Pune is known to have existed as a town since 937 AD.^[2] Shivaji Raje,the founder of the Maratha Empire, lived in Pune as a boy, and later oversaw significant growth and development of the town during his reign. In 1730, Pune became an important political centre as the seat of the Peshwa, the prime minister of the Chhatrapati of Satara. After the town was annexed to British India in 1817, it served as a cantonment town and as the “monsoon capital” of the Bombay Presidency until the independence of India.

Today, Pune is known for its educational facilities, having more than a hundred educational institutes and nine universities^[3]. Pune has well-established Manufacturing, Glass, Sugar and Metal Forging industries since 1950-60s. Pune also has a growing industrial hinterland, with many information technology and automotive companies setting up factories in Pune district.Additionally, Pune city is well known for various cultural activities like Classical Music, Sports, Literature, Foreign language learning and Administrative, Economics, Social Science studies. These activities and job opportunities attract migrants and students from all over India, and also attract students from Middle-East, Iran, Eastern Europe, South-East Asia which makes for a city of many communities and cultures. The city has poor public transport facilities and consequently most of the residents prefer to use their own vehicles (mostly two wheelers).

Name

The name Punna (also transcribed Poona) derives from Punya Nagari (Sanskrit, “City of Virtue”). The oldest reference to this name is on a Rashtrakuta copper plate dated to [937]Current Era in which the town is referred to as Punya-Vishaya or Punak Vishaya^[4]. By the 13th century, it had come to be known as Kasbe Pune or Punavadi. Although the city’s name is sometimes transcribed as Poona in English, a practice particularly common during the British Raj, the spelling “Pune” has now^{[clarification needed]} become standard.

History

The circular Nandi mandapa at the Pataleshwar cave temple, built during the Rashtrakuta dynasty

Shivaji Maharaj was a great king of the Maratha Kingdom

Early and Medieval

Copper plates dated to 758 and 768 show that, by the 8th century, an agricultural settlement known as ‘Punnaka’ existed where Pune is today. The plates indicate that this region was ruled by the Rashtrakutas. The Pataleshwar rock-cut temple complex was also built during this era.

Pune was a part of Yadava Empire of Deogiri from the 9th century to 1327. It was later ruled by the Nizamshahi sultans, until it was annexed by the Mughal empire in the 17th century. In 1595, Maloji Bhosale was appointed the jahagirdar of Pune and Supe by the Mughals^[4].

Maratha and Peshwa rule

In 1625, Shahaji Bhosale appointed Rango Bapuji Dhadphale as the administrator of Pune. He was one of the first major developers of the town, overseeing the construction of the Kasba, Somwar, Ravivar and Shaniwar Peths. After the destruction of town in the raid of Vijapur sultan during 1630, Again from 1636 to 1647, Dadoji Kondev- a military and administrative officer of Shahaji Bhosale, oversaw development and construction in the area, he not only stabilzed revenue system of Pune and 12 Mavals but also developed effective methods to control disputes and law & order situation. Construction also began on the Lal Mahal palace, as Shahaji’s son, Shivaji Bhosale (later Chattrapati Shivaji) was to move there with his mother Jijabai. The Lal Mahal was completed in 1640^[4]. Jijabai is said to have commissioned the building of the Kasba Ganapati temple herself. The Ganapati idol consecrated at this temple is regarded as the presiding deity (gramadevata) of the city^[5].

Shivaji was crowned Chhatrapati in 1674, he oversaw further development in Pune, including the construction of the Guruwar, Somwar, Ganesh and Ghorpade Peths.

Baji Rao I became Peshwa of the Maratha empire, ruled by Chattrapati Shahuji, in 1720. By 1730, the palace of Shaniwarwada had been constructed on the banks of the Mutha river, ushering in the era of Peshwa control of the city. The patronage of the Peshwas resulted in the construction of many temples and bridges in the city, including the Lakdi Pul, Parvati temple and the Sadashiv, Narayan, Rasta and Nana Peths. The Peshwas fell into decline after their loss in the Third Battle of Panipat in 1761. In 1802, Pune was captured from the Peshwa by Yashwantrao Holkar in the Battle of Poona, directly precipitating the Second Anglo-Maratha War of 1803-05.

British Raj

The Third Anglo-Maratha War broke out between the Marathas and the British in 1817. The Peshwas were defeated at the Battle of Khadki (then transcribed Kirkee) on 5 November 1817 near Pune, and the city was seized.^[6] It was placed under the administration of the Bombay Presidency, and the British built a large military cantonment to the east of the city (now used by the Indian Army). The Pune Municipality was established in 1858. Pune was at one time the “monsoon capital” of the Bombay Presidency.

Nanasaheb Peshwa, the adopted son of the last Peshwa Bajirao II, rose against British East India Company rule in 1856, as part of the Indian Mutiny. He was helped by Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi and Tatya Tope. After the mutiny failed, the final remnants of the Maratha empire were annexed to British India.

Pune was an important centre for the social and religious reform movements of the late 19th century. Many prominent social reformers and freedom fighters lived here, including Bal Gangadhar Tilak a.k.a Lokmanya Tilak, Maharshi Vitthal Ramji Shinde and Jyotirao Phule.

Modern (1947- Present)

After Indian Independence, Pune saw lot of developments like formation of NDA, Khadakwasla, NCL, Pashan and some other research institute. Pune also served as headquarters of Southern Command of army. Industrial developments started around 1950-60s in Hadapsar, Bhosari, Pimpari, Parvati Industrial estate. Telco (now Tata Motors) started operations in 1961, which gave a huge boost to the automobile sector. Pune was referred at that time as “Pensioners’ Paradise” as lot of government officers, civil engineers, and Army personnel preferred to settle down in Pune after their retirement. Pune had 200,000 bicycles at that time. In July 1961, Panshet dam busted and its waters flooded the city, destroying most of the older sections, giving a chance for modern town planning concepts to be put into use. This unfortunate incident however led constructive developments in city as economy of city witnessed boom in construction and manufacturing sectors. By 1966, the City has expanded in all directions. After 1970, Pune emerged as the leading engineering city of the country especially in the automotive sector with Telco, Bajaj, Kinetic, Bharat Forge, Alfa Laval, Thermax, etc. expanding their infrastructure, city also gained reputation of ‘Oxford of East’ due to a large number of educational institutes. In 1989, Dehu Road-Katraj bypass (Western bypass) was completed, reducing traffic congestion in the inner city. In 1990 Pune began to attract foreign capital, particularly in the information technology and engineering industries; new businesses like floriculture and food processing begin to take root in and around the city. In 1998, work on the six-lane Mumbai-Pune expressway started and it was completed in 2001 as a huge accomplishment for the country. Two-three years before 2000 saw huge development in Information Technology sector as IT Parks formed in Aundh, Hinjewadi and Nagar road. Then, by 2005, Pune overtook Mumbai, Chennai to have more than 2 Lakh IT professionals. Year 2008 saw huge developments near Chakan and Talegaon region with MNCs like General Motors, Volkswagen, and Fiat have set up greenfield facilities near Pune. Additionally, in a year 2008 also saw Commonwealth Youth games which saw huge development in north-west region of city and added few CNG buses on Pune’s road.

Geography

Pune is located at the confluence of the Mula and Mutha rivers

Pashan lake is a man made lake

Pune is located 560 m (1,837 ft) above sea level on the western margin of the Deccan plateau. It is situated on the leeward side of the Sahyadri mountain range (the Western Ghats), which separate it from the Arabian sea. It is a relatively hilly city, with its tallest hill, Vetal Hill, rising to 800 m (2,625 ft) above sea level. Just outside the city, the Sinhagad fort is located at a height of 1300 m.

Central Pune is located at the confluence of the Mula and Mutha rivers. The Pavana and Indrayani rivers, tributaries of the Bhima river, traverse the northwestern outskirts of metropolitan Pune. Pune lies very close to the seismically active zone around Koyna Dam, about 100 km south of the city, and has been rated in Zone 4 (on a scale of 2 to 5, with 5 being the most prone to earthquakes) by the India Meteorological Department. Pune has experienced some moderate-intensity and many low-intensity earthquakes in its history. Although no major earthquakes have originated in Pune itself, an earthquake of magnitude 3.2 took place in the Katraj region near Pune on May 17 2008, and a low intensity earthquake observed on night of 30 July 2008 was measured at 4.2 as per news resources around 12:41 am^{[citation needed]}. The epicenter for the earthquake was in Koyna Dam field 2004^[7].

Climate

Pune has a tropical wet and dry climate with average temperatures ranging between 20 °C to 28 °C.

Pune experiences three distinct seasons: summer, monsoon and winter. Typical summer months are from March to May, with maximum temperatures ranging from 30 to 38 °C (85 to 100 °F). The warmest month in Pune is April; although summer doesn’t end until May, the city often receives locally developed heavy thundershowers in May (although humidity remains high). Even during the hottest months, the nights are usually cool due to Pune’s high altitude. The highest temperature ever recorded was 43.3 °C (109 °F) on April 30, 1897^[8].

The monsoon lasts from June to October, with moderate rainfall and temperatures ranging from 10 °C to 28 °C (50 °F to 82 °F). Most of the 722 mm of annual rainfall in the city fall between June and September, and July is the wettest month of the year. Pune once received rainfall on 29 consecutive days^{[citation needed]}.

Winter begins in November; November in particular is known as the Rosy Cold (Marathi: गुलाबी थंडी). The daytime temperature hovers around 28 °C (83 °F) while night temperature is below 10 °C (50 °F) for most of December and January, often dropping to 5 or 6 °C (42 °F). The lowest temperature ever recorded was 1.7 °C on January 17, 1935^[9].

Road

Pune Bypass helps traffic from the north to south bypass easily

Both public transport (autorickshaws and buses) and private transport (cars, motorcycles and scooters) are popular in Pune. According to one study, there were then 400,000 cars and 1.7 million two-wheelers in Pune in 2007^{[citation needed]}. More than 200,000 vehicles are added to the traffic in Pune every year.

Pune BRTS is the first Bus rapid System in India

Public buses within the city and its suburbs are operated by the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML). A Pune Bus Rapid Transit system has been proposed, in which dedicated bus lanes would allow buses to travel quickly through the city. Buses to towns within Pune district surrounding Pune, as well as cities throughout Maharashtra are run by the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation. Private bus companies also run buses to major cities throughout India, especially Mumbai. Initially, about 10 years ago, the public transport was a little too bad. Recently, a new fleet of buses have started plying and doing good business; morover, routes have been extended/added to cope up with the burdening population of the metro. Lately (since August 2008), CNG (Compressed natural gas) buses have started operating and saving fuel cost for the government. Pune is well-connected to other cities by Indian highways and state highways. National Highway 4 (NH 4) connects it to Mumbai and Bangalore, NH 9 to Solapur and Hyderabad, and NH 50 to Nashik. State highways connect it to Ahmednagar, Aurangabad, and Alandi.

MSRTC’s “Shivneri” Volvo Bus from Pune to Mumbai

Since 2002, Pune has been connected to Mumbai via the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, India’s first six-lane high-speed expressway. Both pre-paid air-conditioned “cool” cabs and private bus companies ply this route, connecting Mumbai and Pune in three hours.Out of the total distance of 165 km from Mumbai to Pune, the Express Highway part is 96 km.A ring road is being planned to be constructed for the convenience of traffic.

The Mumbai-Pune Expressway as seen from Khandala

Pune is served by two intra-city highways:

1. Old Pune-Mumbai Highway: This is a major arterial road serving the Pune metropolitan area. The highway begins at the centre of the city i.e. Shivaji Nagar and stretches up to Dehu Road. Most sections of the highway feature 8 lanes (4 in each direction). It features a series of flyovers and underpasses making certain sections traffic signal-free.
2. Western Bypass: This road is a part of the National Highway 4 and forms a metropolitan bypass of the city, skirting through its western border. It is also known as Katraj-Dehu Road Bypass Highway. It stretches from Dehu Road in the north to Katraj in the south. This highway features 4 lanes (2 in each direction) and a series of flyovers/grade-separators. All the westbound roads of Pune intersect this highway.

The Nashik City-Pune Highway NH 50: This is the Highway totally devoted to traffic from nashik city to pune and from pune to nashik city.A big highway featuring 4 lanes and a series of Tunnels and Bypasses.Sangamner Bypass is still on work.It will make the golden triangle(Nashik-Pune-Mumbai). Pune has witnessed an extraordinary growth in vehicular density and has consequently seen an alarmingly high increase in traffic offenses, accidents, and fatalities resulting from these.^[10]

Rail

A rapid transit system has been proposed in Pune, from past 5 years and is scheduled to begin operations in 2010^[11]. It is being planned in consultation with Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited, the corporation which built and operates the Delhi Metro. Three routes have been identified thus far:

• Warje-Chinchwad, via Karve road, Jangli Maharaj road, Shivajinagar, and the Pune-Mumbai road (22 km, elevated)
• Shivajinagar-Kalyaninagar, via Raja Bahadur Mill road and the Pune-Ahmednagar road (13 km, elevated)
• Agriculture College-Swargate, via Shivaji road (10 km, underground)

The city has two railway stations, one in the city and the other at Shivajinagar. Both stations are administrated by the Pune division of the Central Railways, which extends from after Lonavala (which is administered by the Mumbai CSTM division) to before Daund (which is under the Solapur division), to Baramati, and to Hubli (via Miraj)^{[citation needed]}. All the railway lines to Pune are broad gauge, with double electrified lines (1500 volt DC traction) to Lonavala, a double non-electrified line to Daund, and single non-electrified lines to Kolhapur via Miraj and Baramati via Daund.

The city has Pune-Miraj-Hubli-Bangalore rail track which is one of the most important track in Maharashtra.

Local trains (EMUs) connect Pune to the industrial town of Pimpri-Chinchwad and the hill station of Lonavala, while daily express trains connect Pune to Mumbai, Howrah, Delhi, Jammutawi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore,Jamshedpur(Tatanagar) and so on. There is a train which connects Nashik to pune. At Pune, there is diesel locomotive shed (DLS) and electric trip shed (ETS).

Air

Pune International Airport is an international airport at Lohegaon, operated by the Airports Authority of India. It shares its runways with the neighboring Indian Air Force base, the only one of its kind in the world. Apart from domestic flights to all major Indian cities, this airport serves two international direct flights: one to Dubai (operated by Air India Express), and one to Frankfurt (operated by Lufthansa on an exclusively business class jet). New airport at Chakan is opening shortly The Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation is responsible for the design and construction of a new Pune International Airport. The area between Chakan and Rajgurunagar, around the villages of Chandus and Shiroli, is currently being considered as a construction site. If constructed here, it will be 40 km from central Pune along the Pune-Nashik National highway (NH-50)and will be the largest one in Asia.

Civic Administration

Statue of Aryabhata on the grounds of IUCAA, Pune.

The city of Pune is managed by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). The Corporation consists of 149 directly elected councilors^[12], who are led by the Mayor of Pune, a titular position mainly acting as an ambassador and representative of the city. Actual executive power is vested in the Municipal Commissioner, an officer of the Indian Administrative Service who is appointed by the Maharashtra state government.

Apart from the PMC, four other administrative bodies are active within the Pune metropolitan area:

• Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC)^[13], responsible for Pimpri-Chinchwad and its surroundings,Pune is International Airport.
• Khadki Cantonment Board (KCB)^[14], responsible for Khadki,
• Pune Cantonment Board (PCB)^[15], responsible for Pune Cantonment, and
• Dehu Road Cantonment Board, responsible for the Dehu Road area.

A plan to establish a single Pune Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (PMRDA), consisting of the combined municipal councils, corporations, and other local governments of Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Lonavala, Talegaon, Bhor, Shirur, Saswad, the three cantonments and hundred villages near the city, has been considered since 1997, but might come to fruition this year^[16]. This body will then be the executing authority which will acquire and develop reserve land to improve the infrastruction of the Pune metropolitan area.

The Pune Police is headed by the Police Commissioner of Pune, an officer of the Indian Police Service. The Pune Police report to the state ministry.

Military establishments

The National War Memorial (Maharashtra)

Pune has been a prominent cantonment town since the early 1800s. Several important battles were fought in and around Pune, including the battle of Khadki (1817) and the battle of Koregaon (1818). Many military establishments have been set up here, including:

• The headquarters of the Indian Army’s Southern Command^[17].
• College of Military Engineering where the sappers of the Indian Army are trained.
• The Bombay Engineering Group or the Bombay Sappers, as they are commonly known, have had their Centre in Pune since 1837 and in its present location in Khadki since 1869.
• The National Defence Academy (NDA) at Khadakwasla, the joint services academy where Army, Navy and Air Force cadets are trained together before they go for their pre-commission training to their respective academies.
• The Armed Forces Medical College trains doctors and nurses for the three services.
• Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (previously the Institute of Armament Technology)
• High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL)
• Armament Research & Development Establishment (ARDE)
• Reaserch & Developement Est. for engineers, Dighee (R&DE)
• Army Institute of Physical Training (AIPT) and Army Sports Institute
• Ordnance factories – Ammunition Factory (AFK) and High Explosive Factory (HEF), located at Khadki.
• Army Institute of Technology, Pune (AIT) is an engineering college meant for the wards of Indian Army personnel (serving or retired) which is located at Dighi Hills in Pune, Maharashtra, India and affiliated to the University of Pune.

An old war memorial built to commemorate all who fought from Poona in the Great War is located opposite Sassoon Hospital. A new war memorial, the National War Memorial (Maharashtra) is located in Pune Cantonment near Ghorpadi. This memorial commemorates the sacrifice of Maharashtrian soldiers of the Indian Armed Forces who lost their lives in the conflicts fought by independent India.

Demographics

As per 2001 census of India, the population of Pune urban agglomeration is 3,529,900.^[19] This includes the towns of Khadki, Pimpri-Chinchwad and Dehu. Growth in the software and education sectors has led to an influx of skilled labour from across India. The migrating population rose from 43,900 in 2001 to 88,200 in 2005^[20]. Almost 30 percent of Pune’s population lives in slums. The sharp increase in censorial decade of 1991–2001 can be attributed to absorption of 38 fringe villages into Pune city.^[18] The literacy rate is about 81%, 1% higher than the national average. ^[21]

Marathi is the official and the most widely spoken language, while Hindi and English are understood and spoken widely. The dialect of Marathi spoken in Pune has been suggested to be the “standard” form of the language^[22]. Pune has many white-collar professionals thanks to a large number of educational, research and training institutes spread throughout the city.^{[citation needed]}.

Pune has a substantial population of Brahmins more than (20% to be more specific) which is the highest for any city in Maharastra. Pune also has large number of Muslim Population around 10-12%.half of these Muslims speak Marathi very well, remainder speak Hindi and Urdu. People from Muslim Dawoodi Bohra community are also found in the city. Additionally, Pune city also hosts Jewish population; David Sasson was the Jewish trader who donated huge amount for Sasson Hospital. Pune is the only city (other than Surat,Navsari,Mumbai,Ahmadabad) to host huge number of Parsi Population, majority of these Parsis found in Camp, Pune Station, and Koregaon Park and Nagar road. Sikh Gurudwaras can be found in Guruwar Peth and Dehuroad area of the Pune. Pune’s Buddhist population found primarily in Yerawada and Parvati area.

According to the Pune Municipal Corporation, 38.9% of its population lived in slums in 2001.^[23]

Economy

Infosys office building in Pune

As one of the largest cities in India, and as a result of its many colleges and universities, Pune is emerging as a prominent location for IT and manufacturing companies to expand to. An Internet survey did rank Pune as the cheapest city in the world in 2009 for goods and services^[24].

