Welcome to PUNE
GENERAL INFORMATION
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PUNE on the map
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Geography and climate
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As a metropolitan city
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Business
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Education
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Culture
Pune on the map
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8th most populous
metropolitan areas in
India (5.5 million).
180 kms south-east of
Mumbai.
Area 700 sq. Km.
Elevation 500 m.
Cultural capital of
Maharashtra
Oxford of the east,
Detroit of the east.
Geography and Climate
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Jan
26
Pune is located on the western margin of the
Deccan plateau. It is a relatively hilly city.
June to September: a lot of rain, and humid
weather.
November to February: winter; relatively mild;
no central heating
Average temperatures in Centigrades and
precipitation in cms.
Feb
28
Mar
30
April
34
May
36
June
30
12
July
26
17
Aug
26
10
September October November December
25
28
24
22
12
8
2
Metropolitan Pune
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Industrial city
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Tata motors, Bajaj, BMW etc.
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major small scale industrial area
IT hub (Hinjewadi)
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Third largest in India
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Software firms
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Call centers, BPOs
Biotech
Metropolitan Pune
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Pune University
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41 graduate departments on campus
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265 affiliated colleges in Pune and around
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135 institutes
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Humanities, sciences, business, medical, engineering,
professional courses.
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Over a 100, 000 students enrolled.
10 other universities in the city.
Metropolitan Pune
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Largest defence academy in India (NDA)
Huge population of students and young
professionals.
More than 20 national level research institutes.
GETTING AROUND
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Public transport
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Traffic
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Communication and media
Public Transport
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PMPML:
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Buses connect all parts of the city.
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Trips can be planned on line or using the bus
guide.
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Can buy daily/weekly/monthly passes at any
major bus depot
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No transfers!
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Usually very crowded. People touch each
other!
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http://www.pmpml.org/
Transport System
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Auto Rickshaws are like cabs (3 or 6 person
autos).
No call ahead service; one has to walk to a
rickshaw stand or just yell “RICKSHAW”.
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Traffic
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Right Hand Drive. Takes time to change the
orientation!
Lane discipline is usually absent. Traffic jam is a
common thing.
Pedestrian signals usually do not work. Need
some practice to walk and cross busy streets.
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Two wheelers are more than 4 wheelers.
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Fun to ride a bike!! With caution, of course!
Communication
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Widely spoken language is MARATHI
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Everyone understands HINDI
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People understand English, also a lot of people
speak passable English.
Most signs are in English.
Communication
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Prepaid cell phones: most unlocked GSM world cell
phones work in India.
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Buy a prepaid plan in Pune. It is very easy!
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Major service providers: Reliance, Airtel,
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Incoming calls are free!
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Telephone booths.
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Internet Cafes available. Wireless not so common;
advisable to carry your own network cable.
Canada to India: www.keepcalling.com
LIVING
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Money matters
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Sample price guide
Clothing
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General
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Season-wise
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Electricity
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Media
Money Matters
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Indian currency Rupees (1 CAD = 46 Rs.)
Various on line portals available to transfer
money in an Indian bank account. e.g.
Money2india, remit2india etc.
Traveler's checks, Thomas cook, American
express.
Credit cards : cash advances
Money Matters
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Money exchange
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V K C Credit And Forex Services (P) Ltd (Vighnahar Chambers, Karve
Road, Erandwana)
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Centrum Forex Ltd (Sassoon Road, Opposite Jehangir Nursing Home)
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Nucleus Securities Ltd (Aurora Tower (East Wing), Moledina Road)
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State Bank of India
Money Matters
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Cash transactions in most places.
Avoid ripped / grubby notes – check when
accepting
Always count your change; this is not
considered disrespectful.
Try not to carry too much cash on you;
Rs. 500 in your wallet is good enough for
everyday needs.
Sample Price Guide
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Milk : Rs. 35 / liter, bread : Rs. 25
Minimum bus / rickshaw fare : Rs. 8 (rickshaws
have a meter; remember to check this when you
take one)
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Breakfast : Rs. 10 – 35
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Coffee : Rs. 10 – 35
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Lunch / dinner : Rs. 30 – 100
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Fruits & vegetables : usually cheap in a local
market.
Net Cafe : Rs 10 / hour.
Clothing - Generalities
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Cosmopolitan city: no specific dress code.
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Being well-dressed is appreciated
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Avoid skimpy or revealing dressing, especially
if traveling alone
Clothing - Seasonwise
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July - September:
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heavy rains - better to have waterproof
jackets, umbrellas and some warm clothes
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Hot and humid when not raining
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October: usually warm
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November - February:
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Cool – not as much as Canada
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No central heating – warm clothes needed
March - June: Hot, hot, hot!
Electricity
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Lot of power cuts (or load-shedding).
Voltage 240 volts, alternating at 50 cycles /
second.
Need a voltage adapter
Also a plug adapter. 2 round pins or 3 round
pins arranged in a triangle.
Media
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English Daily : Times of India, Indian Express,
Pune Herald, The Hindu, Economic Times,
Pioneer.
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Magazines : Outlook, Frontline,
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A range of satellite channels
FOOD - Enjoy!
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Puneites are known for fondness for food.
Cuisine ranging from Indian to Chinese to Italian to
Continental.
Vegetarian food easily available; even 'pure
vegetarian' restaurants!
No vegan.
Food is relatively cheap – from Rs. 5 for a snack to
Rs. 60 for a meal.
FOOD - caution!
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Indian food is SPICY! - ask for less hot curries
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Avoid street food
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Warm weather implies food spoils faster; avoid
stale food
Carry your own water at all times – invest in a
water bottle
Extra care during Monsoon.
