the heart of the city.

The old Pune looks and certainly feels different from the one that is coming up now. The first thing that one would notice about old Pune is that everything is built close to each other. Roads are narrow, the small buildings hardly have place between them and people mostly walk instead of using cars. As you start listening to the sounds around you, you realise that most people here are Marathi speaking.

The old Pune consists of all the ‘vadas’, 17 ‘peths’ and Lakshmi Road. The rest of the city is termed as new Pune. Marathi literature, art and drama are a major part of the old Pune’s culture. People living there are very religious and the most prominent religion there is Hinduism. Countless famous Marathi writers, poets, singers, artists and actors live here. Scholars and intellectuals were born here. Old Pune is a very traditional area. Their lives are full of history and they take immense pride in it. One can still see the structures created by the Marathas and the Peshwas.

The new Pune on the other hand is completely different. The culture has been influenced by the thousands of westernised students coming to the city. They brought with them fashion, malls, multiplexes and technology. Young IT professional contribute to the same. The rest of the citizens quickly caught on to the trends and were not left far behind. Ironically, Lakshmi Road is the most favoured shopping destination for all the mall goers.

The one common thing between the two opposite cultures is love for food. However, there is a difference within this category too. People living in the heart of Pune like to have various kinds of food from all over India, whereas, the modern Pune loves to try out Indian and international food.

Night life in the old Pune hardly exists. Pubs, clubs, bars and hotels are found in the rest of Pune, especially Koregaon Park. Sports are more common in the new Pune than the old one.

Although these are two completely different cultures, they co-exist beautifully. There is mutual respect between the two. Pune is a classic example of how the old and the new can live in peace and harmony.