Automotive

The automotive sector is particularly prominent. All sectors of the automotive industry are represented, from two-wheelers and autorickshaws (Bajaj Auto, Kinetic Motor Company) to cars (Volkswagen, General Motors, Tata Motors, Mercedes-Benz, Fiat,Peugeot) Tractors (John Deere) to tempos Excavators (JCB Mfg. Co. Ltd.) and trucks (Force Motors). Automotive components (TATA Autocomp Systems Limited TACO, Visteon, Continental Corporation, ITW, SKF, Magna) are also manufactured here. Other automotive companies including General Motors, Volkswagen, and Fiat have set up greenfield facilities near Pune, leading The Independent to cite Pune as India’s “Motor City”^[25].

Other Manufacturing

Engineering goods manufactured in Pune include forges (Bharat Forge), Truck Transmissions Systems, Clutches & Hydraulic components Eaton Corporation, and engines (Kirloskar Oil Engines, Cummins). Other major manufacturers include Alfa Laval, Thyssen Krupp and Black & Veatch, Saint-Gobain Sekurit (Automotive safety glass.)

India’s largest engineering conglomerate the Kirloskar Group is based in Pune and was one of the first to set up manufacturing facilities in Pune. Kirloskar Brothers Limited (One of the World’s largest Pump Company’s), Kirloskar Oil Engines(The Worlds largest Genset Company), Kirloskar Pneumatics Co Ltd and other Kirloskar companies are based in Pune.

Other goods are also manufactured in the area. Electronic goods are manufactured by multinational companies such as the Whirlpool Corporation and the LG Group. Food giants like Frito Lay and Coca Cola have food processing plants, while newer companies such as Tasty Bite have a nearby farm. Many small and medium-sized companies are also active, producing components for larger companies and creating unique components for the Indian marketplace.

Software and Information Technology

The HSBC Global Technology Center at Kalyani Nagar develops software for the entire HSBC group^[26].

Pune has a rapidly growing software industry as well, with multinational companies such as Applied Micro Circuits Corporation, Tata Consultancy Services, BitWise Solutions,Cognizant technology Solutions, BMC Software, Persistent Systems, Tech Mahindra,Patni Computer Systems, Accenture, Wipro, L & T Infotech and Infosys, Zensar, Cybage, having large offices here. Some global organisations have set up their technology development centres in Pune, for example, Barclays Technology Centre, HSBC Global Technology Center, Cybernet Slash Support and John Deere Technology Center. The growing software industry has led to the construction of IT parks to encourage new IT companies. This includes the Rajiv Gandhi IT Park at Hinjawadi, the Magarpatta Cybercity, the MIDC Software Technology Park at Talawade, the Marisoft IT Park and Kumar Cerebrum IT Park at Kalyani Nagar, the International Convention Centre (ICC), Weikfield IT Park and many others.

Business process outsourcing companies have also seen significant growth here, with companies like WNS, Kale Consultants, Convergys, MphasiS, Infosys BPO, EXL, Wipro BPO, Next, vCustomer, Ventura, 3 Global Services and others setting up operations here, including JCB Excavators LTD.

Startups

Although the IT Services sector remains a major driver of the economy and jobs created here, Pune’s NRI diaspora and first-generation of successful technology entrepreneurs are encouraging a renaissance of entrepreneurial activity. Active startup oriented organizations in Pune include the Pune OpenCoffee Club, NASSCOM Emerge and TiE Pune. Notable valley-based startups that have setup development centers in Pune include Dr. Suhas Patil’s Cradle Technologies, Zmanda and Komli Media.

Education and Research

Fergusson College is one of the oldest colleges in India.

The University of Pune

National Chemical Laboratory

Pune has more than a hundred educational institutes and nine universities^[3], and has acquired a reputation as ‘The Oxford of the East’, with students from all over the world studying at the colleges of the University of Pune. Pune has more schools, colleges and universities than any other city in the world.

Basic and Special Education

Public schools (known locally as municipality schools) are run by the PMC, and are affliated with the MSBSHSE. Private schools are run by educational trusts or individuals. They are usually affliated to either the state board or to national education boards, such as the ICSE or CBSE boards.

Pune is the largest centre for Japanese learning in India^{[citation needed]}. JLPT exams are held every December. Instruction in Japanese is provided by many educators, including the University of Pune. Other languages including German (taught at the Max Muller Bhavan) and French (at the Alliance Francaise de Poona) are popular in the city.

University Education

Most colleges in Pune are affiliated to the University of Pune, established in 1948. Seven other deemed universities have also been established in the city^[27].

The College of Engineering, Pune, founded in 1854, is the second-oldest engineering college in Asia. The Deccan Education Society was founded by several local citizens in 1884, including social and political activist Bal Gangadhar Tilak^[28], and was responsible for founding Fergusson College in 1885. This society currently maintains and operates 32 institutes in Pune.

The University of Pune, the National Defence Academy, Film and Television Institute of India, National Film Archives, Armed Forces Medical College and National Chemical Laboratory were established in Pune after the independence of India.

Symbiosis International University, which operates 33 different colleges and institutions in the city, is one of India’s largest private universities. The best institution within the Symbiosis Umbrella being SCMHRD (Symbiosis Center for Management and Human Resource Development) amongst others is ranked amongst the top management institutes in the country.

ILS Law College, established by the Indian Law Society is one of the top ten law schools in India. Established medical schools such as the Armed Forces Medical College and Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Medical College train students from all over Maharashtra and India and are amongst the top medical colleges in India. Military Nursing College (affiliated to the AFMC) ranks among the top nursing colleges in the world^{[citation needed]}.

Research Institutes

In addition to the University of Pune, Pune is home to several research institutions of national importance. Located adjacent to the university is the National Chemical Laboratory, one of the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) and the Centre for Materials for Electronics Technology (C-MET), while the university campus houses the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics and the National Centre for Cell Science.

The KEM Hospital Research Centre, Central Water and Power Research Station (CW & PRS), National Institute Of Bank Management (NIBM), NIC [National Informatics Centre], the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, the Agharkar Research Institute and the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), and the National AIDS Research Institute are all in or around Pune. YASHADA, which is the Administrative Training Institute of Maharashtra is situated next to the Raj Bhavan in Pune.

The Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute was established in 1917 and is a world-renowned institute for research and instruction in the Sanskrit and Prakrit languages and houses more than 20,000 ancient manuscripts. The National Institute of Virology and National Insurance Academy are located in Pune. Pune also houses the Tata Research Development and Design Centre, a research unit of Tata Consultancy Services, working in the areas of computer science and modeling/simulation for materials processing.

Several military and armament research organizations are also located in Pune (see the Military establishments section in this article).

Culture

As the largest city with a predominantly Marathi-speaking populace, Pune is closely associated with Marathi art, literature, drama and religious beliefs. Many Marathi writers, poets, actors, singers and other celebrities live in Pune. In recent years, cinemas, discos and clubs have also opened up as the younger, westernized college students and young professionals make their presence felt. Pune also has a food culture that includes numerous street foods such as “Vada paav, pani puri, ragda raav, kutchi daabeli, sev puri, dahi poori, pav bhaji, egg bhurji, chanachur, guddi ke baal and gola.”^[29]

Pune Diaspora

Many Pune residents temporarily live all over the world, from Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad to U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, Singapore and so on.

Literature and Theatre

The form of Marathi spoken in Pune is held as the standard form of the language.^[30]

Lisa Klopfer, librarian at Eastern Michigan University,^[31] observed in her overview of district libraries that the city’s metropolitan area “has an estimated population of over five million, but retains [its] older neighborhoods and the aura of an intellectual center.”^[32] As the agro-pharmaceutical business has dwindled in recent decades, immigration from erstwhile tribal peoples now accounts for seventy percent of population growth and education syllabi have not adjusted in accordance with other industrialised regions.^[33][34]

This has created what has become an exclusive environment in the government’s expansion of education infrastructure, and Marathi literati have have received a number of grants in areas that were previously ignored. Marathi theatre (नाटक or रंगभूमी in Marathi) is an integral part of Marathi culture. Both experimental (प्रायोगिक रंगभूमी) and professional theatre receive extensive patronage from the Marathi community. The Tilak Smarak Mandir, Bala Gandharva Rangmandir, Bharat Natya Mandir, Yashwantrao Chavan Natyagriha and Sudarshan Rangmanch are prominent theatres in the city. The theatre near swargate Ganesh Kala Krida Rangamanch is asia’s largest theatre having AC and Dolby Surround System with capacity of 3,000 people.

The comic genius Spike Milligan (born in Ahmednagar in 1918) lived in Pune as a child, from 1922 to 1930 in the civil lines at Climo Road. The city made a remarkable and lasting impression upon him. He wrote about India for the rest of his life, and his imagination was imbued constantly with the sights, sounds and activity of Pune. He learnt Urdu from his nanny, and could still manage phrases in that language until his death – in 2002.

Every December, Pune hosts the three-day long Sawai Gandharva Music Festival. It presents Hindustani and Carnatic classical music. During the festival of Diwali, Pahat Diwali is a musical programme that begins in the early morning hours. Pune also hosts Vasantostav music festival.

Pune has given many famous artists to the traditional Indian music world. Well known names are great vocalist Pandit Bhimsen Joshi and in earlier generation to gifted Sitarist Pandit Chandrakant Sardeshmukh.

As per wish of Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Pandit Chandrakant Sardeshmukh has initiated an under graduate department of Music Dance and Drama on University of Pune campus as a student founder in 1980. This is named as Lalit Kala Kendra and started formally in 1987 with Pandit Chandrakant Sardeshmukh as first joint coordinator. This department is currently led by Prof. Satish Alekar. This department has Gurukul and formal education system combined. Well known artists like great vocalist Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, well known Kathak Dancers Rohini Bhate and Manisha Sathe ,renowned Bharatnatyam dancer Sucheta Bhide Chapekar, renowned viloinist Atul Upadhye and so many artists teach here as University Teachers and Traditional Gurus.

Religion

Chaturshringi Temple

Dagadusheth Halwai Ganapati temple

With 200,000 visitors annually, the Osho International Meditation Resort in Pune is one of the largest spiritual centres in the world

Hinduism is the most commonly practised religion in Pune, although many mosques, gurudwaras, Jain temples and other religious buildings are found throughout the city^{[citation needed]}. The most prominent Hindu temple in Pune is the Parvati temple, located on Parvati hill and visible from most of the inner suburbs. The most famous is likely the Chaturshringi Temple, located on the slopes of a hill in the northwest of the city. During Navratri (which usually falls in the month of September), there is a large procession to this temple and worshippers gather from around the country to pray here.The presiding god of Pune city is the Kasba Ganapati, whose temple is found in Kasba Peth in central Pune.

Since 1894, Pune has celebrated Ganesh Chaturthi as a ten-day long festival, in which most neighborhoods put up a pandal (tent) with an idol of Ganesha, often amidst a religious setting, complete with decorative lights and festive music. This festival culminates with a parade of Ganesh idols from across the city carried to the local rivers to be immersed (Ganesh visarjan). The Kasba Ganapati, as the presiding deity of the city, is the first in this parade. The idea of a public celebration was initiated by Lokmanya Tilak in Pune, and has since spread to many other cities, particularly Mumbai, which has a massive parade every year.

Significant religious leaders Sant Dnyaneshwar (born in Alandi in the 13th century) and poet Sant Tukaram (born in Dehu in the 17th century) were born near Pune. Their link to the city is commemorated with an annual pilgrimage to Pandharpur, 300 kilometers away, consisting of a palkhi of both figures being carried to the main temple of the Hindu god Vithoba. The pilgrimage is timed to end on the auspicious day of Aashadhi Ekadasshi.

Pune was once home to a group of the Bene Israel, a Jewish community in western India. Although many of them migrated to Israel after Indian independence, it remains home to Asia’s largest synagogue, the Ohel David Synagogue (known locally as the Lal Deval, or Red Temple).

The Shrutisagar Ashram, located at Phulgaon village off Ahmednagar road, houses the Vedanta Research Centre and a unique temple of Lord Dakshinamurthy, located near the confluence of the Bhima, Bhama and Indrayani rivers. It was established in 1989 by Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati. Here one can find detailed explanations of śruti and smrti (including the Vedas, Bhagwat Gita, Upanishads and Puranas) in Marathi and English.

Pune has been associated with several significant spiritual teachers. Osho (known earlier as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh) lived and taught in Pune for much of the 1970s and 1980s. The Osho International Meditation Resort, one of the world’s largest spiritual centers, is located in the Koregaon Park area. It has visitors from over a hundred countries^[35]. Pune is also the birthplace of spiritual guru Meher Baba, although pilgrims usually travel to Meherabad. Hazrat Babajan, according to Meher Baba one of the five Perfect Masters of her time, lived the final 25 years of her life in Pune. She established her final residence first under a neem tree near Bukhari Shah’s mosque in Rasta Peth and later another neem tree in the then-dilapidated section of Pune called Char Bawdi where she remained the rest of her life. Her Samadhi tomb shrine is located in pune ^[36].

The ISKCON movement also has a presence in the city, with the Sri Radha Kunjbihari Mandir.

B. K. S. Iyengar, an internationally known yoga master, established the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute in Pune in 1975, in order to train students in the Iyengar Yoga System.

Museums, Parks and Zoos

Pu. La. Deshpande Garden

Prominent museums in Pune include the Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum, Mahatma Phule Museum, Babasaheb Ambedkar Museum, Pune Tribal Museum and the National War Museum.

Pune has a number of public gardens, such as the Kamala Nehru Park, Sambhaji Park, Shahu Udyan, Peshwe Park, Saras Baug, Empress Garden, and Bund Garden. The Pune-Okayama Friendship Garden, now renamed Pu La Deshpande Udyan, is a recreation of the Korakuen Garden in Okayama, Japan^[37].

The Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park is located at Katraj, close to the city ^[38]. The zoo, earlier located at Peshwe Park, was merged with the reptile park at Katraj in 1999.

The College of Military Engineering has a small rail museum as part of their larger Corps Equipment Museum. A large railway museum is also coming up in Lonavala about 60 km away from the city on the Mumbai railway line.

Food

Common street food in Pune includes bhakri (flattened millet pancakes) with pitla (a flour-based curry), Vada Pav, Bhelpuri, Pani Puri, misal and kacchi dhabeli,Pav bhaji. The mastani, a thick milkshake containing dried fruit, is a speciality of the city. It is named after Mastani, the controversial mistress of the Peshwa Baji Rao I in the 17th century.

Like any other cosmopolitan city, food from all over the world is available in the city’s restaurants. A large number of Udupi, Kolhapuri and Maharashtrian restaurants may be found, along with many low-priced dining halls catering to students and office goers. Popular fast-food franchises in the city include Pizza Hut, McDonald’s, Subway, KFC, Smokin’ Joes and Papa Johns. There are several coffee houses (including Irani cafes) and modern chains such as Cafe Coffee Day, Mocha’s and Barista Lavazza Coffee.

The food/snack joints popular among the locals are Vaishali (Fergusson College Road), Sharvaree and Shabari (Fergusson College Road),Kalyan Bhel at various locations, Pushkarni Bhel (adjacent Bajirao Road), Sujata Mastani (at Sadashiv Peth),Relax Pav Bhaji at Sahakar Nagar, Durga Cafe and Anand Juice Bar(at Kothrud) and Marz’o'rin Sandwiches (at Camp). German Bakery at Koregaon Park, The Shrewsbery biscuits of Kayani Bakery are famous. Also popular are the soy beverages and doughnuts produced by Spicer Memorial College (Aundh).

Night Life

Pubs, discothèques, bars, hotels, and many other places have sprung up to cater to the needs of the citizens in the nights. There are numerous bars and pubs in city specially in Koregaon Park area.

Mumbai is the commercial and entertainment centre of India, generating 5% of India’s GDP,^[5] and accounting for 25% of industrial output, 40% of maritime trade, and 70% of capital transactions to India’s economy.^[6] Mumbai is home to important financial institutions such as the Reserve Bank of India, the Bombay Stock Exchange, the National Stock Exchange of India and the corporate headquarters of many Indian companies and numerous multinational corporations. The city also houses India’s Hindi film and television industry, known as Bollywood. Mumbai’s business opportunities, as well as its potential to offer a higher standard of living, attract migrants from all over India and, in turn, make the city a potpourri of many communities and cultures.

Toponymy

The name Mumbai is an eponym, etymologically derived from Mumba or Maha-Amba—the name of the Koli goddess Mumbadevi—and Aai, “mother” in Marathi.^[7] The former name Bombay had its origins in the 16th century when the Portuguese arrived in the area and called it by various names such as Mombai, Mombay, Mombayn, Mombaym, and Bombai, which finally took the written form Bombaim, still common in current Portuguese use.^[8] After the British gained possession in the 17th century, it was believed to be anglicised to Bombay from the Portuguese Bombaim.^[9] The city was known as Mumbai or Mambai to Marathi and Gujarati-speakers, and as Bambai in Hindi, Persian, and Urdu. It is sometimes still referred to by its older names, such as Kakamuchee and Galajunkja.^[10][11] The name was officially changed to its Marathi pronunciation of Mumbai in 1996.^[12] This was in keeping with the policy of renaming colonial institutions after historical local names.^[13]

“Mumbai” written in Marathi at the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower.

