The name of my hometown is Pune. It is situated in the state of Maharashtra, India. Growing up in Pune was fun. I still remember those days when we didn't have the internet, and life was as if it existed in another dimension! Socializing was, well, more 'social'. Friends used to meet in the college canteen, and we would discuss movies, morality, and the eccentricities of our college professors. We would exchange class notes and the latest audio cassettes. The weather used to be more pleasant. Those were the days when terms like 'global warming' were esoteric. Pornography was a forbidden fruit. Video games consisted of Pac-Man and Mario.
There were several gyms in the town where I grew up. However, the notion of unisex gymnasiums was still not in vogue. Girls had separate gyms. We would have several cricket matches with our rival colleges. Cricket was the one sport (still is) which was seen as the stepping stone to fame and identity. Several of my friends went on to play at the state level. A couple also made it to the national team, though on the "junior" side.
Pune is known as the Oxford of the East. Most of the eminent educational institutions have either originated here, or have their centers in the city. It is also home to the Indian Meteorological Institute, an institution funded by the central government, tasked with conducting research on climatology. Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum is a world famous institution located in Pune. The three-storey building houses various sculptures dating back to the 14th century AD. This museum has immense significance for historians, as it contains artifacts related to medieval Indian history, especially the Maratha period. A popular attraction for tourists is the Mastani Mahal (palace), said to house the remnants of the palace belonging to Mastani, the famous wife of Peshwa Baji Rao 1, who ruled Pune in the latter half of the 17th century. The museum also contains gold and ivory items, along with many musical instruments,...