FOOD – Places to visit
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On Fergusson college & J. M. road:
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Vaishali, Rupali
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Wadeshwar, Chaitanya
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Kamat
Pune University campus
Camp area
FOOD – Marathi cuisine
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Marathi thali: Shreyas, Krishna dining hall,
Aashirwad, Badshahi
Marathi breakfast: Sharvari, Janaseva, Sweet
home
Snacks and sweets: Chitale bandhu, Kaka halwai,
Budhani, Kayani's.
Misal: Bedekar, Raamnath, Bapat, Shree
HEALTH CARE
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Some common ailments:
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Common cold, cough
stomach problems
eye burning due to smog.
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Prefer mineral water, fresh food.
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Private health care is better than the public.
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Many walk-in clinics.
HEALTH CARE
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Keep your medical history and other related
information handy.
Gymnasiums are everywhere;
not expensive; Solaris has good swimming pools.
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Running along streets is not suggested; too much
traffic, lack of sidewalks, smoke.
PERSONAL HYGIENE
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Washrooms are hard to find; clean public
washrooms are a rarity
Toilets:
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2 styles: western and squat
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Carry your own toilet paper
Good idea to relieve yourself before leaving
home, college etc.
COLLEGE LIFE
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What to expect
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College culture
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Learning/Teaching culture
WHAT (NOT) TO EXPECT
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Expect:
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Bureaucracy – things take time, be aware of
stuff you need to do and do it early
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Strike!
Don't expect:
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Full functional gym
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Wireless internet
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Online information, registration, library etc.
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Bookstore
COLLEGE CULTURE
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Friendly classmates
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Very competitive
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Enthusiastic and vibrant atmosphere
HOW TEACHING WORKS
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Classes:
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No homework (usually) – self-study is
expected
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No weekly quizzes (in most cases)
Exams:
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Two (usually): midterm and final
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harder than what you may be used to
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Be sure to work on old exams
HOW TEACHING WORKS
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Lecture-style teaching
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What to expect (and not be bogged down by)-
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IST – INDIAN STRETCHABLE TIME
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Lack of email correspondence
No office hours / problem solving sessions;
meet by appointment
Classes can be canceled
TIPS – ACADEMIC SUCCESS
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Self-study; self-appraisal
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Memorize!
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Pitfalls:
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falling behind class
No quizzes – no continuous assessment
IN YOUR FREE TIME
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Excursions
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Hang-outs
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Cultural events
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Shopping
Excursions
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Hikes in Sahyadris
Yuvashakti
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Trekdi
Forts around Pune
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Sinhagad, Purandar, Rajgad, Torna, Lohagad,
Visapur, Koraigad, Tung, Tikona ...
Protected forests
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Maldhok ...
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India is a heterogenous mix
of 1.2 billion people
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Largely conservativeminded: clothing, behaviour;
not very friendly towards
strangers
Easy to befriend; helpful as
friends..sometimes people
will go out of their way to
help
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Very competitive
Huge population = less
discipline
Naïve = easily cheated; be
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Click to add an
outline
Excursions
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Hill stations (summer/rain)
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Lonavala
Mahabaleshwar
Matheran
Dams and back waters (summer/rain)
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Bhor, Koyna, Malshej
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Buddhist caves: Karla, Bhaaje
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Beaches in Konkan : Alibag, Murud etc.
Hang-outs
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Multiplex : E square, City pride, Inox, Ad labs,
Mangala. information available online.
More than 30 single screen theaters.
Music concerts, plays, talk shows, sporting events
etc.
Coffee shops, restaurants, pubs.
Parks : University gardens, Sarasbaug, Peshwe
park, K. N. park, Katraj park etc.
Shopping
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Major shopping attractions: Laxmi road, M G
road, East street, J M road, A B C, Fashion
street, Tulsi Baag.
Malls : Nucleus, Pyramid, Wonder funkey, K K
bazar, Big bazar etc. Detailed info available on
line, yellow pages, pune diary etc.
Large network of convenient stores, local
grocery shops etc.
Cultural Pune
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National festivals and cultural events
through out the year. Arts, literature,
music, spiritualism and food.
Western/rock music concerts and
discos.
Major attractions (not to miss)
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Ganesh festival
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Dahi handi
One of the most secular cities in India
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Personal safety
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Do not venture in secluded areas after dark. If you are
going out at night, move around in groups.
Do not trust your Rickshaw driver too much.
Do not get too friendly with strangers. At the same
time, avoid taking any eatables from them.
Do not wear too revealing clothes, especially when
visiting some religious place.
Personal safety
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Always keep a photocopy of all the important
documents, especially your visa and ID card. It will
help in case the original get stolen or misplaced.
Do not take too much cash out of an ATM at one time;
also do not carry too much cash on your person (upto
Rs.1500 is okay and sufficient).
Be aware and responsible for yourself and your stuff at
all times.
Personal safety
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Beware of pickpockets.
Always count your change; this is not considered an
insult, its the smart thing to do.
In case of any trouble, contact the nearest police station.
Emergency number 100
or Vaishali's cell number ;)
WELCOME TO PUNE
On line resources
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Wikipedia, wiki travel guide
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www.pune.org.uk
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www.virtualpune.com
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www.punecity.com
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www.unipune.ernet.in
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www.punecitymag.com
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www.puneyellowpages.com
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www.aroundpune.com
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www.punepolice.com
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www.pune.in
Pune Videos
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Traffic video 1
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Traffic video 2
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Traffic Video 3
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Around Pune 1
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Sinhagad 1
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Dahi Handi
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Ganesh Festival 1
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Ganesh Festival 2