A widespread explanation of the origin of the traditional English name Bombay holds that it was derived from a Portuguese name meaning “good bay”. This is based on the fact that bom (masc.) is Portuguese for “good” whereas the English word “bay” is similar to the Portuguese baía (fem., bahia in old spelling). The normal Portuguese rendering of “good bay” would have been boa bahia rather than the grammatically incorrect bom bahia. However, it is possible to find the form baim (masc.) for “little bay” in 16th-century Portuguese.^[9] José Pedro Machado seems to reject the “Bom Bahia” hypothesis, asserting that Portuguese records mentioning the presence of a bay at the place led the English to assume that the noun (bahia, “bay”) was an integral part of the Portuguese toponym, hence the English version Bombay, adapted from Portuguese.^[14]

Other sources have a different origin for the Portuguese toponym Bombaim. José Pedro Machado’s Dicionário Onomástico Etimológico da Língua Portuguesa (“Portuguese Dictionary of Onomastics and Etymology”) mentions what is probably the first Portuguese reference to the place, dated from 1516, as Benamajambu or Tena-Maiambu,^[15] pointing out that “Maiambu” seems to refer to Mumba-Devi, the Hindu goddess after which the place is named in Marathi (Mumbai). In that same century, the spelling seems to have evolved to Mombayn (1525)^[16] and then Mombaim (1563).^[17] The final form Bombaim appears later in the 16th century, as recorded by Gaspar Correia in his Lendas da Índia (“Legends of India”).^[18]

History

The Haji Ali Dargarh was built in 1431, when Mumbai was under the Gujarat Sultanate

Mumbai is built on what was once an archipelago of seven islands: Bombay Island, Parel, Mazagaon, Mahim, Colaba, Worli, and Old Woman’s Island (also known as Little Colaba).^[9] Pleistocene sediments found near Kandivali in northern Mumbai by British archaeologist Todd in 1939 suggest that these islands were inhabited since the Stone Age.^[19] Their earliest known inhabitants were the Kolis, a fishing community. In the third century BCE, the islands formed part of the Maurya Empire, ruled by the Buddhist emperor, Ashoka of Magadha.^[20]. Buddhist monks, scholars, and artists created the artwork, inscriptions, and sculpture of the Kanheri Caves in the mid third century BCE^[21] and Mahakali Caves.^[22]

The city then was known as Heptanesia (Ancient Greek: A Cluster of Seven Islands) to the Greek geographer Ptolemy in 150 CE.^[9] Later, between second century BCE and ninth century CE, the islands came under the control of successive indigenous dynasties: Satavahanas, Abhiras, Vakatakas, Kalachuris, Konkan Mauryas, Chalukyas and Rashtrakutas, before being ruled by the Silhara dynasty from 810 to 1260.^[23] Raja Bhimdev founded his kingdom in the region in the late 13th century and established his capital in Mahikawati (present day Mahim).^[24][25] He brought settlers of various communities from Saurashtra and Deccan to Mahikawati.^[26] The Muslim rulers of Gujarat annexed the islands in 1348.^[23] They were later governed by the Gujarat Sultanate from 1391 to 1534.^[27][28][29] From 1429 to 1431, the islands were a source of contention between the Gujarat Sultanate and the Bahamani Sultanate of Deccan.^[27] From 1491 to 1494, the islands suffered several sea piracies from Bahadur Khan Gilani, a nobleman of the Bahamani Sultanate.^[30]

Growing apprehensive of the power of the Mughal emperor Humayun, Sultan Bahadur Shah of the Gujarat Sultanate was obliged to sign the Treaty of Bassein with Portuguese settlers on 23 December 1534. According to the treaty, the seven islands of Bombay, the nearby strategic town of Bassein and its dependencies were offered to the Portuguese. The territories were later surrendered on 25 October 1535. The Portuguese were actively involved in the foundation and growth of their Roman Catholic religious orders in Bombay. Some of the oldest Catholic churches in the city such as the St. Michael’s Church at Mahim, St. John the Baptist Church at Andheri, and St. Andrew’s Church at Bandra, date from the Portuguese era.^[31] On 11 May 1661, the marriage treaty of Charles II of England and Catherine of Braganza, daughter of King John IV of Portugal, placed the islands in possession of the British Empire, as part of Catherine’s dowry to Charles.^[32][33] However, Salsette, Mazagaon, Parel, Worli, Sion, Dharavi, and Wadala still remained under Portuguese possession. From 1665 to 1666, the British managed to acquire Mahim, Sion, Dharavi, and Wadala.^[34]

The Gateway of India was built to commemorate the arrival of King George V and Queen Mary in India in 1911

These islands were in turn leased to the British East India Company in 1668 for a sum of £10 per annum by the Royal Charter of 27 March 1668.^[35] The population quickly rose from 10,000 in 1661, to 60,000 in 1675.^[36] In 1687, the British East India Company transferred its headquarters from Surat to Bombay. The city eventually became the headquarters of the Bombay Presidency.^[37] Following the transfer, Bombay was placed at the head of all the Company’s establishments in India.^[38] The islands suffered incursions from the Mughals in the late 17th century.^[39] In 1737, the Portuguese province of Salsette was captured by the Maratha Peshwa Baji Rao I.^[40] The British occupied the Maratha provinces of Salsette, Elephanta, Hog Island, and Karanja on 28 December 1774. Salsette, Elephanta, Hog Island, and Karanja were formally ceded to the British by the Treaty of Salbai signed between the Marathas and the British East India Company in 1782, to settle the outcome of the First Anglo-Maratha War.^[41]

From 1782 onwards, the city was reshaped with large-scale civil engineering projects aimed at merging all the seven islands into a single amalgamated mass. This project, known as the Hornby Vellard, was completed by 1784.^[42] On 16 April 1853, India’s first passenger railway line was established, connecting Bombay to the neighbouring town of Thana.^[43] During the American Civil War (1861–1865), the city became the world’s chief cotton trading market, resulting in a boom in the economy that subsequently enhanced the city’s stature.^[44] The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 transformed Bombay into one of the largest seaports on the Arabian Sea.^[45] In September 1896, Bombay was hit by a bubonic plague epidemic where the death toll was estimated at 1,900 people per week.^[46] About 850,000 people fled Bombay and the textile industry was adversely affected.^[47] As the capital of the Bombay Presidency, it witnessed the Indian independence movement, with the Quit India Movement in 1942 and the The Royal Indian Navy Mutiny in 1946 being its most notable events.^[48][49] After India’s independence in 1947, the territory of the Bombay Presidency retained by India was restructured into Bombay State. The area of Bombay State increased, after several erstwhile princely states that joined the Indian union were integrated into Bombay State. Subsequently, the city became the capital of Bombay State.^[50] In April 1950, Greater Bombay District came into existence with the merger of Bombay Suburbs and Bombay City.^[51]

Hutatma Chowk (“Martyr’s Square”) as a memorial to the Samyukta Maharashtra movement

In the Lok Sabha discussions in 1955, the Congress party demanded that the city be constituted as an autonomous city-state.^[52] In 1956, the States Reorganisation Committee recommended a bilingual state for Maharashtra-Gujarat with Bombay as its capital. Bombay Citizens’ Committee, an advocacy group comprising of leading Gujarati industrialists lobbied for Bombay’s independent status.^[53] In the 1957 elections, the Samyukta Maharashtra movement opposed these proposals, and insisted that Bombay be declared the capital of Maharashtra.^[54] Following protests by the movement in which 105 people were killed by police, Bombay State was reorganised on linguistic lines on 1 May 1960.^[55] Gujarati-speaking areas of Bombay State were partitioned into the state of Gujarat.^[56] Maharashtra State with Bombay as its capital was formed with the merger of Marathi-speaking areas of Bombay State, eight districts from Central Provinces and Berar, five districts from Hyderabad State, and numerous princely states enclosed between them.^[57]

In the late 1960s, Nariman Point and Cuffe Parade were reclaimed and developed.^[58] The following decades saw massive expansion of the city and its suburbs. The Bombay Metropolitan Region Development Authority (BMRDA) was set up on 26 January 1975 by the Government of Maharashtra as an apex body for planning and co-ordination of development activities in the Bombay metropolitan region.^[59] In August 1979, a sister township of New Bombay was founded by City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) across Thane and Raigad districts to help the dispersal and control of Bombay’s population.^[60] The Jawaharlal Nehru Port, which currently handles around 60% of India’s maritime cargo, was commissioned on 26 May 1989 at Nhava Sheva with a view to de-congest Bombay Harbour and to serve as a hub port for the city.^[61]

The past two decades have seen an increase in violence in the hitherto largely peaceful city. Following the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, the city was rocked by the Hindu-Muslim riots of 1992–93 in which more than 1,000 people were killed.^[62] On 12 March 1993, a series of 13 co-ordinated bombings at several city landmarks by Islamic extremists and the Bombay underworld resulted in 257 deaths and over 700 injuries.^[63] In 2006, 209 people were killed and over 700 injured when seven bombs exploded on the city’s commuter trains.^[64] A series of ten coordinated terrorist attacks by armed gunmen from 26 November 2008 to 29 November 2008 resulted in 173 deaths, 308 injuries, and severe damage to several important buildings.^[65]

Despite these incidents, Mumbai remains a major trading centre that has evolved to become a global financial hub.^[66] For several decades it has been the site for the concentration of India’s financial services,^[67] and a focus for both infrastructure development and private investment.^[68] From being an ancient fishing community and a colonial centre of trade, Mumbai has become the subcontinent’s largest port and home of the world’s most prolific film industry.^[69]

Geography

The metropolis consists of the Mumbai city, Mumbai suburban district and also the cities of Navi Mumbai and Thane

Mumbai is located at 18°58′30″N 72°49′33″E / 18.9750°N 72.8258°E / 18.9750; 72.8258 in the Indian state of Maharashtra.^[70] Mumbai consists of two distinct regions: Mumbai City and Mumbai Suburban District, which form two separate districts of Maharashtra.^[71] The city region is also commonly referred to as the Island City.^[72] Mumbai, as an urban entity, spans a total area of 603 km² (233 sq mi),^[73] while Greater Mumbai, the area under the administration of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), spans a total area of 437.71 km² (169 sq mi), with the Island City spanning 67.79 km² (26 sq mi) and the suburban district spanning 370 km² (143 sq mi).^[74]

Mumbai lies at the mouth of the Ulhas River on the western coast of India, in the coastal region known as the Konkan. It sits on Salsette Island, partially shared with the Thane district.^[9] Mumbai is surrounded by the Arabian Sea to the west.^[75] Many parts of the city lie just above sea level, with elevations ranging from 10 m (33 ft) to 15 m (49 ft);^[76] the city has an average elevation of 14 m (46 ft).^[77] Northern Mumbai is hilly, and the highest point in the city is 450 m (1,476 ft) at Salsette Island.^[78] Sanjay Gandhi National Park (Borivili National Park) is located partly in the Mumbai suburban district, and partly in the Thane district, and it extends over an area of 103.09 km² (39.80 sq mi).^[79]

Apart from the Bhatsa Dam, there are six major lakes that supply water to the city, such as Vihar, Lower Vaitarna, Upper Vaitarna, Tulsi, Tansa and Powai.^[80][81] Tulsi Lake and Vihar Lake are located in Borivili National Park, within the city’s metropolitan limits.^[82] The supply from Powai lake, also within the city limits, is used only for agricultural and industrial purposes.^[83] Three small rivers, the Dahisar River, Poinsar (or Poisar) and Ohiwara (or Oshiwara) originate within the park, while the polluted Mithi River originates from Tulsi Lake and gathers water overflowing from Vihar and Powai Lakes.^[84] The coastline of the city is indented with numerous creeks and bays, stretching from Thane creek on the eastern to Madh Marve on the western front.^[85] The eastern coast of Salsette Island is covered with large mangrove swamps, rich in biodiversity, while the western coast is mostly sandy and rocky.^[86]

Soil cover in the city region is predominantly sandy due to its proximity to the sea. In the suburbs, the soil cover is largely alluvial and loamy.^[87] The underlying rock of the region is composed of black Deccan basalt flows, and their acidic and basic variants dating back to the late Cretaceous and early Eocene eras.^[88] Mumbai sits on a seismically active zone owing to the presence of three fault lines in the vicinity.^[89] The area is classified as a Seismic Zone III region, which means an earthquake of up to magnitude 6.5 on the Richter-scale may be expected.^[90][91]

Climate

Average temperature and precipitation in Mumbai

Lying in a tropical zone and near the Arabian Sea, Mumbai experiences two clear seasons, a humid season and a dry season. The humid season, between March and October, is characterised by high humidity and temperatures of over 30 °C (86 °F). Between June and September, the monsoon rains lash the city, supplying most of the city’s annual rainfall of 1,800 millimetres (70.9 in), with an average of 600 millimetres (23.6 in) falling in July alone.^[92] The maximum annual rainfall ever recorded was 3,452 millimetres (135.9 in) in 1954.^[93] The highest rainfall recorded in a single day was 944 millimetres (37.17 in) on 26 July 2005.^[94] The dry season, between November and February, is characterised by moderate levels of humidity and warm to cool weather. Cold northerly winds are responsible for a mild chill during January and February.^[92] January is the coolest month of the year with mean daily minimum being 16.4 °C (61.5 °F).^[95]

Annual temperatures range from a high of 38 °C (100 °F) to a low of 12 °C (54 °F).^[92] The record high is 43.3 °C (109.9 °F) and the record low is 7.4 °C (45.3 °F).^[96]

Economy

The Bombay Stock Exchange is the oldest in Asia

India’s 300 million strong middle-class population is growing at an annual rate of 5%.^[97] Shown here is a residential area in the Mumbai metropolitan area.

Mumbai is India’s largest city, and is considered the financial capital of the country.^[66] It serves as an important economic hub of India, contributing 10% of all factory employment, 40% of all income tax collections, 60% of all customs duty collections, 20% of all central excise tax collections, 40% of India’s foreign trade and Rs. 40 billion (US$ 850 million) in corporate taxes.^[98] Mumbai’s per-capita income is Rs. 48,954 (US$ 1,040), which is almost three times the national average.^[99] Many of India’s numerous conglomerates (including State Bank of India, LIC, Tata Group, Godrej and Reliance), and five of the Fortune Global 500 companies are based in Mumbai.^[100] Many foreign banks and financial institutions also have branches in this area, the World Trade Centre (Mumbai) being the most prominent one.^[101] Until the 1980s, Mumbai owed its prosperity largely to textile mills and the seaport, but the local economy has since been diversified to include engineering, diamond-polishing, healthcare and information technology.^[102]

State and central government employees make up a large percentage of the city’s workforce. Mumbai also has a large unskilled and semi-skilled self employed population, who primarily earn their livelihood as hawkers, taxi drivers, mechanics and other such blue collar professions.^[103] The port and shipping industry is well established with Mumbai Port being one of the oldest and most significant ports in India.^[104] In Dharavi, in central Mumbai, there is an increasingly large recycling industry, processing recyclable waste from other parts of the city; the district has an estimated 15,000 single-room factories.^[105]

Most of India’s major television and satellite networks, as well as its major publishing houses, are headquartered here. The centre of the Hindi movie industry, Bollywood is the largest film producer in India and one of the largest in the world.^{[106][107][108]} Along with the rest of India, Mumbai, its commercial capital, has witnessed an economic boom since the liberalisation of 1991, the finance boom in the mid-nineties and the IT, export, services and outsourcing boom in 2000s.^[109] Mumbai has been ranked 48th on the Worldwide Centres of Commerce Index 2008.^[110] In April 2008, Mumbai was ranked seventh in the list of “Top Ten Cities for Billionaires” by Forbes magazine,^[111] and was ranked highest in terms of those billionaires’ average wealth.^[112]

Civic administration

The Bombay High Court exercises jurisdiction over Maharashtra, Goa, Daman and Diu, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli

Greater Mumbai, both island city and suburbs as a whole, is administered by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) (formerly the Bombay Municipal Corporation),^[113] with executive power vested in the Municipal Commissioner, who is an IAS officer appointed by the state government.^[114] Greater Mumbai includes most of Mumbai’s territory, and extends from Colaba in the south to Mulund and Dahisar in the north. Some regions such as Defence lands, Mumbai Port Trust lands and the Borivali National Park area are out of the jurisdiction of the BMC. The Corporation comprises 227 directly elected Councillors representing the twenty four municipal wards, five nominated Councillors, and a Mayor whose role is mostly ceremonial.^[115][116] Mumbai is headed by mayor Shubha Raul, Municipal Commissioner Jairaj Phatak, and Sheriff Indu Shahani. The BMC is in charge of the civic and infrastructure needs of the metropolis.^[117] An Assistant Municipal Commissioner oversees each ward for administrative purposes.^[114] Almost all the state political parties field candidates in the elections for Councillors. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region consists of 7 Municipal Corporations and 13 Municipal Councils. In addition to the BMC, it includes the Municipal Corporations of Navi Mumbai, Mira-Bhayandar, Thane, Kalyan-Dombivali, Bhiwandi-Nizampur and Ulhasnagar.^[118] Greater Mumbai forms two districts of Maharashtra, each under the jurisdiction of a District Collector.^[119] The Collectors are in charge of property records and revenue collection for the Central Government, and oversee the national elections held in the city.^[120][121]

The Mumbai Police is headed by a Police Commissioner, who is an IPS officer. The Mumbai Police comes under the state Home Ministry.^[122] The city is divided into seven police zones and seventeen traffic police zones,^[123] each headed by a Deputy Commissioner of Police.^[124] The Traffic Police is a semi-autonomous body under the Mumbai Police. The Mumbai Fire Brigade department is headed by the Chief Fire Officer, who is assisted by four Deputy Chief Fire Officers and six Divisional Officers.^[123]

Mumbai is the seat of the Bombay High Court, which exercises jurisdiction over the states of Maharashtra and Goa, and the Union Territories of Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli.^[125] Mumbai also has two lower courts, the Small Causes Court for civil matters, and the Sessions Court for criminal cases.^[126] Mumbai also has a special TADA (Terrorist and Disruptive Activities) court for people accused of conspiring and abetting acts of terrorism in the city.^[127]

Politics

First session of the Indian National Congress in Bombay (28-31 December 1885)

Bombay has been a traditional stronghold and birthplace of the Indian National Congress, also known as the Congress Party. The first session of the Indian National Congress was held in Bombay from 28-31 December 1885.^[128] The 1960’s saw the rise of regionalist politics in Bombay, with the formation of the Shiv Sena party on 19 June 1966, out of a feeling of resentment about the relative marginalisation of the native Marathi people in their native state Maharashtra.^[129] The Shiv Sena had won the 1968, 1973, and 1985 Bombay municipal corporation elections.^{[130][131][132]} In 1989, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a major national political party, forged an electoral alliance with the Shiv Sena to dislodge the Congress in the Assembly elections.^[132] In 1999, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) separated from the Congress, but later allied with the Congress, to form a joint venture known as the Democratic Front.^[133] The Shiv Sena-BJP alliance had won majority seats in the 1995 and 1999 municipal elections, while the Congress-NCP alliance had won majority seats in the 2004 and 2009 municipal elections.^[134][135] Currently, besides the major Shiv Sena-BJP and Congress-NCP alliances, other parties such as Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), Samajwadi Party (SP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), and several independent candidates, also contest elections in the city.^[136] In the 2009 national elections, out of the six constituencies of Mumbai, five were won by the Congress, and one by the NCP,^[137] while the Shiv Sena holds the power in BMC.^[138]

Transport

The Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, formerly known as Victoria Terminus, headquarters of the Central Railway, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Public transport systems in Mumbai include the Mumbai Suburban Railway, Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) buses, taxis, auto rickshaws, ferries, and aeroplanes.^[139] Black and yellow metered taxis traverse most of the metropolis.^[140] Auto rickshaws operate only in the suburban areas of Mumbai.^[141] Taxis and rickshaws which run on Compressed Natural Gas are the most common forms of hired transport.^[142] Mumbai has about 50,000 black and yellow taxis.^[143]

Mumbai is served by National Highway 3, National Highway 4 and National Highway 8 of the Indian National Highways system.^[144] The Mumbai-Pune Expressway was the first expressway ever built in India,^[145] while the Mumbai-Vadodara Expressway is under construction.^[146] Recently, the Bandra-Worli Sea Link was opened, which along with Mahim Causeway, links the island city to the western suburbs.^[147]

Mumbai is the headquarters of two railway zones: the Central Railway (CR) headquartered at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus,^[139] and the Western Railway (WR) headquartered near Churchgate.^[148] The backbone of the city’s transport, the Mumbai Suburban Railway, consists of three separate networks running the length of the city, in a north-south direction.^[103]

The Mumbai Metro is an underground and elevated rapid transit system currently under construction.^[149] The Mumbai Monorail will run from Jacob Circle to Wadala when it is completed.^[150] Mumbai is well connected to most parts of India by the Indian Railways. Trains originate from Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Dadar, Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, Mumbai Central, Bandra terminus and Andheri.^[151] Mumbai’s suburban rail systems carry a total of 6.3 million passengers every day.^[152]

A Modern BEST bus (Starbus)

Public buses run by BEST cover almost all parts of the metropolis, as well as parts of Navi Mumbai, Mira-Bhayandar and Thane.^[153] Buses are used for commuting short to medium distances,^[154] while train fares are more economical for long distance commutes.^[103] The BEST runs a total of 4,037 buses, ferrying 4.5 million passengers daily over 340 routes. Its fleet consists of single-decker, double-decker, vestibule, low-floor, disabled-friendly, air-conditioned and the Euro III compliant Compressed Natural Gas powered buses.^[155] Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) buses provide intercity transport and connect Mumbai with other major cities of Maharashtra and India.^[156][157] The Mumbai Darshan is a tourist bus service which explores numerous tourist attractions in Mumbai.^[158] Mumbai BRTS (Bus Rapid Transit System) lanes have been planned throughout Mumbai, with buses running on seven routes as of March 2009.^[159]

Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport is India’s busiest airport.^[160]

Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport is the main aviation hub in the city and the busiest airport in India.^[160] The Juhu aerodrome was India’s first airport, and now hosts a flying club and a heliport.^[161] The proposed Navi Mumbai International Airport which is to be built in the Kopra-Panvel area, has been sanctioned by the Government and would help relieve the increasing traffic burden on the existing airport.^[162]

With its unique topography, Mumbai has one of the best natural harbours in the world,^[163] handling around 60% of the country’s passenger traffic, and much of India’s cargo.^[3] It is also an important base for the Indian Navy, and the headquarters of the Western Naval Command is located here.^[164] Ferries from Ferry Wharf allow access to islands and beaches in the area.^[165]

Utility services

BMC headquarters

The BMC supplies potable water to the city from six lakes,^[166][167] most of which comes from the Tulsi and Vihar lakes.^[82] The Tansa lake supplies water to the western suburbs and parts of the island city along the Western Railway.^[168] The water is filtered at Bhandup,^[168] which is Asia’s largest water filtration plant.^[169] India’s first underground water tunnel is being built in Mumbai.^[170] Almost all of Mumbai’s daily refuse of 7,800 metric tonnes, of which 40 metric tonnes is plastic waste,^[171] is transported to dumping grounds in Gorai in the northwest, Mulund in the northeast, and Deonar in the east.^[172] Sewage treatment is carried out at Worli and Bandra, and disposed off by two independent marine outfalls of 3.4 km (2.1 mi) and 3.7 km (2.3 mi) at Bandra and Worli respectively.^[173]

Electricity is distributed by Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) in the island city, a consumption of 3,216 GWh,^[174] and by Reliance Energy, Tata Power, and Mahavitaran (Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Co. Ltd) in the suburbs. Consumption of electricity is growing faster than production capacity.^[175] The largest telephone service provider is the state-owned MTNL, which held a monopoly over fixed line and cellular services up until 2000, and provides fixed line as well as mobile WLL services.^[176] Cell phone coverage is extensive, and the main service providers are Vodafone Essar, Airtel, MTNL, BPL group, Reliance Communications, Idea Cellular and Tata Indicom. Both GSM and CDMA services are available in the city.^[177] MTNL and Airtel also provide broadband internet service.^[178][179]

Demographics

Since the 1970s, Mumbai has witnessed a construction boom and a significant influx of migrants, making it India’s largest city

According to the 2001 census, the population of Mumbai was 11,914,398,^[181] According to extrapolations carried out by the World Gazetteer in 2008, Mumbai has a population of 13,662,885^[182] and the Mumbai Metropolitan Area has a population of 21,347,412.^[183] The population density is estimated to be about 22,000 persons per square kilometre. Per 2001 census, Greater Mumbai, the area under the administration of BMC, has literacy rate of 77.45%,^[184] higher than the national average of 64.8%.^[185] The sex ratio was 774 (females per 1,000 males) in the island city, 826 in the suburbs, and 811 as a whole in the Greater Mumbai,^[184] all numbers lower than the national average of 933 females per 1,000 males.^[186] The low sex ratio is due to the huge number of male migrants who come to the city to work.^[187]

The religions represented in Mumbai include Hindus (67.39%), Muslims (18.56%), Buddhists (5.22%), Jains (3.99%) and Christians (3.72%), with Sikhs and Parsis making up the rest of the population.^[188] The linguistic/ethnic demographics are: Maharashtrians (53%), Gujaratis (22%), North Indians (17%), Tamils (3%), Sindhis (3%), Tuluvas/Kannadigas (2%) and others.^[189] This unique mix of cultures is due to the migration of people from all over India since the 1600s.^[190] Native Christians include Marathi-speaking East Indian Catholics who were converted by the Portuguese.^[191]

Mumbai has a large polyglot population like any other metropolitan city of India. Marathi, the official language of Maharashtra state, is widely spoken. Other languages spoken are Hindi, Gujarati, and English.^[192] A colloquial form of Hindi, known as Bambaiya—a blend of Marathi, Hindi, Indian English and some invented words—is spoken on the streets. English is extensively spoken and is the principal language of the city’s white collar workforce.^[193] Residents of Mumbai call themselves Mumbaikar, Mumbaiite or Bombayite. Many residents live in close proximity to either of the Mumbai’s transport systems: train or bus, although Mumbai’s suburban residents spend significant time travelling to the main commercial district located in the south.^[102]

Mumbai suffers from the same major urbanisation problems seen in many fast growing cities in developing countries: widespread poverty and unemployment, poor public health and poor civic and educational standards for a large section of the population. With available space at a premium, Mumbai residents often reside in cramped, relatively expensive housing, usually far from workplaces, and therefore requiring long commutes on crowded mass transit, or clogged roadways.^[194] According to the 2001 census, 54.1% of Mumbai’s population lives in slums.^[195] Dharavi, Asia’s second largest slum^[196] is located in central Mumbai and houses 800,000 people.^[197] Slums are also a growing tourist attraction in Mumbai.^{[198][199][200]} The number of migrants to Mumbai from outside Maharashtra during the 1991–2001 decade was 1.12 million, which amounted to 54.8% of the net addition to the population of Mumbai.^[201] In 2007, the crime rate (crimes booked under Indian Penal Code) in Mumbai was 186.2 per 1,00,000 population, which was slightly higher than the national average of 175.1, but much lower than the average crime rate of 312.3 in cities with more than one million population in the country.^[202] The city’s main jail is the Arthur Road Jail.

Culture

Asiatic Society of Bombay is one of the oldest public library in the city

The Mumbai culture is a blend of traditional festivals, food, music, and theatres. The city offers a lifestyle that is rich, cosmopolitan and diverse, with a variety of food, entertainment and nightlife, available in a form and abundance comparable to that in other world capitals.^[203] Mumbai’s history as a major trading centre has led to a diverse range of cultures, religions and cuisines coexisting in the city. This unique mix of cultures is due to the migration of people from all over India since the 1600s.^[204]

Mumbai is the birthplace of Indian cinema^[205]—Dadasaheb Phalke laid the foundations with silent movies followed by Marathi talkies—and the oldest film broadcast took place in the early 20th century.^[206] Mumbai also has a large number of cinema halls that feature Bollywood, Marathi and Hollywood movies. The world’s largest IMAX dome theatre is in the Wadala neighbourhood.^[207] The Mumbai International Film Festival^[208] and the award ceremony of the Filmfare Awards, the oldest and prominent film awards given for Hindi film industry in India, are held in Mumbai.^[209] Despite most of the professional theatre groups that formed during the British Raj having disbanded by the 1950s, Mumbai has developed a thriving “theater movement” tradition in Marathi, Hindi, English and other regional languages.^[210][211]

Contemporary art is well-represented in both government-funded art spaces and private commercial galleries. The government-funded institutions include the Jehangir Art Gallery and the National Gallery of Modern Art.^[212] Built in 1833, the Asiatic Society of Bombay is one of the oldest public libraries in the city.^[213] The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (formerly The Prince of Wales Museum) is a renowned museum in South Mumbai which houses rare ancient exhibits of Indian history.^[214] Mumbai has a zoo named Jijamata Udyaan (formerly Victoria Gardens), which also harbours a garden.^[215] The rich literary traditions of the city have been set internationally by Booker Prize winners Salman Rushdie, Aravind Adiga,^[216] and Nobel laureate Rudyard Kipling, who received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1907.^[217] Marathi literature has been modernised in the works of Mumbai based authors such as Mohan Apte, Anant Kanekar, and Gangadhar Gadgil, and is promoted through an annual Sahitya Akademi Award, a literary honour bestowed by India’s National Academy of Letters.^[218]

Ganesh Chaturthi, a popular festival in Mumbai

The architecture of the city is a blend of Gothic Revival, Indo-Saracenic, Art Deco, and other contemporary styles.^[219] Most of the buildings during the British period, such as the Victoria Terminus and Bombay University, were built in Gothic Revival style.^[220] There are also a few Indo-Saracenic styled buildings such as the Gateway of India.^[221] Art Deco styled landmarks can be found along the Marine Drive and west of the Oval Maidan.^[222] The Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee (MHCC), established in 1995, formulates special regulations and by-laws to assist in the conservation of the city’s heritage structures.^[219] Mumbai has two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and the Elephanta Caves.^[223] Popular tourist attractions in the city are Nariman Point, Girgaum Chowpatti, Juhu Beach, and Marine Drive.^[224][225] Essel World is a theme park and amusement centre situated close to Gorai Beach,^[226] and includes Asia’s largest theme water park, Water Kingdom.^[227]

Mumbai residents celebrate both Western and Indian festivals. Diwali, Holi, Eid, Christmas, Navratri, Good Friday, Dussera, Moharram, Ganesh Chaturthi, Durga Puja and Maha Shivratri are some of the popular festivals in the city.^[228] The Kala Ghoda Arts Festival is an exhibition of a world of arts that encapsulates works of artists in the fields of music, dance, theater, and films.^[229] A week long fair known as Bandra Fair is celebrated by people of all faiths.^[230] The Banganga Festival is a two-day music festival, held annually in the month of January, which is organised by the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) at the historic Banganga Tank in Mumbai.^[231] The Elephanta Festival—celebrated every February on the Elephanta Islands—is dedicated to classical Indian dance and music and attracts performers from across the country.^[232] Public holidays specific to the city and the state include Maharashtra Day on May 1, to celebrate the formation of Maharashtra state on 1 May 1960.^[233][234]

Mumbai has sister city agreements with the following cities:^[117]

• Yokohama, Japan^[235]
• Los Angeles, United States^[236]
• London, United Kingdom
• Berlin, Germany
• Stuttgart, Germany^[237]
• Saint Petersburg, Russia

Media

Bollywood is based in Mumbai

Mumbai has numerous newspaper publications, television and radio stations. Popular English language newspapers published and sold in Mumbai include the Times of India, Mid-day, Hindustan Times, DNA, and Indian Express. Marathi newspapers include Loksatta, Lokmat and Maharashtra Times. Newspapers are also printed in other Indian languages.^[238] Mumbai is home to Asia’s oldest newspaper, Bombay Samachar, which has been published in Gujarati since 1822.^[239] Bombay Durpan—the first Marathi newspaper—was started by Balshastri Jambhekar in Mumbai in 1832.^[240]

Numerous Indian and international television channels can be watched in Mumbai through one of the Pay TV companies or the local cable television provider. The metropolis is also the hub of many international media corporations, with many news channels and print publications having a major presence. The national television broadcaster, Doordarshan, provides two free terrestrial channels,^[241] while three main cable networks serve most households.^[242] The wide range of cable channels available includes ESPN, Star Sports, Zee Marathi, ETV Marathi, DD Sahyadri, Mee Marathi, Zee Talkies, Zee TV, STAR Plus and news channels such as Star Majha. News channels entirely dedicated to Mumbai include Sahara Samay Mumbai. Satellite television (DTH) has yet to gain mass acceptance, due to high installation costs.^[243] Prominent DTH entertainment services in Mumbai include Dish TV and Tata Sky.^[244] There are twelve radio stations in Mumbai, with nine broadcasting on the FM band, and three All India Radio stations broadcasting on the AM band.^[245] Mumbai also has access to Commercial radio providers such as WorldSpace, Sirius and XM.^[246] The Conditional Access System (CAS) started by the Union Government in 2006 met a poor response in Mumbai due to competition from its sister technology Direct-to-Home (DTH) transmission service.^[247]

Bollywood, the Hindi film industry based in Mumbai, produces around 150–200 films every year.^[248] The name Bollywood is a portmanteau of Bombay and Hollywood.^[249] The 2000s saw a growth in Bollywood’s popularity overseas. This led filmmaking to new heights in terms of quality, cinematography and innovative story lines as well as technical advances such as special effects and animation.^[250] Studios in Goregaon, including Film City, are the location for most movie sets.^[251] The Marathi film industry is also based in Mumbai.^[252]

Education

Rajabai Clock Tower at the University of Mumbai

Schools in Mumbai are either “municipal schools” (run by the BMC)^[253] or private schools (run by trusts or individuals), which in some cases receive financial aid from the government.^[254] The schools are affiliated either with the Maharashtra State Board (MSBSHSE), the all-India Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) or the Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE) boards.^[255] Marathi or English is the usual language of instruction.^[256] The government run public schools lack many facilities, but are the only option for poorer residents who cannot afford the more expensive private schools.^[257]

Under the 10+2+3/4 plan, students complete ten years of schooling, and then enroll for two years in Junior College, where they select one of three streams: arts, commerce, or science.^[258] This is followed by either a general degree course in a chosen field of study, or a professional degree course, such as law, engineering and medicine.^[259] Most colleges in the city are affiliated with the University of Mumbai, one of the largest universities in the world in terms of the number of graduates.^[260] The Indian Institute of Technology (Bombay),^[261] Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute (VJTI),^[262] and University Institute of Chemical Technology (UICT),^[263] which are India’s premier engineering and technology schools, and SNDT Women’s University are the other autonomous universities in Mumbai.^[264] Mumbai is also home to Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies (JBIMS), K. J. Somaiya Institute of Management Studies and Research (SIMSR), S P Jain Institute of Management and Research and several other management schools.^[265] Government Law College and Sydenham College, respectively the oldest law and commerce colleges in India, are based in Mumbai.^[266][267] The Sir J. J. School of Art is Mumbai’s oldest art institution.^[268]

Mumbai is home to two prominent research institutions: the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), and the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC).^[269] The BARC operates CIRUS, a 40 MW nuclear research reactor at their facility in Trombay.^[270]

Sports

Brabourne Stadium, one of the oldest cricket stadia in the city.

Cricket is the most popular sport in the city (and the country).^[271] Due to a shortage of grounds, various modified versions (generically referred to as galli cricket) are played everywhere. Mumbai is home to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).^[272] The Mumbai cricket team represents the city in the Ranji Trophy and has won 38 titles, the most by any team.^[273] The city is also represented by the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League and by the Mumbai Champs in the Indian Cricket League. The city has two international cricket grounds, the Wankhede Stadium and the Brabourne Stadium.^[274] The biggest cricketing event to be staged in the city so far was the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy final which was played at the Brabourne Stadium. ^[275] Eminent cricketers from Mumbai include Sachin Tendulkar^[276] and Sunil Gavaskar.^[277]

Football (soccer) is one of the other popular sports in the city, with the FIFA World Cup being one of the widely watched television events in Mumbai. In the I-League, Mumbai is represented by three teams, Mumbai FC, Mahindra United^[280] and Air-India.^[281] Field hockey has declined in popularity, due to the rise of cricket.^[282] Mumbai is home to the Maratha Warriors, one of the few teams from Maharashtra competing for the Premier Hockey League (PHL).^[283] Every February, Mumbai holds derby races at the Mahalaxmi Racecourse. Mcdowell’s Derby is also held in February at the Turf club in Mumbai.^[284] Interest in Formula One racing has been rising in recent years,^[285] and in 2008, the Force India F1 team car was unveiled in Mumbai.^[286] In March 2004, the Mumbai Grand Prix was part of the F1 powerboat world championship.^[287] In 2004, the annual Mumbai Marathon was established in a bid to bring the sports discipline to the Indian public.^[288] Since 2006, Mumbai has also played host to the Kingfisher Airlines Tennis Open, an International Series tournament of the ATP World Tour.^[289]

History

When Operation Vijay ended Portuguese colonial rule, Panaji was incorporated with the rest of Goa and the former Portuguese colonies, into India in December 1961. Panaji became a state-capital on Goa’s elevation to statehood in May 1987. Between 1961 and 1987, it was the capital of the Union Territory of Goa, Daman and Diu. A new Legislative Assembly complex was inaugurated in March 2000, across the Mandovi river, in Alto Porvorim. Panaji is also the administrative headquarters of North Goa district.

Demographics

As of 2001^[update] India census^[2], Panaji had a population of 58,785. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Panaji has an average literacy rate of 81%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 85%, and female literacy is 77%. In Panaji, 9% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Climate

The climate in Panaji is hot in summer and equable in winter. During summers (from March to May) the temperature reaches up to 40°C and in winters (from December to February) it is usually between 32°C and 20°C.

The Monsoon period is from June to September with heavy rainfall and gusty winds.The annual average rainfall is 2932 mm (115.5 inches).

Landmarks

The heart of the city is the Church Square or Municipal Garden with the Portuguese Baroque Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church, originally built in 1541. Other tourist attractions include the old and rebuilt Adilshahi Palace (or Idalcao palace), dating from the 16th century, the Menezes Braganza Institute and the Central Library, the Mahalaxmi Temple, the Jama Masjid mosque, the Chapel of St. Sebastian and the Fontainhas, area in general which is considered to be the Old Latin Quarter, as well as the nearby beach of Miramar. Hanuman Mandir at Mala on hill top (altinho)and its annual Jatra in the Month of February is major attraction of the Panaji.

The Carnival celebrations in February include a colourful parade on the streets. This is followed by the Shigmo/ xigmo, or Holi. Narkasur parade on privious night of Dipavali in the city is very colourful. Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church is one of the most famous churches in Goa.

Well-known places in Panaji are the 18th June Road (a busy thoroughfare in the heart of town and a shopping area for tourists and locals), Mala area, Miramar beach and the Kala Academy cultural centre known for its structure built by the famous architect Charles Correa. Kala Academy in Panaji is a place where Goa showcases its culture and art.

Education

Some prominent educational Institutes in Panaji are

• Goa Medical College
• Mushtifund High School
• Mushtifund Higher Secondary
• Mushtifund Primary
• Mushtifund School of Technical Education
• V.M. Salgaocar College of Law, Miramar
• Dempo College of Commerce and Economics, at Altinho.
• Dhempe College of Arts & Sciences, at Miramar.
• Sharada Mandir at Miramar
• Don Bosco High School.
• Mary Immaculate Girls High School at San Tome/Fontainhas.
• People’s High School
• Goa College of Pharmacy
• Goa Polytechnic Panaji
• Goa College of Fine Arts
• Dr. Hedgewar High School
• Padmashree Vasantrao Dempo Higher Secondary School of Arts and Science, Miramar
• The Rosary High School Miramar
• Voicuntrao Sinai Dempo Higher Secondary School of Commerce Miramar
• Our lady of Rosary ( Green Rosary) Donapaula
• Taleigao Chess Academy devoted to promote chess as learning tool

Besides this, the only university in Goa the Goa University too is situated at Taleigao Plateau on the outskirts of Panaji.

Research centres

The prominent National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) is situated at Dona-Paula, on the outskirts of Panaji city. They carry out research in various fields related to marine sciences.

Government Offices

The Goa Government as well as the Indian Government has its major offices in Goa.

• Passport Office, Panaji
• Junta House: It houses innumerable government offices.
• Industrial Development Corporation Goa
• Goa Education Development Corporation
• Sports Authority of Goa
• Bombay High Court – Goa bench
• Press Information Bureau (Government of India’s Press Office)
• All India Radio, Altinho
• Doordarshan complex, Altinho

The Goa Assembly is situated at Alto Porvorim, some two kilometres away from Panaji. The hillock called Altinho houses some major central government offices and the residences of prominent officials and politicians.

Politics

The Member of Legislation (MLA) for Panaji is Manohar Parrikar of the Bharatiya Janata Party, who was also chief minister of Goa for around five years. On the outskirts of Panaji is the Taleigao constituency, represented by Atanasio “Babush” Monserrate.

The C.C.P. (Corporation of City of Panaji) administers the city and its chief is Carolina Pó. The Governor of Goa, Dr. S. S. Sidhu, stays at the Raj Bhavan (Cabo Raj Nivas), at Dona Paula around 9 kilometres from Panaji.

