Poona once the capital of the Maratha empire was captured by the British in 1818. It was developed as an army centre and figured prominently in the Indian struggle for independence. Today it continues its early lead as a centre for education in engineering, defence and management.

Like all big towns Poona has grown leaps and bounds transforming from an idyllic, organised city to a congested mini metro. Most of the interesting monuments date back to the heydey of the Maratha empire – the Shanwarwada built in 1736 was once the palace of the Peshwa Rulers. The 8th century Temple of Pateleshwar stands in the centre of Poona. It is carved from a large single boulder. The Aga Khan’s Palace, the neo Gothic Deccan College, the Council Hall and the Vishrambagh wada are some of the other beautiful monuments.

From Poona one can take excursions to the several forts, hill stations and picnic spots in the Western Ghats. Many of these were visited by Dayal but we shall only peep into a few images of the area.