Pune is a five hour flight to the west from Kolkata, and light years away! What I mean is, economically, developmentally and culturally it was like landing in a different country. And I was quite taken by surprize. The language is different and a few simple demographic stats will explain the following images. Pune is a city of roughly four million people - sixty percent of the people have middle-class income and expectations, forty percent are surviving in slums, thirty percent of the population is muslim, and 2.2 million people are youth under 25 years old (1.8 million are under age 15). India has an enormous futrure work population and the need for access to education and training must be one of the greatest needs.
I was in seminar every day and my only photos are from taxis through town, but none-the-less the photos tell much!
I was in seminar every day and my only photos are from taxis through town, but none-the-less the photos tell much!
Pune skyline - a city of four million and growing
The traffic is somewhat organized and not near as dense as Kolkata. A bustling city with mostly new vehicles, new buses, air-conditioned taxis, motorbikes and scooters, and of course the ubiquitous auto-rickshaw.
This says it all - Pune is an Indian city bustling with industrial development. Volkswagon and Ford are moving in over the next few months.
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Shades of things to come ... developments are springing up everywhere!
Looking like the mediterranean!
Very modern and contemporary architecture. So different from where I live in Kolkata where most buildings were built in 1931 or so. See June 18 posting.
Pune is running! Educational and training facitilities are growing exponentially along with increasing incomes and lifestyles.
Get ready, set, go! Waiting at a stoplight. Fuel is becoming more expensive in India making motorbikes and scooters one of the preferred means of travel.
A young and modernizing population.
Women driving scooters and motor bikes are never seen in Kolkata, but are enjoying their rides here in Pune! Although there are many muslim women who cover their faces as custom, this woman is not muslim, notice the orange saree under her sweater. Women wear head scarves to protect their skin from the sun and lungs from pollution.
One of the new shopping malls. There were also many McDonalds and KFCs. My favourite is Coffee Day, the Starbucks of India!
Young modern Pune woman.
The old is mixing with the new.
Auto-rickshaw driver.
A Ghandian man in early morning sun.
Father and son preparing flowers for their day at the market. So beautiful!
The flower market.
A man delivering goods with his bicycle.
A slower way to live.
Young people on the move and upwardly mobile.
Looks so Mexican with the tile roofs and colourful trucks!
The other forty percent are still just surviving and living in slums. It is such a contrast, so confusing, and will be the greatest challenge for Pune and much of India. Urbanization of the nation is only one of the contributing factors.
Woman in saree carrying pots through the forest. Sarees were scarce compared with Kolkata which seems about ten to fifteen years behind Pune.
A woman on bike in traditional salwah kameez. These were also more scarce in Pune as the population is so young and the young prefer blue jeans.
Waiting for the bus.
The condos where I stayed with my friend Ruby, a wonderful woman from South India. She spoiled me rotten and we had great fun!
Bougainvilla and flame flower trees nestled into bamboo.
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