Located in what was historically known as the Awadh region, Lucknow has always been a multicultural city. Courtly manners, beautiful gardens, poetry, music, and fine cuisine patronized by the Persian-loving Shia Nawabs of the city are well known amongst Indians and students of South Asian culture and history. Lucknow is popularly known as the The City of Nawabs. It is also known as the Golden City of the East, Shiraz-i-Hind and The Constantinople of India.

The All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) was formed at the Lucknow session of the Indian National Congress in April 11, 1936 with the legendary nationalist Swami Sahajanand Saraswati elected as its first President,^[3] in order to mobilise peasant grievances against the zamindari attacks on their occupancy rights, and thus sparking the Farmers’ movement in India ^[4][5]

Today, Lucknow is a vibrant city that is witnessing an economic boom and is among the top ten fastest growing metro cities of India and is the second largest city of east,north & central india after Delhi.It is a centre of Hindi and Urdu literature .

History

Nawab Asaf-Ud-Dowlah (1775-1797)^[8]

Nawab Saadat Khan

Wajid Ali Shah (1847 – 1856)^[9]

After 1350 AD the Lucknow and parts of Awadh region have been under the rule of the Delhi Sultanate, the Mughal Empire, the Nawabs of Awadh, the East India Company and the British Raj. Lucknow has been one of the major centers of First War of Independence, participated actively in India’s Independence movement, and after Independence has emerged as an important city of North India.

Until 1719, subah of Awadh was a province of the Mughal Empire administered by a Governor appointed by the Emperor. Saadat Khan also called Burhan-ul-Mulk a Persian adventurer was appointed the Nazim of Awadh in 1722 and he established his court in Faizabad ^[10] near Lucknow.

Awadh was known as the granary of India and was important strategically for the control of the Doab, the fertile plain between the Ganga and the Yamuna rivers. It was a wealthy kingdom, able to maintain its independence against threats from the Marathas, the British and the Afghans. The third Nawab, Shuja-ud-Daula fell out with the British after aiding Mir Qasim, the fugitive Nawab of Bengal. He was comprehensively defeated in the Battle of Buxar by the East India Company, after which he was forced to pay heavy penalties and cede parts of his territory. The British appointed a resident in 1773, and over time gained control of more territory and authority in the state. They were disinclined to capture Awadh outright, because that would bring them face to face with the Marathas and the remnants of the Mughal Empire.

Lucknow’s rise to growth and fame begins with its elevation as capital of Awadh by Nawab Asaf-Ud-Dowlah. He was a great philanthropist and gave Lucknow a unique and enduring legacy. The architectural contributions of these Awadh rulers include several imposing monuments. Of the monuments standing today, the Bara Imambara, the Chhota Imambara, and the Roomi Darwaza are notable examples. One of the more lasting contributions by the Nawabs is the syncretic composite culture that has come to be known as the Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb.

In 1798, the fifth Nawab Wazir Ali Khan alienated both his people and the British, and was forced to abdicate. The British then helped Saadat Ali Khan to the throne. Saadat Ali Khan was a puppet king, who in the treaty of 1801 ceded half of Awadh to the British East India Company and also agreed to disband his troops in favor of a hugely expensive, British-run army. This treaty effectively made the state of Awadh a vassal to the British East India Company, though it notionally continued to be part of the Mughal Empire in name until 1819.

The treaty of 1801 formed an arrangement that was very beneficial to the Company. They were able to use Awadh’s vast treasuries, repeatedly digging into them for loans at reduced rates. In addition, the revenues from running Awadh’s armed forces brought them useful revenues while it acted as a buffer state. The Nawabs were ceremonial kings, busy with pomp and show but with little influence over matters of state. By the mid-nineteenth century, however, the British had grown impatient with the arrangement and wanted direct control of Awadh.

In 1856 the East India Company first moved its troops to the border, then annexed the state, which was placed under a chief commissioner – Sir Henry Lawrence. Wajid Ali Shah, the then Nawab, was imprisoned, and then exiled by the Company to Calcutta. In the subsequent Revolt of 1857 his 14-year old son Birjis Qadr son of Begum Hazrat Mahal was crowned ruler, and Sir Henry Lawrence killed in the hostilities. Following the rebellion’s defeat, Begum Hazrat Mahal and other rebel leaders obtained asylum in Nepal.

Those company troops who were recruited from the state, along with some of the nobility of the state, were major players in the events of 1857. The rebels took control of Awadh, and it took the British 18 months to reconquer the region, months which included the famous Siege of Lucknow. Oudh was placed back under a chief commissioner, and was governed as a British province. In 1877 the offices of lieutenant-governor of the North-Western Provinces and chief commissioner of Oudh were combined in the same person; and in 1902, when the new name of United Provinces of Agra and Oudh was introduced, the title of chief commissioner was dropped, though Oudh still retained some marks of its former independence.

The province of Awadh (anglicized to Oudh) was annexed by the East India Company in 1856 and placed under the control of a chief commissioner. In the Indian Rebellion of 1857 (also known as the First War of Indian Independence and the Indian Mutiny), the garrison based at the Residency in Lucknow was besieged by rebel forces. The famous Siege of Lucknow was relieved first by forces under the command of Sir Henry Havelock and Sir James Outram, followed by a stronger force under Sir Colin Campbell. Today, the ruins of the Residency, and the picturesque Shaheed Smarak offer reminiscences of Lucknow’s role in the stirring events of 1857.

The city played an important role in both the First War of Independence and the modern Indian freedom struggle. Whether it was the Lucknow Pact of 1916 or the Khilafat Movement, it brought the citizens on a united platform against the British rule. In the Khilafat Movement Maulana Abdul Bari of Firangi Mahal, Lucknow actively participated and cooperated with Mahatama Gandhi and Maulana Mohammad Ali.

In 1901, after staying the capital of Oudh, since 1775, Lucknow, with a population of 264,049, was merged in the newly formed United Provinces of Agra and Oudh.^[11] However, it became the provincial capital in 1920 when the seat of government was moved from Allahabad. Upon Indian independence in 1947, Lucknow became the capital of Uttar Pradesh, the erstwhile United Provinces.

Geography

Situated in the heart of the great Gangetic plain, Lucknow city is surrounded by its rural towns and villages like the orchard town of Malihabad, historic Kakori, Mohanlal ganj, Gosainganj, Chinhat, Itaunja. On its eastern side lies Barabanki District, on the western side is Unnao District, on the southern side Raebareli District, and on the northern side the Sitapur and Hardoi districts. The Gomti River, the chief geographical feature, meanders through the city, dividing it into the Trans-Gomti and Cis-Gomti regions. Lucknow city is located in the seismic zone III .^[12]

Climate

Lucknow has a warm subtropical climate with cool, dry winters from December to February and dry, hot summers from April to June. The rainy season is from mid-June to mid-September, when Lucknow gets an average rainfall of 1010 mm (40 in) mostly from the south-west monsoon winds. In winter the maximum temperature is around 21 degrees Celsius and the minimum is in the 3 to 4 degrees Celsius range. Fog is quite common from late December to late January. Summers can be quite hot with temperatures rising to the 40 to 45 degree Celsius range, the average highs being in the high 30’s.

Demographics

The majority of Lucknow’s population includes people from Eastern Uttar Pradesh. However, Bengalis, South Indians and Anglo-Indians have also settled in Lucknow. Hindus comprise about 77% and Muslims about 20%. There are also small groups of Sikhs, Jains, Christians and Buddhists. Lucknow is one of the most educated cities in India with a literacy rate of 82.5% (78% for females and 89% for males).

Civic administration

Lucknow is the political and administrative capital of Uttar Pradesh. The city elects members to the Lok Sabha as well as the Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha (State Assembly).

The city is under the jurisdiction of a District Collector, who is an IAS officer. The Collectors are in charge of property records and revenue collection for the Central Government, and oversee the national elections held in the city. The Collector is also responsible for maintaining law and order in the city.

The city is administered by the Lucknow Municipal Corporation with executive power vested in the Municipal Commissioner of Lucknow also called the City Mayor. An Assistant Municipal Commissioner oversees each ward for administrative purposes.

The Lucknow Police is headed by a Inspector General, who is an IPS officer. The Lucknow Police comes under the state Home Ministry. The city is divided into several police zones and traffic police zones, each headed by a Deputy Inspector General of Police. The Traffic Police is a semi-autonomous body under the Lucknow Police. The Lucknow Fire Brigade department is headed by the Chief Fire Officer, who is assisted by Deputy Chief Fire Officers and Divisional Officers.

Former Prime Minister A.B.Vajpayee had been member of Parliament for the Lucknow Parliamentary constituency until recently where he has been replaced by Lalji Tandon in recent elections held in 2009.

Economy

Lucknow is not only a major market & trading city in Northern India, but is also an emerging hub for producers of goods and services. Being the capital of Uttar Pradesh state, the Government departments and the public sector undertakings are the principal employers of the salaried middle class. Liberalization has created many more opportunities in the business and service sector and self-employed professionals are burgeoning in the city.

Lucknow also provides a good catchment area for the recruitment of quality personnel by information technology companies for the BPO hubs of nearby Noida and Gurgaon as well as for Bangalore and Hyderabad.

The city is the headquarters of both the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) and the Pradeshiya Industrial and Investment Corporation of Uttar Pradesh (PICUP). The Regional office of the Uttar Pradesh State Industries Development Corporation (UPSIDC) is also located here.

The other business-promoting institutions that have a presence in Lucknow are the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII).

Manufacturing and Processing

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited has major operation facilities in Lucknow

Among the bigger manufacturing units, Lucknow has Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Tata Motors, Eveready Industries and Scooters India Limited. Processing industries include milk production, steel-rolling units and LPG bottling.

The city’s small-scale and medium-scale industrial units are located in the industrial enclaves of Chinhat, Aishbagh, Talkatora and Amousi.

Real estate

Real estate is one of the many booming sectors of the economy. There are several malls, residential complexes and business complexes throughout the city. Real estate giants like Parshvanath, DLF, Omaxe, Sahara, Unitech, Ansal API are here.

Lucknow is one of the few Indian cities that follows vertical outgrowth plan like Delhi, Mumbai, Surat, Gazhiabad. The city boasts handsome skylines in Gomti Nagar, Hazrat Ganj and Kapoorthala. Few of the prominent under-construction buildings are Sahara Hospital which will have 25 floors followed by Metro City, Parshvanath Planet and Omaxe Heights. The city boasts a high property expansion rate. It is expected that city will have a $2.5 billion organised real estate by 2010, highest in North India except the National Capital Region (NCR).

Traditional Trade

Traditionally, Lucknow has been a mandi town for mangoes, melons, and grains grown in the surrounding areas. Sugarcane-growing plantations and sugar industries are also in close proximity. This attracted Mohan Meakins Brewery to set up a unit based on molasses in the city. Meakins was incorporated in 1855 and is Asia’s first commercial brewery.^[14]

Lucknow is famous for its small scale industries that are based on unique styles of embroidery, namely, Chikan and Lakhnawi Zardozi, both of which are significant foreign exchange earners. Chikan has caught the fancy of fashion designers in Bollywood and abroad.

During the period of the Nawabs, kite-making reached a high level of artistry,^[15] and is still a small-scale industry. Lucknow has also been an industrial producer of tobacco products like ‘Kivam’, edible fragrances like ‘attars’ and handicrafts such as pottery, earthen toys, silver and gold foil work, and bone carving products.

Emerging Businesses

Reserve Bank of India, Lucknow

Lucknow, with its excellent educational, commercial, banking and legal infrastructure, is witnessing rapid growth in information technology, banking, retailing, construction and other service sectors. Private coaching institutions for preparing aspirants of competitive exams and services is another business that is flourishing in Lucknow.

Lucknow houses hundreds of established real estate brands and dozens of niche and specialised developers like High-end premium residential projects, Malls, IT parks, Commercial property, SEZs, Plots, Business centres, Multiplexes, Clubs, Banks, Food courts, Entertainment centres and Finance institutions.

All the major public and private sector banks of India, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and foreign banks like Citibank, Standard Chartered Bank, ABN-AMRO and HSBC have their presence in the city. The big oil marketing companies like Indian Oil Corporation, Hindustan Petroleum, Bharat Petroleum and Reliance have their offices in Lucknow.

Tata Consultancy Services campus, Lucknow

Leading IT companies like TCS and IBM are also operating in Lucknow. The Ministry of Communications & Information Technology has set up Software Technology Parks of India ^[16] in 2001 which is playing an important role to promote IT/ITes Units in the region. Insurance companies, both public and private, as well as leading cellular phone companies are present in the city as well.

Currently, biotechnology and information technology are the two focus areas to promote economic development in and around the city. The Ministry of Science and Technology is setting up a biotech park^[17] in the city. Lucknow is also one of the selected cities for the Smart City project of STPI, under which IT is being used to promote economic development.

Cityscape

Places to see

Gateway to Bara Imambara

The Chhota Imambara

Husainabad Clock Tower

Ambedkar Memorial

The Asafi Imambara (popularly known as Bara Imambara), the Chhota Imambara, Residency, and Shah Najaf are monuments of architectural importance at Lucknow. The famous ‘Bhul Bhulaiyan’ (Labyrinth) is part of Asafi Imambara complex. Some other places of interest are the Picture Gallery, Chattar Manzil, State Museum / Lucknow Zoo, Shaheed Smarak, Dilkusha, Ambedkar Memorial, Planetarium, Baradari and Ram Krishna Math.

The British-built architectural sights in Lucknow include the Vidhan Sabha (State Legislative Assembly), the Clock Tower and the Charbagh Railway Station, with its distinctive domes, arches and pillars.

St Joseph’s Cathedral in Lucknow is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lucknow.

Some of the oldest schools in India are also situated in Lucknow: La Martiniere Lucknow, St. Francis College (1885), Loreto Convent Lucknow and the Colvin Taluqdar’s College.Amiruddaula islamia Inter collge is about 100 years old.

Lucknow has several well-kept parks that attract the citizenry in large numbers on evenings, holidays and weekends. The bigger parks are Ambedkar Memorial and Lohia park in Gomti Nagar, Swarn Jayanti park and Aurobindo Park in Indiranagar, Dilkusha Park, Begum Hazrat Mahal Park, Globe Park, Mukherjee Phuhaar, Haathi Park, Buddha park, and Neebu Park. The sprawling National Botanical Garden at Sikandarbagh on the banks of Gomti river is also worth visiting.

The city also has a Reserve Forest, Kukrail Crocodile Park (a picnic spot and Gharial rehabilitation centre)^[18]. Moosa Bagh and Utretia are other popular picnic spots.

Natural attractions accessible from Lucknow are Katarnia Ghat, Dudhwa National Park, Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary and Samaspur Bird Sanctuary.

Shopping

Aminabad, a quaint bazaar like Delhi’s Chandni Chowk, is situated in the heart of the city. It is a large shopping centre that caters to a wide variety of consumers.

Chowk and Nakhhas are markets in the old Lucknow area where you can get a feel of traditional Lucknow. Some other important shopping centres are Alambagh, Kapoorthala, Indiranagar, Mahanagar and Nishatganj.

The Hazratganj area is an upscale shopping market with colonial- style buildings. Interestingly, a popular pastime among the locals is window-shopping in the Hazratganj market. It is popularly referred to in Hinglish as Ganjing. The Janpath market, Rovers, Lovers Lane, Mayfair building, Kwality, and Universal book store are some popular landmarks of the area.

Lucknowites are also experiencing the new waves of shopping malls and multiplex culture in India. The first shopping mall-cum-multiplex to open in Lucknow was the East End Mall in Gomti Nagar. Now Lucknow has many Mall-cum-multiplex like Saharaganj (PVR Cinemas), Zee Mall (fun republic) , Riverside Mall (Inox Theatre) and East End Mall (Wave Cinemas).

Localities

The urban area is spread equally on both sides of the Gomti River. The commercial and residential areas on Cis-Gomti side are Hazratganj, Alambagh, RDSO Colony (Research Design and Standard Organisation), Charbagh, Aishbagh, Kaiserbagh, Aminabad, Husainganj, Model Houses, Lal Bagh, Golaganj, Wazirganj, Rajendra Nagar, Malviya Nagar, Sarojini Nagar, Aishbagh, Rajajipuram, Haiderganj, Thakurganj, Chowk and Saadatganj.

The residential settlements in the Trans-Gomti area are Nirala Nagar, Aliganj, Daliganj, Mahanagar, Old & New Hyderabad, Nishatganj, Indira Nagar, Manas Enclave(near Kukrail picnic spot), Gomti Nagar and Gomti Nagar Extn., Nilmatha Cantt., Vikas Nagar, Khurram Nagar, Janakipuram and South City(on Raibareli road).

Aminabad is the heart of the city and the oldest traditional marketplace after Chowk. It is one of the most crowded places of Lucknow.

Culture

Lucknow is bravely struggling to retain its old world charm while at the same time acquiring a modern lifestyle. Regarded as one of the finest cities of India, Lucknow represents a culture that combines emotional warmth, a high degree of sophistication, courtesy, and a love for gracious living. The Pehle-Aap (after you) culture, popularised as a tagline for the society of Lucknow, is waning. But a small part of Lucknow’s society still possesses such etiquette. This sublime cultural richness famous as Lakhnawi tehzeeb blends the cultures of two communities living side by side for centuries, sharing similar interests and speaking a common language.

Many of the cultural traits and customs peculiar to Lucknow have become living legends today. The credit for this goes to the secular and syncretic traditions of the Nawabs of Awadh, who took a keen interest in every walk of life, and encouraged the traditions to attain a rare degree of sophistication.

Language and poetry

Both Hindi and Urdu are spoken in Lucknow, but Urdu has been the lingua franca of the city for centuries. Under the rule of Nawabs, Urdu flourished and turned into one of the most refined languages. Hindu and Muslim poets like Brij Narayan Chakbast, Khwaja Haidar Ali Atish,vinay kumar saroj, Amir Meenai, Mirza Hadi Ruswa, Nasikh, Daya Shankar Kaul Nasim, Musahafi, Insha, Safi Lakhnavi, and the great Meer Taqi Meer took Urdu poetry to dizzying heights and established the Lakhnavi form of the language.^[19]

Lucknow is one of the world’s great cities for Shiite culture. Two poets, Mir Anis and Mirza Dabeer, became legendary exponents of a unique genre of Shia elegiacal poetry called Marsia centred on Imam Husain’s supreme sacrifice in the Battle of Karbala which is commemorated during the annual observance of Muharram.

In recent years the use of Urdu has reduced significantly. Day-to-day transactions in the city are typically performed in Hindi or English. Nevertheless, Lucknowites are still known for their polite and polished way of speaking which is noticed by visitors to this charming^{[citation needed]} city. The revolutionary Ram Prasad Bismil, who was hanged by the British at Kakori near Lucknow, was largely influenced by poetry and wrote verses under the pen name of “Bismil”. The surrounding towns like Kakori, Daryabad, Barabanki, Rudauli and Malihabad produced many eminent poets and littérateurs of Urdu like Mohsin Kakorvi, Majaz, Khumar Barabankvi and Josh Malihabadi.

Recently in 2008 which is the 150th year of ‘mutiny’ of 1857 a novel has been released which uses 1857 as a backdrop. ‘Recalcitrance’ is the first English novel by a Lucknowite on the ‘mutiny’ of 1857.

Cuisine

The Awadh region has its own distinct Nawabi style cuisine, with various kinds of biryanis, kebabs and breads. Kebabs are also of different types – Kakori Kebabs, Galawati Kebabs, Shami Kebabs etc

The city has a range of fine restaurants catering to all tastes and budgets.

