This travel to Pune was to catch up with an old friend and
talk and share things but it also turned out to be a short travel to Sinhgadh
and get to taste lots of authentic local food of Maharashtra. If you fancy local spicy
food then this blog might have some interest for you J.
When one says Pune, it’s the patriotism of Pune people for
Shivaji maharaj, the women with a scarf which makes them look like a terrorist
and the local yummy and spicy food, one can resonate with.
Talking about Sinhgadh
In and around Pune there are many options for trekkers,
bikers like Lonavala, Khandala, many waterfalls and dams but we chose Sinhgadh
as it is closer to Pune, has a historical importance and is a venture for an
easy short trek.
Located southwest of
the Pune city, around 30 km from central Pune is a fortress named Sinhgadh. The
fort has a long history. The phrase "Gad
aala pan sinha gela" - "We gained the fort, but lost the lion"
reverberates in the fort. To a riders delight it has few hair pin bends. Few patches of the road are not smooth one must ride carefully. As it is a weekend destination for Pune people so you can expect
quite a rush if you choose a weekend or a holiday. As we went on a Sunday,
there was huge traffic jam with cars and bikes and activa on the narrow road specially due to a landslide.
You can trek from the Sinhgadh village all the way to the top or can drive/ride till the top. Due
to a landslide there was a long waiting period hence we parked our car in between at a parking spot and did
a trek for 2 km.
The parking lot had a small place for
eating. The food was simple, yummy and typical local food with Kandha pakoda (
Onion Pakoda) , Bhakri (Jowar Roti) and Pitlah (Chick pea gravy made with
onions). We also had a curd which was served in a bowl made of mud. It was so
creamy and thick that the curd with sugar served as a delight to my taste buds.
With our stomach full we went up. The rains made it
difficult to walk around. On the top there are many shops available to have
corn, ground nuts, ice cream etc. This gate is the Pune gate; the fort is in
its ruins but still gives the image of how sturdy and strong it must have been
during those times.
After walking around, before we started back, we enjoyed the local kulfi from
one of the ice cream vendor. I would definitely recommend it because kulfi was very yummy and was for just 20 rs.
On the way back, we also saw the Khadakwasla dam. Again due
to weekend rush, we decided against spending time there.
Talking about the local food, if you can’t take spice, Pune
food is not for you.
Following are my recommendations to try at following places.
Dabeli: In
Yerwada, at a local vendor in front of Hari ganga society. It’s like a paav
with some interesting fillings inside instead of vada in it. Yummy! I am
drooling.
Jowar roti ( Bhakri) ,
besan (pitlah) , Thesa , kandha pakoda , dahi: In parking lot at Singadh
Misal paav : In
front of central jail.