Makkhan Malai, ‘Malai Ki Gilori’ of Ram Asrey (an oldest shop of pure ghee sweets, established in 1805) Chowk , the famous Tundey Kebabs, named after the one-armed chef Haji Murad Ali,^[20] and ‘Kakori kebabs’ are very popular with food lovers.

The Chaat in Lucknow is one of the best in the country. There are quite a few places serving outstanding chaat, like Shukla Chaat and Moti Mahal in Hazratganj, Radhey Lal in Aliganj, Chhappan Bhog in Sadar and Neel Kanth in Gomti Nagar, and famous Jagdish Chaat House in old lucknow Chowk.

After a delicious dinner, one can have Paan at any of the innumerable Paan vendors.

Dance and music

Kathak Classical Dance

Kathak, the classical Indian dance form took shape here. Wajid Ali Shah, the last Nawab of Awadh, was a great patron and a passionate champion of Kathak. Lachhu Maharaj, Acchchan Maharaj, Shambhu Maharaj and Birju Maharaj have kept this tradition alive.

Lucknow is also the city of eminent Ghazal singer Begum Akhtar. She was a pioneer in Ghazal singing and took this aspect of music to amazing heights. “Ae Mohabbat Tere anjaam pe rona aaya” is one of her best musical renditions of all times.

The Bhatkande music university at Lucknow is named after the great musician Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande. It is a very eminent university. People from Sri Lanka, Nepal and other countries come to Bhatkhande to study music or dance.

Lucknow has given music legends like Naushad Ali, Talat Mehmood, Anup Jalota and Baba Sehgal to the entertainment industry. It is also incidentally the birthplace of British pop legend Sir Cliff Richard.

Sports

A kite shop in the city

Lucknow has traditionally been a sports-loving city. In the past pehlwani, kabbadi, chess, kite flying, pigeon flying, and cock fighting were popular pastimes. For decades Lucknow hosted the prestigious Sheesh Mahal Cricket Tournament. Today cricket, football, badminton, golf and hockey are among the most popular sports in the city. Gulli Danda has become a benchmark for the youth to achieve.

The main sports hub is the K. D. Singh Babu Stadium which also has a world-class swimming and indoor games complex. The other stadiums are at Charbagh, Mahanagar, Chowk and Sports College.

The Lucknow Golf Club, on the sprawling greens of La Martinière College, is one of the most famous golf courses in India.

The city has a good record in modern sports and has produced several national and world-class sporting personalities. Lucknow sports hostel has produced international-level cricketers such as Mohammed Kaif, Piyush Chawla, Suresh Raina and R. P. Singh. Other famous sports personalities include hockey Olympians K. D. Singh, Mohammed Shahid and Ghaus Mohammad Khan, the tennis player who became the first Indian to reach the quarter finals at Wimbledon.

An inspiration for films

Lucknow has been a major influence on the Hindi film industry of India and it would be true to say that without the Lakhnavi touch, Bollywood would not have been what it is today. Many script writers and lyricists hailing from Awadh like Majrooh Sultanpuri, Kaifi Azmi, Javed Akhtar Ali Raza, Bhagwati Charan Verma, Dr. Kumud Nagar, Dr. Achala Nagar Wajahat Mirza (writer of Mother India and Ganga Jamuna), Amritlal Nagar, Ali Sardar Jafri and K. P. Saxena have enriched Indian Cinema.

Moreover, several famous movies have used Lucknow as their backdrop, such as Shashi Kapoor’s Junoon, Muzaffar Ali’s Umrao Jaan and Gaman, Satyajit Ray’s Shatranj Ke Khiladi. Ismail Merchant’s Shakespeare Wallah was also partly shot in Lucknow.

Bahu Begum, Mehboob ki Mehndi, Mere Hazoor, Mere Mehboob, Chaudhvin Ka Chand, Pakeezah, Main Meri Patni Aur Woh, Saher, Anwar and many more films have either been shot in Lucknow or have Lakhnavi backdrops. In the movie Gadar: Ek Prem Katha Lucknow has been used to depict Pakistan. The Lal Pul has been used.

Infrastructure

Education and Research

IIM Lucknow

Lucknow is a hub of education and research with many premier institutions. Schools and higher educational institutions in Lucknow are administered either by the Directorate of Education, the UP government, or private organizations.

Higher education institutions in the city include six universities:University of Lucknow, UPTU, RMLNLU, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Amity University and Integral University; medical institutes like Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS), Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Medical University (CSMMU), upcoming Sahara Hospital, Apollo Hospital and ERA’s Lucknow Medical College; and management institutes like IIM Lucknow and Institute of Management Science at the University of Lucknow.

Lucknow boasts of national importance as a prominent place for Scientific Research, especially in the emerging field of Modern Biosciences. Four institutions affliated to the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research are located here : the National Botanic Research Institute, the Central Drug Research Institute, Indian Institute of Toxicology Research and Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants.

Transport

Auto Rickshaws

The available multiple modes of public transport in the city are taxis, city buses, cycle rickshaws, auto rickshaws and CNG Buses. CNG has been introduced recently as an auto fuel to keep the air pollution in control. The city bus service is run by Lucknow Mahanagar Parivahan Sewa.^[21] a division of Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC)

From Hazratganj intersection in Lucknow city, four Indian National Highways originate, viz, NH-24 to Delhi, NH-25 to Raksa, Jhansi(M.P. Border), NH-56 to Varanasi and NH-28 to Mokama (Bihar). The major bus terminus is Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar bus station at Alambagh. It has all modern facilities and is the main inter and intrastate terminal. Another important bus station is at Kaiserbagh. Earlier, another bus terminus operated at Charbagh, directly in front of the main railway station, but has now been reestablished as a city bus depot. The move was taken to remove congestion in front of the railway station.

Charbagh Railway Station at Lucknow

The city is served by several Railway stations at different parts of the city. The main railway station is Lucknow Railway Station at Charbagh. It has an imposing structure built in 1923. The main terminal belongs to Northern Railway(NR) (station code: LKO) division of Indian Railways and the second terminal is run by the North Eastern Railway (NER) (Station Code: LJN). Lucknow is a major junction with links to all major cities of the state and country. Lucknow has a further thirteen railway stations viz. Alamnagar, Malhaur, Utretia, Transport Nagar, Dilkhusha, Gomti Nagar, Badshahnagar, Manak Nagar, Amausi, Aishbagh junction, Lucknow City, Daliganj and Mohibullapur. Now meter gauge services originate from Aishbagh and connect to Lucknow city, Daliganj and Mohibullapur. Except Mohibullapur all the stations are also connected to Broad gauge. All the stations are within city limits and are well connected with each other via road networks and public road transport. Other suburban stations include Bakshi Ka Talab and Kakori.

The Amausi International Airport serves as the city’s main airport and is located about 20 km from the city center. Lucknow is directly connected by air with New Delhi, Patna, Kolkata, Mumbai and other major Indian cities. Oman Air and Cosmo Air are a few international airlines that are successfully operating direct international flights from Lucknow to international destinations & vice versa. International destinations include London, Dubai, Jeddah, Muscat and Sharjah. Flights to Bangkok Singapore and Hong Kong may also commence soon. During Haj special flights are also operated from Lucknow.

Plans for high capacity mass transit system, The Lucknow Metrorail Services have been finalised. Delhi Metro rail is preparing plans for its constructions. Wikipedia link: Lucknow MetroMetro

Media

Press

Lucknow has historically been a major center of journalism. The National Herald, the newspaper started by India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru before World War II was published from Lucknow and edited by the legendary Manikonda Chalapathi Rau.

The prominent English dailies of the city are The Times of India, The Hindustan Times, The Pioneer and Indian Express. Several daily newspapers in Hindi, Urdu, and English are published in the city. Among the Hindi papers are Swatantra Bharat,Dainik Jagran, Amar Ujala, Dainik Hindustan, Rashtriya Sahara, Jansatta and I Next. The main Urdu papers are Jayeza Daily, Rashtriya Sahara, Sahafat, Qaumi Khabrein and Aag.

The Press Trust of India and United News of India have their offices in the city and all major newspapers of the country have their correspondents and stringers in Lucknow.

Radio

One of the earliest stations of All India Radio has been operational in Lucknow for quite some time.

FM radio transmission started in Lucknow in 2000, and the city today has following FM radio stations.^[22] -

• 91.1 MHz Radio City
• 93.5 MHz S FM
• 98.3 MHz Radio Mirchi
• 100.7 MHz AIR FM Rainbow,
• 105.6 MHz Gyanvani-Educational

Internet

The city has broadband internet connectivity and video conferencing facilities. Major players like BSNL, Bharti Airtel, Reliance Communications, Tata Communications & STPI, have a wide infrastructure to provide broadband Internet Bandwidth to home users, corporates etc.

Planned by Edwin Lutyens, a leading 20th century British architect, New Delhi is known for its wide, tree-lined boulevards and houses numerous national institutions and landmarks.

History

Completed in 1734 under the orders of Maharaja Jai Singh II, Jantar Mantar is an astronomical observatory.

India Gate commemorates Indian soldiers who fought in World War I

Calcutta was the capital of India until December 1911 during the British Raj. However, Delhi had served as the political and financial centre of several empires of ancient and medieval India, most notably of the Mughal Empire from 1799 to 1849. During the early 1900s, a proposal was made to the British administration to shift the capital of the Indian Empire from Calcutta to Delhi. Unlike Calcutta, which was located on the eastern coast of India, Delhi was located in northern India and the Government of British India felt that it would be easier to administer India from Delhi rather than from Calcutta. On December 12, 1911, George V, the then Emperor of India along with Queen Mary, during the Delhi Durbar, made the announcement that the capital of the Raj was to be shifted from Calcutta to Delhi, while laying the foundation stone for Viceroy’s residence in the Coronation park^[1][2].

New Delhi was laid out to the south of the Old City which was constructed by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. However, New Delhi overlays the site of seven ancient cities and hence includes many historic monuments like the Jantar Mantar and the Lodhi Gardens.

Much of New Delhi was planned by Edwin Lutyens, a leading 20th century British architect and Herbert Baker, and contracted to Sir Sobha Singh. Lutyens first visited Delhi in 1912, and construction really began after World War I and was completed by 1931, when the city later dubbed “Lutyens’ Delhi” was inaugurated. Lutyens laid out the central administrative area of the city as a testament to Britain’s imperial aspirations.

Though soon Lutyens started considering other places, and finalized on a site atop the Raisina Hill, formerly Raisina Pind a Sikh village, for the Rashtrapati Bhawan, then known as Viceroy’s House. The historic reason being that the hill lay directly opposite to the Dinapanah citadel, which was also considered the site of Indraprastha, the oldest Delhi. Subsequently, the foundation stone was shifted from the site of Delhi Durbar of 1911-1912, where the Coronation Pillar stood as well, and embedded in the walls of the forecourt of the the Secretariat. The Rajpath, also known as King’s Way, stretched from the India Gate to the Rashtrapati Bhawan. The Secretariat building which houses various ministries of the Government of India, flanked out of the Rashtrapati Bhawan, and the Parliament House, both designed by Herbert Baker, is located at the Sansad Marg, which runs parallel to the Rajpath ^[3].

After India gained independence in 1947, a limited autonomy was conferred to New Delhi and was administered by a Chief Commissioner appointed by the Government of India. In 1956, Delhi was converted into a union territory and eventually the Chief Commissioner was replaced by a Lieutenant Governor. The Constitution (Sixty-ninth Amendment) Act, 1991 declared the Union Territory of Delhi to be formally known as National Capital Territory of Delhi.^[4] A system of diarchy was introduced under which the elected Government was given wide powers, excluding law and order which remained with the Central Government. The actual enforcement of the legislation came in 1993.

Geography and climate

New Delhi is situated in the centre of Delhi

The Yamuna River lies east of New Delhi.

With a total area of 42.7 km², New Delhi forms a small part of the Delhi metropolitan area^[5] and is located in the Indo-Gangetic Plain because of which there is little difference in the city’s altitude. New Delhi and surrounding areas were once a part of the Aravali Range, but all that is left now is the Delhi ridge. The second feature is the Yamuna floodplains; New Delhi lies west of the Yamuna river, although for the most part, New Delhi is a landlocked city. East of the river is the urban area of Shahdara. New Delhi falls under the seismic zone-IV, making it vulnerable to major earthquakes.^[6]

New Delhi and its vicinity have a somewhat exaggerated continental climate due to its distance from the coast and location with respect to mountain ranges. The temperature varies from 40 degrees Celsius in summers to around 4 degrees Celsius in winters.^[7] Delhi has a semi-arid climate with high variation between summer and winter temperatures. Summers are long, from early April to October, with the monsoon season in between. Winter starts in November and peaks in January. The annual mean temperature is 25 °C (77 °F); monthly mean temperatures range from 14 °C to 33 °C (58 °F to 92 °F).^[8] The average annual rainfall is approximately 714 mm (28.1 inches), most of which is during the monsoons in July and August.^[9]

Government

As of 2005, the government structure of the New Delhi Municipal Council includes a chairperson, three members of New Delhi’s Legislative Assembly, two members nominated by the Chief Minister of National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT) and five members nominated by the central government. The current Chief Minister of the NCT is Sheila Dikshit. According to the Indian constitution, if a law passed by Delhi’s legislative assembly is repugnant to any law passed by the Parliament of India, then the law enacted by the parliament shall prevail over the law enacted by the assembly.^[11]

New Delhi is governed by its own municipal government, known as the New Delhi Municipal Council. Other urban areas of the metropolis of Delhi are administered by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and are hence not considered a part of the capital city. However, the entire metropolis of Delhi is commonly known as New Delhi in contrast to Old Delhi.

• List of ministries of India

Urban structure

The Bahá’í House of Worship in New Delhi, India attracts an average of 4 million visitors a year. It is popularly known as the Lotus Temple.

Much of New Delhi was planned by Edwin Lutyens, a leading 20th century British architect and has been dubbed “Lutyens’ Delhi”. Lutyens laid out the central administrative area of the city as a testament to Britain’s imperial pretensions. New Delhi is structured around two central promenades called the Rajpath and the Janpath. The Rajpath, or King’s Way, stretches from the Rashtrapati Bhavan to the India Gate. The Janpath, formerly Queen’s Way, begins at Connaught Circus and cuts the Rajpath at right angles. Nineteen (19) foreign embassies are located on the nearby Shantipath (Hindi: “Path of Peace”), making it the largest diplomatic enclave in India.^[12]

At the heart of the city is the magnificent Rashtrapati Bhavan (formerly known as Viceroy’s House) which sits atop Raisina Hill. The Secretariat, which houses various ministries of the Government of India, flanks out of the Rashtrapati Bhavan. The Parliament House, designed by Herbert Baker, is located at the Sansad Marg, which runs parallel to the Rajpath. The Connaught Place is a large, circular commercial area in New Delhi, modeled after the Royal Crescent in England. Twelve separate roads lead out of the outer ring of Connaught Place, one of them being the Janpath.

Transport

The Delhi Transport Corporation operates the world’s largest fleet of CNG powered buses.^[13]

Indira Gandhi International Airport is one of the busiest airports in South Asia^[14]

Being a planned city, New Delhi has numerous arterial roads, some of which have an iconic status associated with them such as Rajpath, Janpath and Akbar Road. In 2005, private vehicles accounted for 30% of total transportation demand for the Delhi metropolitan area.^[15] Road construction and maintenance is primarily the responsibility of NDMC’s Civil Engineering Department.^[16] Underground subways are a common feature across New Delhi. As of 2008, 15 subways were operational.^[17] In 1971, the administrative responsibility of the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) was transferred from Municipal Corporation of Delhi to Government of India following which DTC extended its operations to New Delhi. In 2007, there were 2700 bus stops in New Delhi, of which 200 were built and maintained by NDMC and the rest by DTC.^[18]

The Delhi Metro, constructed and operated by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), connects the city with the rest of the metropolis of Delhi. Under an agreement with NDMC, DMRC can acquire land for the construction of metro rail and stations in New Delhi without any financial implications.^[19] NDMC is also constructing multi-level parking systems in collaboration with DMRC at various Delhi metro stations across New Delhi to increase parking space.^[20] The New Delhi Railway Station is the main railway station in Delhi. New Delhi Station is the second busiest, and one of the largest, in India. It handles over 300 trains each day, from 18 platforms connecting New Delhi with the rest of India.

Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) is the primary aviation hub of Delhi. In 2006–07, the airport recorded a traffic of more than 23 million passengers,^[21][22] making it one of the busiest airports in South Asia. A new US$1.93 billion Terminal 3 is currently under construction and will handle an additional 34 million passengers annually by 2010.^[23] Further expansion programs will allow the airport to handle more than 100 million passengers per annum by 2020.^[21] Safdarjung Airport is the other airfield in Delhi used for general aviation purpose.^[24]

Demographics

The Laxminarayan Temple,is a famous Vaishnavite temple in New Delhi

In 2001, New Delhi had a population of 302,363 while the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT) had a population of 9.81 million.^[25], making it the second largest metropolitan area in India after Mumbai.^[26] There are 925 women per 1000 men in NCT, and the literacy rate is 81.67%.^[27]

Hinduism is the religion of 82% of Delhi’s population, of which New Delhi is a part. There are also large communities of Muslims (11.7%), Sikhs (4.0%), Jains (1.1%) and Christians (0.9%) in Delhi.^[28] Other minorities include Parsis, Buddhists and Jews.^[29]

Hindi is the principal spoken language while English is the principal written language of the city. Other languages commonly spoken in the city are Punjabi and Urdu. Linguistic groups from all over India are well represented in the city; among them are Maithili, Haryanvi, Kannada, Telugu, Bengali, Marathi, Gujarati and Tamil.

Culture

The Auto Expo, Asia’s largest auto show,^[30] is held biennially at Pragati Maidan

New Delhi is a cosmopolitan city due to the multi-ethnic and multi-cultural presence of the vast Indian bureaucracy and political system. The city’s capital status has amplified the importance of national events and holidays. National events such as Republic Day, Independence Day and Gandhi Jayanti (Gandhi’s birthday) are celebrated with great enthusiasm in New Delhi and the rest of India. On India’s Independence Day (15 August) the Prime Minister of India addresses the nation from the Red Fort. Most Delhiites celebrate the day by flying kites, which are considered a symbol of freedom.^[31] The Republic Day Parade is a large cultural and military parade showcasing India’s cultural diversity and military might.^[32][33]

Religious festivals include Divali (the festival of light), Guru Nanak Jayanti, Baisakhi, Durga Puja, Holi, Lohri, Maha Shivaratri, Eid ul-Fitr, Eid ul-Adha, Christmas and Buddha Jayanti.^[33] The Qutub Festival is a cultural event during which performances of musicians and dancers from all over India are showcased at night, with the Qutub Minar as the chosen backdrop of the event.^[34] Other events such as Kite Flying Festival, International Mango Festival and Vasant Panchami (the Spring Festival) are held every year in Delhi.

Economy

Delhi CBD in Connaught Place

Rajiv Chowk, formerly known as Connaught Place, one of northern India’s largest commercial and financial centres, is located in the heart of New Delhi. Adjoining areas such as Barakhamba Road and Chankyapuri are also major commercial centres. Government and quasi government sector was the primary employer in New Delhi. The city’s service sector has expanded due in part to the large skilled English-speaking workforce that has attracted many multinational companies. Key service industries include information technology, telecommunications, hotels, banking, media and tourism.

The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi does not release any economic figures specifically for New Delhi but publishes an official economic report on the whole of Delhi annually. According to the Economic Survey of Delhi, the metropolis has a net State Domestic Product (SDP) of Rs. 83,085 crores (for the year 2004–05)^[35] and a per capita income of Rs. 53,976.^[35] The tertiary sector contributes 78.4% of Delhi’s gross SDP followed by secondary and primary sectors with 20.2% and 1.4% contribution respectively

The name Ranchi comes from “archi” an Oraon/Kurukh word for the farmer’s “baton” in use while ploughing. Before that up to 1927, this place (Ranchi) was known as “Kishunpur”. The area was an agricultural locality and Doranda (‘duran’ ‘दुरङ’ means song/sing & ‘da ah’ ‘दअः’ is water – Mundari words), in between Hinoo & Harmoo River was a better known place for its military base and garrison. The present Purani Ranchi was originally known as the village Archi.

Ranchi is a prominent political, commercial, industrial, and educational hub of eastern India.

Geography

Ranchi is located at 23°21′N 85°20′E / 23.35°N 85.33°E / 23.35; 85.33.^[2] The total area covered by Ranchi – Municipal Area is about 141 square kilometers and the average elevation of the city is 661 m above MSL.

Geographically, Ranchi is located on southern part of the Chota Nagpur plateau which forms the eastern edge of the Deccan plateau system. The area surrounding Ranchi has been endowed with natural attractions and it is referred to as the “City of Waterfalls”. The most popular waterfalls are Dasham, Hundru, Jonha Falls, Hirni and Panchghat, which are all active perennially.

The Subarnarekha river and its tributaries constitute the local river system. Dams in Kanke, Rukka and Hatia have been built over these channels to cater to the water requirements of the local population.

Ranchi has a hilly topography and its combination with dense tropical forests ensures that it enjoys a comparatively moderate climate compared to the rest of the state.

Climate

Ranchi has a sub-tropical climate. Temperature ranges from maximum 37 to 20°C during summer, and minimum 22 to 3°C during winter. The annual rainfall is about 1430 mm. From June to September the rainfall level is about 1,100 mm.

Demographics

As of 2001 India census,^[3] Ranchi had a population of 846,454. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Ranchi has an average literacy rate of 74%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 80%, and female literacy is 68%. In Ranchi, 13% of the population is under 6 years of age.

According to the current estimates, the population of the city is now about 1,300,000, making it the largest in Jharkhand. The city witnessed a sudden surge in population after the declaration of the new state of Jharkhand in 2000. Owing to the rising employment opportunities and opening of numerous regional and state level offices, banks, and marketing companies, the city witnessed the influx of migrants. Ranchi has always enjoyed a cosmopolitan environment and still entails a mix of people from different regions of the country.

Education

Primary and Secondary Schools

The two best and oldest schools in the city are St. Xavier’s Doranda, and Loreto Convent. They have traditionally excelled in imparting a strong foundation in education and discipline resulting in their alumni spread all over the world excelling in professions like academics, engineering, medicine, journalism etc.

There are a couple of Central Schools. Newer schools like DAV Jawahar Vidya Mandir, DPS, St. Thomas are now creme-de-la-creme of the schools in Ranchi. Ranchi is reputed to be a centre of education, and it also attracts students from the neighbouring cities and towns.

Most of the government-run schools in Ranchi are affiliated to Jharkhand Academic Council, while most of the private schools are affiliated to ICSE and/or CBSE boards. A number of Christian Schools are convents or are run by the Jesuit missionaries of the Roman Catholic, Gossner, Evangelical, and Lutheran Churches and the Church of North India.

Higher Education

Most of the colleges and institutions of higher education of Ranchi are under the jurisdiction of Ranchi University. There are also Agicultural and Veterinary Colleges, which are part of the Birsa Agricultural University located at Kanke.

St. Xavier’s College, Yogoda Satsang College, Marwari Boys’ College, Birla Institute of Technology, Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences, Central Institute of Psychiatry, National Institute of Foundry and Forge Technology,Gossner College and Doranda College are other major local institutions.

Transportation and commuting

Road

Ranchi has road connectivity with 2 National Highways (NH-23 & 33) crossing it and NH-75 originating here. Recently to May 2009 the state government with the support of NHDC has constituted a plan to expand the road connectivity of different district headquarters to this capital city with 4-lane highways of international standards.

One peculiarity of this capital city is that there is no local bus services. For commuting one can hire a cycle rickshaw, auto rickshaw, or taxi.

The State Bus Terminus near the Ranch Railway station has direct buses available for traveling to Bokaro Steel City, Jamshedpur, Patna, Gaya, Bhagalpur, Alipurduar, Siliguri, Kolkata, or Rourkela. The State Bus Terminus is located near the Ranchi Railway station; and Khad Garaha and Ratu Road, both private bus agencies, have similar options.

Rail

Ranchi has witnessed growth in railway connectivity between 2006-9. The annual Railway budgets allocated funds for growth due to demand. Currently Ranchi has frequent connectivity with all major centres in India.

The Railway Stations in the city are the following: Tatisilwai, Namkum, Ranchi Junction, Argora & Hatia

Air

Ranchi has a domestic airport – Birsa Munda Airport (Code: IXR) managed by the Airports Authority of India. The airport terminal is situated in Hinoo approximately 7 km south of the city center. The single runway airport is approximately 10000 feet in length and supports navigation/traffic control systems such as HIRL and PAPI. Airlines include Indian Airlines, JetLite, Kingfisher Red and MDLR Airlines.ranchi is conected with all major cities like mumbai,delhi,kolkata,chandigarh,patna,bubnaneswar,bangalore etc. via air.

Trade, commerce, and industry

As an important administrative and military base of the eastern India during the British Raj, Ranchi developed as an important centre of trade and commerce, including a traditional base for sericulture and manufacture of shellac. Villages around Ranchi has been described as the ‘vegetable bowl’ of Jharkhand and truckloads of green vegetables are transported from the city to different parts of Jharkhand, Bihar, as also to Kolkata.

After India gained independence, Ranchi continued to grow and a number of industrial facilities were located in and around the city, and it emerged as an important industrial centre. Along with other two industrial townships of Jamshedpur and Bokaro, it completes the industrial structure of Jharkhand. Techno-industrial facilities of Ranchi include Heavy Engineering Corporation, MECON, CCL, and Shipping Corporation of India.

The Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) founded its research and development center here in 1974 and today it is the largest steel research centre of the country, employing over 350 scientists and addressing the R&D needs of SAIL while also providing diverse scientific services to other organizations on contract basis.

Health care facilities and important hospitals

The city is traditionally the medical centre for the entire region of about 400 km in radius. Many hospitals, both private and public, dot the city.

• The Rajendra Medical College now known as Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences, RIMS is the largest of three medical colleges in the state. Neurodiagnostic facilities exist in the Advanced Diagnostic Centre.

• The Indian corporate hospital chain (Apollo Hospitals Group) runs a private hospital on the outskirts of the city.

• Ranchi is famous across India for its psychiatric care centers. Ranchi has some of the largest facilities for mentally-challenged patients at Kanke. There are three major hospitals taking care of patients with psychiatric illnesses.

1. Central Institute of Psychiatry, Kanke
2. RINPAS, Kanke^{[clarification needed]}
3. Davis Institute of Neuropsychiatry, Kanke^{[clarification needed]}

Tourist attractions

Temples

Jonha Falls – This is a popular tourist destination situated 40 km from the City.

• Rajrappa Mandir About 65 km from Ranchi for the worship of Goddess Kali, known as Chhinnamastika. Also a tourist place; has great picnic spots.
• Pahari Temple – Heart of the city
• Durga Badi – Near Firayalal Chowk at the heart of the city.
• Jagannathpur Temple – Built in the architectural style of Puri temples about 300 years old
• Surya Temple – 38 km from Ranchi on Ranchi-Tata NH Road
• Parasnath or Shikharjee – A major pilgrimage of the Jain’s about 200 km from Ranchi in Girdih District.
• Ramakrishna Mission and Ashram, Morabadi
• Dewri Temple – 58 km from Ranchi on Ranchi-Tata NH 33 road
• Doranda Jain Mandir – 4 km from Ranchi
• Head Quarters of Yogoda Satsanga Society of India, founded by Paramahansa Yogananda, situated about 200 metres from Ranchi railway station.

Dhurwa dam 2 km from vidhan sabha

• Buddha Vihar, Chhotanagpur Buddha Society, Nepal House, Doranda Ranchi.

Hirini Falls are One Of the Famous Falls of Ranchi(Jharkhand)

Festivals

Ranchi is home to people of many castes, creeds and sects. All festivals are celebrated with pomp, glory and in harmony. People from nearby as well as far off places visit Ranchi during the holidays.

Parks and resorts

Ranchi is known as being a major city with many waterfalls near it.

• Nakshatra Van – Heart of the city, near Raj Bhawan (Governor’s House)

• Birsa Zoological Park – 14 km from Ranchi^{[clarification needed]}

• Night Safari – 14 km from Ranchi^{[clarification needed]}

• Deer Park – 16 km from Ranchi on Ranchi-Khunti Road^{[clarification needed]}

• Sidhu Kaanhu Park – Heart of the city

• Dr. Zakhir Hussain Park – Heart of the city

• Ranchi Hill – Pahari Baba Temple – Heart of the city.

• Tagore hill – Morabadi, 5 km from the center of the city

• Rock Garden – Kanke Road, 4 km from the center of the city^{[clarification needed]}

• Fun Castle – Ratu, 7 km from Ranchi^{[clarification needed]}

• Crocodile Farm – Ormanjhi, 19 km from Ranchi^{[clarification needed]}

• Ranchi Lake – Heart of the city^{[clarification needed]}

• Dhurwa Dam^{[clarification needed]}

• Jonha Falls – About 35 km from Ranchi

Other than these recognized parks (most of which have entry fee), there are many open playgrounds which are vanishing fast as the government/administration has initiated massive constructions on available government lands.^{[citation needed]}

Media

The city has several newspapers, the most circulated being Prabhat Khabar, Dainik Jagran, Aaj Daily and RanchiExpress.

There are also some local news channels delivered through the cable TV network, PBL Nazar, and Jharkhand TV. Besides these local channels, ETV Bihar/Jharkhand and Sahara Samay Bihar/Jharkhand are two regional channels for this state run by Indian news networks.

Besides the AIR (All India Radio) run Vividh Bharti 103.3 FM, radio station, there are private FM Channels as well. Radiomantra 91.9 FM…(life ka mantra) is owned by the Dainik Jagran Media house. Big 92.7 FM which a joint venture by Anil Dhirubhai Ambani and Adlabs, 104.8 Radio Dhoom owned by Prabhat Khabar has recently been launched and the B.A.G group’s venture 106.4 FM Radio Dhamaal comprises the Fm channel network in Ranchi.

Sports

Cricket is a popular sport in Ranchi. M. S. Dhoni, the captain of Indian Test, One Day and T20 Team, was born and brought up in Ranchi. He led the team to win the T-20 cricket world cup 2007. The popularity of cricket in the state has grown by leaps and bounds, after Dhoni was made captain of the Indian Cricket Team.

The city has one of the best field hockey facilities, with a newly constructed arsto turf stadium. Quite a number of players, specially women, from Jharkhand have represented India. Jaipal Singh Munda was the captain of the Indian Hockey team during the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics, though he did not lead the team in the final.

His Highness Sawai Bhawani Singh Bahadur (born 1931) is the current titular Maharaja of Jaipur.

The city is remarkable among pre-modern Indian cities for the width and regularity of its streets which are laid out into six sectors separated by broad streets 111 ft (34 m) wide. The urban quarters are further divided by networks of gridded streets. Five quarters wrap around the east, south, and west sides of a central palace quarter, with a sixth quarter immediately to the east. The Palace quarter encloses a sprawling palace complex (the Hawa Mahal, or palace of winds), formal gardens, and a small lake. Nahargarh Fort crowns the hill in the northwest corner of the old city. Another noteworthy building is Sawai Jai Singh’s observatory, Jantar Mantar.

History

For the history of all the region, see Dhundhar

Hawa Mahal, and the Principal Street of Jaipur, c. 1875

Jaipur, Principal Street, c. 1875

Jaipur was founded in 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, a Kachwaha Rajput, who ruled from 1699-1744. Initially his capital was Amber (city), which lies at a distance of 11 km from Jaipur. He felt the need of shifting his capital city with the increase in population and growing scarcity of water. Jaipur is the first planned city of India. The King consulted several books on architecture and architects before making the lay out of Jaipur.

After several battles with Marathas, Jai Singh was keen on the security aspect of the city. Being a lover of mathematics and science, Jai Singh sought advice from Vidyadhar Bhattacharya, a Brahmin scholar of Bengal, to aid him design the city architecture.

The construction of the city started in 1727. It took around 4 years to complete the major palaces, roads and square. The city was built following the principles of Shilpa Shastra, the Indian Architecture. The city was divided into nine blocks, of which two consist the state buildings and palaces, with the remaining seven allotted to the public. Huge fortification walls were made along with seven strong gates.

For the time, architecture of the town was very advanced and certainly the best in Indian subcontinent. In 1853, when the Prince of Wales visited Jaipur, the whole city was painted pink to welcome him. Today, avenues remain painted in pink, provide a distinctive appearance to the city.

In the 19th century the city grew rapidly ; by 1900 it had a population of 160,000. The city’s wide boulevards were paved and lit with gas.

The city had several hospitals. Its chief industries were in metals and marble, fostered by a school of art founded in 1868. The city also had three colleges, including a Sanskrit college (1865) and a girls’ school (1867) initiated under the reign of the enigmatic Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II. There was also a wealthy and enterprising community of native bankers, particularly the Jains and the Marwaris.

Architecture

Jaipur is considered by many urbanists to be one of the best planned cities. In an era when most of the rajputs were busy fighting with each other, Jaipur’s kings diplomatically broadened their control sphere maintaining good relations with the Mughals.

The city was planned according to Indian Vastu Shastra (Vedic or Pouranic Planning for the comfort and prosperity of the citizens). The directions of each street and market are east to West and North to South. The Eastern gate is called Suraj (Sun) Pol, while the Western gate is called Chand (Moon) Pol. There are only three gates facing East, west, and North including the Northern gate (known as Zorawar Singh gate) which faces toward the ancestral capital of Amber, while many gates face South.

Although the present city has expanded from outside of its walls, the original planning was within the walls. The gates used to be closed at sunset and opened at sunrise. Almost all Northern Indian towns of that period presented a chaotic picture of narrow twisting lanes, a confusion of run-down forts, temples, palaces, and temporary shacks that bore no resemblance at all to the principles set out in Hindu architectural manuals which call for strict geometric planning. Thus, for Sawai Jai Singh II and the Bengali Guru Vidyadhar (who was a ‘Shaspati’ – Hindu Priest Architect), the founding of Jaipur was also a ritual and a bronze opportunity to plan a whole town according to the principles of Hindu architectural theory.

The town of Jaipur is built in the form of a eight-part Mandala known as the ‘Pithapada’. Nine signifies the nine planets of the ancient astrological zodiac. It is also known that Sawai Jai Singh II was a great astronomer and a town planner, and hence the ‘Pithapada’. Also, the commercial shops are designed in multiples of nine (27), having one cross street for a planet.

History

For the history of all the region, see Dhundhar

Hawa Mahal, and the Principal Street of Jaipur, c. 1875

Jaipur, Principal Street, c. 1875

Jaipur was founded in 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, a Kachwaha Rajput, who ruled from 1699-1744. Initially his capital was Amber (city), which lies at a distance of 11 km from Jaipur. He felt the need of shifting his capital city with the increase in population and growing scarcity of water. Jaipur is the first planned city of India. The King consulted several books on architecture and architects before making the lay out of Jaipur.

After several battles with Marathas, Jai Singh was keen on the security aspect of the city. Being a lover of mathematics and science, Jai Singh sought advice from Vidyadhar Bhattacharya, a Brahmin scholar of Bengal, to aid him design the city architecture.

The construction of the city started in 1727. It took around 4 years to complete the major palaces, roads and square. The city was built following the principles of Shilpa Shastra, the Indian Architecture. The city was divided into nine blocks, of which two consist the state buildings and palaces, with the remaining seven allotted to the public. Huge fortification walls were made along with seven strong gates.

For the time, architecture of the town was very advanced and certainly the best in Indian subcontinent. In 1853, when the Prince of Wales visited Jaipur, the whole city was painted pink to welcome him. Today, avenues remain painted in pink, provide a distinctive appearance to the city.

In the 19th century the city grew rapidly ; by 1900 it had a population of 160,000. The city’s wide boulevards were paved and lit with gas.

The city had several hospitals. Its chief industries were in metals and marble, fostered by a school of art founded in 1868. The city also had three colleges, including a Sanskrit college (1865) and a girls’ school (1867) initiated under the reign of the enigmatic Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II. There was also a wealthy and enterprising community of native bankers, particularly the Jains and the Marwaris.

Architecture

Jaipur is considered by many urbanists to be one of the best planned cities. In an era when most of the rajputs were busy fighting with each other, Jaipur’s kings diplomatically broadened their control sphere maintaining good relations with the Mughals.

The city was planned according to Indian Vastu Shastra (Vedic or Pouranic Planning for the comfort and prosperity of the citizens). The directions of each street and market are east to West and North to South. The Eastern gate is called Suraj (Sun) Pol, while the Western gate is called Chand (Moon) Pol. There are only three gates facing East, west, and North including the Northern gate (known as Zorawar Singh gate) which faces toward the ancestral capital of Amber, while many gates face South.

Although the present city has expanded from outside of its walls, the original planning was within the walls. The gates used to be closed at sunset and opened at sunrise. Almost all Northern Indian towns of that period presented a chaotic picture of narrow twisting lanes, a confusion of run-down forts, temples, palaces, and temporary shacks that bore no resemblance at all to the principles set out in Hindu architectural manuals which call for strict geometric planning. Thus, for Sawai Jai Singh II and the Bengali Guru Vidyadhar (who was a ‘Shaspati’ – Hindu Priest Architect), the founding of Jaipur was also a ritual and a bronze opportunity to plan a whole town according to the principles of Hindu architectural theory.

The town of Jaipur is built in the form of a eight-part Mandala known as the ‘Pithapada’. Nine signifies the nine planets of the ancient astrological zodiac. It is also known that Sawai Jai Singh II was a great astronomer and a town planner, and hence the ‘Pithapada’. Also, the commercial shops are designed in multiples of nine (27), having one cross street for a planet.

It is known for its Rajput-era palaces. Particularly famous is the Lake Palace, which covers an entire island in the Pichola Lake. Many of the palaces have been converted into luxury hotels.

Geography

Udaipur is located at 24°35′N 73°41′E / 24.58°N 73.68°E / 24.58; 73.68.^[1] It has an average elevation of 598 metres.

Climate

The climate of Udaipur is tropical with the mercury staying between a maximum of 42.3°C and a minimum of 28.8°C during summers.^{[citation needed]} Winters are a little cold with the maximum temperature rising to 28.8°C and the minimum dipping to 2.5°C.

History

Old flag

Udaipur was the capital of the Rajput kingdom of Mewar, ruled by the Sisodia clan. The founder of Udaipur was Rana Udai Singh. The ancient capital of Mewar was Nagda, located on the Banas River northeast of Udaipur. Legend has it that Maharana Udai Singh came upon a hermit while hunting in the foothills of the Aravalli Range. The hermit blessed the king and asked him to build a palace on the spot and it would be well protected. Udai Singh established a residence there. In 1568 the Mughal emperor Akbar captured Chittor, and Udai Singh moved the capital to the site of his residence, which became the city of Udaipur.^[2] As the Mughal empire weakened, the Sisodia ranas, and later maharanas, reasserted their independence and recaptured most of Mewar except the fort of Chittor. Udaipur remained the capital of the state, which became a princely state of British India in 1818. After India’s Independence in 1947, the Maharaja of Udaipur acceded to the Government of India, and Mewar was integrated into India’s Rajasthan state.

Udaipur remained untouched by Mughals

This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. (December 2008)

Sisodias, or the Guhilots (Suryavansh),^{[clarification needed]} have ruled the Mewar region since V.S 191,^{[clarification needed]} were against Mughal dominion, and tried to distance themselves from them.^{[citation needed]} Being a mountainous region and unsuitable for heavily armoured Mughal horses, Udaipur remained unmolested from Mughal influence in spite of much pressure. Maharana Fateh Singh of Udaipur was the only royalty who did not attend the Delhi Durbar for King George V in 1911. This fierce sense of independence earned them the highest gun salute in Rajasthan, 19 against the 17 each of Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bundi, Bikaner, Kota and Karauli. Rosita Forbes, who passed this land during the decline of the British Raj, described it as “like no other place on earth”.^{[citation needed]}

The land area of the state was 33,543 mi². Its population in 1901 was 14,73,759. It enjoyed an estimated revenue of £20,29,000.^[when?]

Demography

As of 2001^[update] India census^[3], Udaipur had a population of 550,000. Males constitute 53 percent of the population and females 47 percent. Udaipur has an average literacy rate of 77 percent, the national average is 79 percent: male literacy is 83 percent and female literacy is 72 percent.

Transport

Udaipur is well connected to the world through land, rail and air.

Road

The city falls on the Golden Quadrilateral, lying midway between Delhi and Mumbai on National Highway (NH) 8; it is around 650 kilometres from either metro. The roads in this part of the country are paved and fit for private vehicles. One can either drive from Jaipur (around 8 hours) or Ahmedabad (3.5 hours), or take a Rajasthan Tourism bus from Rajasthan House, India Gate in Delhi. It also falls on East West Corridor which starts from Porbandar and ends at Silchar and is intersecting the Golden Quadrilateral and shares the common space from Udaipur to Chittor.

Sukhadia Circle at Night

Taj Lake Palace.

The Udaipur Palace Complex at night

City Palace

Sajjangarh Palace flood-lit during late evening

Nehru Garden on an island in Fatehsagar Lake

Air

Dabok airport, also known as Maharana Pratap Airport, is 24 kilometres from the city centre. Daily Indian Airlines flights connect Udaipur with Jodhpur, Jaipur, Aurangabad, Mumbai & Delhi. There are daily flights from Delhi, Mumbai and Jaipur on Jet Airways, Indian Airlines and Kingfisher Airlines. The airport is going through modernisation project and will soon have a new terminal building with an additional 4 stands.^{[citation needed]} The airport has been confirmed as an International airport by the Government of India. Airport is still operating domestic flights, please reconfirm before visiting.

Train

Train connectivity is established between Delhi, Jaipur and Ahmedabad through trains run by Indian Railway. Recently Udaipur got connected with Delhi, Kota and Mathura with the “Mewar Express” on broadgauge tracks. In August 2007 Udaipur was connected with Kolkatta, by the “Ananya Express”. A train has also been introduced between Mumbai and Udaipur via Vadodara, Ratlam and Chittorgarh. Udaipur lacks direct connectivity to South India, and one has to reach it either via Kota or Ahmedabad.

A new train has been launched which connects Udaipur to Indore.(Train No 9658, Train Name – UDZ INDB EXPRES, Schedule Tue, Thu,Sat, Departs Udaipur At 2030 and arrives Indore at 0650 (next day))

Local transport

Unmetered taxis, auto rickshaws, tongas, city bus, and regular city bus service is available for Udaipur City main roads to Dabok Airport, Badi Lake, and Bedala.^[4]

Places of interest

City Palace Udaipur

Standing on the east bank of Lake Pichola is a massive series of palaces built at different times from 1559. The balconies of the palace provide panoramic views of “Jag Niwas” (the Lake Palace Hotel), Jag Mandir on one side and on the other the city of Udaipur. Its main entrance is through the triple-arched gate – the Tripolia, built in 1725. The way now leads to a series of courtyards, overlapping parations, terraces, corridors and gardens. There is a Suraj Gokhda, where the maharanas of Mewar presented themselves in the times of trouble to the people to restore confidence. The Mor-chowk (Peacock courtyard), gets its name from the mosaics in glass decorating its walls. The chini chitrashala is noteworthy while a series of wall paintings of Krishna are on display in Bhim Vilas. There are numerous other palaces such as Dilkhush mahal, Sheesh mahal, Moti mahal and Krishna vilas – in memory of a princess of striking beauty who poisoned herself to avert a bloody battle for her hand by rival princes. Now the palace contains many antique articles, paintings, decorative furniture and utensils and attracts thousands of visitors every day.^{[citation needed]} The former guesthouse of the city palace, Shiv Niwas Palace and the Fateh Prakash Palace have been converted into heritage hotels.

= == ==[[Lake Palace]]=== ”’Bu”’ilt in 1743-1746 of marble on Jag Niwas island in [[Lake Pichola]] as a royal summer palace and now a luxury 5 Star hotel operating under the [[Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces]]. ””” ==

Jag Mandir

Another island in the Lake Pichola, which is known for its garden courtyard. Shah Jahan took refuge here while revolting against his father.

City Palace and Museum

Pratap Museum, While entering the City palace the straight way go to the Government Pratap Museum housed with old sculptures and inscriptions. The antique paintings of Mewar, the turban of prince Khurram later on called Shah Jahan, who built the world famous Taj Mahal has also been displayed here as a token of friendship of Maharana Khazan Singh. Next to Fateh Prakash Palace, houses glass and mirror works.

Bharatiya Lok Kala Mandal

A museum of folk arts. Also hosts puppet shows in its auditorium.

Maharana Pratap Memorial or Moti Magri

Atop the Moti Magri or Pearl Hill, overlooking the Fateh Sagar Lake is the memorial of the Rajput hero Maharana Pratap with a bronze statue of the Maharana astride his favourite horse “Chetak”. More details are available at Maharanapratap.net, a collection of facts and figures on Maharana Pratap and his life.

Sajjangarh Fort (Monsoon Palace)

The summer resort of the Maharajas is atop the hill overlooking all the lakes. This palace had a way to collect rain water for consumption all year around.

Sukhadia Circle

Sukhadia Circle (Square), Udaipur, a large roundabout in the city’s northern suburb of Panchwati, on the road to Ranakpur and Mt. Abu. The centrepiece of the Circle is a large, three-tiered fountain just over 21 m. high, with scalloped dishes surmounted by a wheat-ear motif, representing prosperity. Illuminated at night, it is now a well-known landmark. Its foundation was laid in 1968 and was opened in 1970. The Circle is a popular recreational centre and meeting place. A circular pond surrounds the fountain; nearby are pleasant gardens. Families and friends come together, especially at night, when music plays, and dozens of food, cold drinks and tea stalls do a flourishing trade. Children particularly enjoy the experience: they float toy boats in the central pond, where odd duck-shaped pedallos (paddle boats) vie for space; there is even a mini train nearby. Sukhadia Circle commemorates the memory of Udaipur’s MOHAN LAL SUKHADIA, one-time Chief Minister of Rajasthan and a native of Udaipur.

Jagdish Temple

A temple situated in the middle of the city – a big tourist attraction, the temple of Jagannath Rai, now called Jagdish-ji, is a major monument. It is raised on a tall terrace and was completed in 1651. It attaches a double storeyed Mandapa (hall) to a double – storied, saandhara (that having a covered ambulatory) sanctum. The mandapa has another storey tucked within its pyramidal samavarna (bell – roof) while the hollow clustered spire over the sanctum contains two more, non – functional stories. Lanes taking off from many of the sheharpanah (city wall) converge on the Jagdish Temple. It was built by Maharana Jagat Singh Ist in 1651 A.D. It is an example of Indo – Aryan architecture.

Fateh Sagar Lake

Fateh Sager Lake is a vicinity for young lovers,^{[citation needed]} it is situated in the north of Lake Picholas. It was originally built by Maharana Jai Singh in the year 1678 AD, but later on reconstructed and extended by Maharana Fateh Singh, As lot of destruction was caused by heavy rains.In the year 1993-1994,the water vanished from the lake and again in the year 2005-2006, the lake regained its water.The lake is tried directly to connect with mansivacal dam so that it doesnot suffer any type of water problem again in future.

Lake Pichola

The Sapphire Udaipur : Lake Pichola is a lake that has two islands, Jag Niwas and the Jag Mandir. This lake is 4km long and 3 km wide, originally built by Maharana Udai Singh II after he discovered Rajasthan “Udaipur”. There are many ghats, like the bathing and washing ghats, which can be approached through boats from the City Palace of Udaipur (Bansi Ghat). In the heart of lake, the Lake Palace stands, which is now converted into a heritage palace hotel. This palace hotel is considered to be 3 decades old in the history of Udaipur. The Lake remains fairly shallow, at the time of heavy rains, and gets dry easily at the time of severe drought. A hermit is said to have advised the Maharana to establish his kingdom over Lake Pichola, after the fall of Chittaurgarh by Mughal emperor Akbar.^[who?]

Saheliyon-ki-Bari

Sahelion Ki Bari’ was laid for a group of forty-eight young women attendants who accompanied a princess to Udaipur as part of her dowry. The gardens set below the embankment of the Fateh Sagar Lake have beautiful lotus pools, marble pavilions and elephant- shaped fountains. These fountains are fed by the water of the lake gushing through ducts made for the purpose. Each water channel has its distinct sound and the mingling of these sounds complement the ambience of the place.

Udaipur Solar Observatory

Asia’s only solar observatory, the Udaipur Solar Observatory is situated on an island in the middle of the Lake Fatehsagar (Location: 240 35.1′ : 730 42.8′ ) and the main office building is located at its NW-shore near Bari Road – Rani Road Junction. The site is run under PRL (Physical Research Lab) in Ahemdabad. The sky conditions at Udaipur are quite favourable for solar observations.^{[citation needed]} The large water body surrounding the telescopes decreases the amount of heating of the surface layers. This decreases the turbulence in the air mass and thereby improves the image quality and seeing. The main objective of obtaining the high spatial and temporal resolution observations of solar photospheric and chromospheric

Gulab Bagh & Zoo

A rose Garden laid out by Maharaja Sajjan Singh is situated near the palace on east side of Lake Pichhola. A library in the garden has a collection of ancient handwritten manuscripts and books. Within the garden, there is a zoo with tigers, leopards, Chinkara gazelle, birds, and many wild animals.

Doodh Talai

A “Rock Garden” from where one can enjoy sunset view in Lake Pichhola and panoramic view of old city. Rajasthan’s first “Musical Fountain” manufactured by “Yagnik Mechanical Engineering Works”, is another attraction for the visitors.

Nehru Garden

This is a park situated in the middle of Fateh Sager Lake. This park covers the huge area of about 41 acres (170,000 m²) with its flower gardens and a lily pond. As the name suggests, it was inaugurated on the birth anniversary of First Prime Minster of India, Jawaharlal Nehru. The garden overlooks the ancient Moti Mahal of MahaRana Pratap and gives a view of Aravalli hills surrounded from the three sides.

Bagore-ki-Haveli

This is an old building built right on the waterfront of Lake Pichola at Gangori Ghat. Amir Chand Badwa, the Prime Minister of Mewar built it in the eighteenth century. The palace has over hundred rooms and some displays of costumes and modern art. The glass and mirror in the interiors of the Haveli work. It also preserves an example of Mewar Painting on the walls of Queen’s Chamber. The two peacocks made from small pieces of colored glasses are examples of glasswork. After the death Badwa the building became the property of Mewar State. It came to be occupied by Maharana Shakti Singh of Bagore who built the palace of the three arches also in 1878 and it acquired its name of Bagore-ki-haveli, the house of Bagore. After independence the structure lay in neglect until 1986 when it housed the West Zone Cultural Centre. The haveli now stages evening’s entertainment; the performance of Rajasthani traditional dance and music in the moody surroundings of the haveli.

Ahar Museum

Located about 2 km east of Udaipur is a cluster of cenotaphs of the Maharanas of Mewar. There are about nineteen cenotaphs of Maharanas cremated there. One cenotaph is that Maharana Amar Singh, who reigned from 1597 to 1620. Nearby is also Ahar Museum, where on display is limited but very rare earthen pottery, as well as some sculptures and other archaeological finds. Some pieces date back to 1700 BC and a tenth century metal figure of Buddha is a special attraction.

Shilpgram

The crafts village, located north west of Udaipur, Shilpgram hosts crafts fair every year which is one of the biggest in India, people from different states in the country hold their stalls showcasing their art and crafts work. ^[5]

Neemach Mata Temple

This temple is located on a green hill in the Dewali (Pronounced Dey-vaa-lee) area of Udaipur. It has both stairs and uphill slope way to climb, which is around 800 Meters of walk.

Our Lady of Fatima Cathedral

The Our Lady of Fatima Cathedral is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Udaipur. , in front of St. Paul’s School.

Hyderabad is known for its rich history, culture and architecture representing its unique character as a meeting point for North and South India, and also its multicultural nature, geographically, culturally and intellectually. Also known as The City of Nizams and The City of Pearls,^[4] Hyderabad is today one of the fast developing cities in the country and a modern hub of Information Technology, ITES and Biotechnology.

Hyderabad has become a preferred conference venue in India, with many conferences and meetings taking place in the city. The city is home to the world’s largest film studio, the Ramoji Film City as well as the second largest film industry in the country, the Telugu Film Industry known popularly as Tollywood. The city is also known to be a sporting destination with many national and international games conducted here. The people here are called Hyderabadis. The city is regarded as a blend of traditionality with modernity.

History

Although Hyderabad was founded less than 500 years ago, archaeologists have unearthed Iron Age sites near the city that could date back to 500 BC.^[8]

Tomb of Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah in Hyderabad, India.

Approximately, a 1000 years ago this region was ruled by Kakatiyas. Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, a ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty the ruling family of the Golconda, previously a feudatory of Bahmani sultanate that declared independence in 1512, founded the city of Hyderabad on the banks of the Musi River in 1591;^[9] to relieve water shortage the dynasty had experienced at their old headquarters at Golconda.^[10] He also ordered the construction of the Charminar, the iconic monument of the city, in 1591, reportedly in gratitude to the Almighty for arresting the plague epidemic before it did irreversible damage to his new city.^[11]

The Chowmahalla Palace was the seat of the Asaf Jahi dynasty and was the official residence of the Nizam.

The Mughal emperor Aurangzeb captured Hyderabad in 1687^[12] and during this short Mughal rule, Mughal-appointed governors of the city soon gained autonomy. In 1724, Asaf Jah I, who was granted the title Nizam-ul-Mulk (“Governor of the country”) by the Mughal emperor, defeated a rival official to establish control over Hyderabad.^[13] Thus began the Asaf Jahi dynasty that ruled Hyderabad until a year after India’s independence from Britain. Asaf Jah’s successors ruled as the Nizams of Hyderabad.^[14] The rule of the seven Nizams saw the growth of Hyderabad both culturally and economically. Hyderabad became the formal capital of the kingdom and Golconda was almost abandoned. Huge reservoirs, like the Nizam Sagar, Tungabhadra, Osman Sagar, Himayat Sagar, and others were built. Survey work on Nagarjuna Sagar had also begun during this time; the actual work was completed by the Government of India in 1969. The wealth and grandeur of the Nizams is demonstrated by the fabled Jewels of The Nizams which is a tourist attraction.The state was richest and the largest among the princely states of India.The land area of the state was 90,543 mi² its population in 1901 was 50,073,759. It enjoyed an estimated revenue of £90,029,000.^[15]

Before 1947, Hyderabad was under the suzerainty of the British Crown but was not part of British India. In 1947, at the time of the independence of British India and its Partition into the Union of India and the new state of Pakistan, the British abandoned their claim to suzerainty over the Princely states and left them to decide their own future. The Nizam, because of Islamic leanings, wished either to remain independent or to accede to Pakistan.^[16] However, for the Indian Union, this was unacceptable from the strategic perspective. Nizam’s efforts also triggered the largest agrarian armed rebellion in modern Indian history, the Telangana Rebellion. To deter the Nizam, Indian union chose to implement an economic blockade which made the state of Hyderabad to sign a Standstill Agreement with it. Nizam’s intransigence compelled Indian Union to use military force against the landlocked princely state of Hyderabad. This operation, termed Operation Polo, was successful and on 17 September 1948 the Nizam signed an Instrument of Accession to the Union of India.^[17]

On November 1, 1956, the states of India were reorganized on linguistic grounds. The territories of the State of Hyderabad were divided between newly created Andhra Pradesh, Mumbai state (later Maharashtra), and Karnataka. Hyderabad and the surrounding areas were added to Andhra Pradesh, based on the Telugu speaking community. Thus, Hyderabad became the capital city of the new state of Andhra Pradesh.^[18]

Since ’90s owing to liberalisation, the city has become a major hub of the IT industry which in turn brought changes in lifestyle and culture. The growth in IT sector and construction of International Airport witnessed rise in various other fields like real estate in 2000s although the Global financial crisis of 2008–2009 has had a significant impact on construction activity.^[15]

Geography and climate

Hussain Sagar Lake

Situated on the Deccan Plateau, Hyderabad has an average elevation of about 500 metres above sea level (1,640 ft). Most of the area has a rocky terrain and some areas are hilly. Crops are commonly grown in the surrounding paddy fields.^[19]

The original city of Hyderabad was founded on the banks of river Musi.^[20] Now known as the historic Old City, home to the Charminar and Mecca Masjid, it lies on the southern bank of the river. The heart of the city saw a shift to the north of the river, with the construction of many government buildings and landmarks there, especially south of the Hussain Sagar lake. The rapid growth of the city, along with the merging of Secunderabad, 12 municipal circles and the Cantonment has resulted in a large, united and populous area. Still so many villages near by are getting a facelift to merge in the twin cities in the near future.^[21]

Hyderabad has a wet and dry climate with hot summers from late February to early June, the monsoon season from late June to early October and a pleasant winter from late October to early February.^[22] In the evenings and mornings the climate is generally cooler because of the city’s good elevation. Hyderabad gets about 32 inches (about 810 mm) of rain every year, almost all of it concentrated in the monsoon months. The highest temperature ever recorded was 45.5 ^o C (113.9 °F) on June 2, 1966, while the lowest recorded temperature was 6.1^o C (43 °F) on January 8, 1946.^[23]

Demographics

Birla Mandir is a magnificent Hindu temple built entirely in white marble.

The city’s population in 2001 was 5.7 million and it has reached over 8.8 million by 2008 making it among the most populated cities in India , while the population of the metropolitan area was estimated above 9.6 million. Hindus form a majority in the city. Muslims constitute about 40% of the population, making Hyderabad’s Muslim community the largest in Andhra Pradesh.^[25] Muslims have substantial presence across the city and especially they are densely concentrated in and around Old City (Hyderabad), where they form 70% of the population. Christians constitute a small amount of the city’s population. Churches are located across the city and the popular ones are in Abids and Secunderabad areas.^[26]

Language

Though Telugu and Urdu are the principal languages spoken in the city, English has a strong presence among the educated people. The city has a considerable Marathi and Sikh population.^[17]

The Telugu spoken here has assimilated many Urdu words into it. Similarly, Urdu spoken here is also unique, with influences of Telugu and Marathi, giving rise to a dialect sometimes called Hyderabadi Urdu or Deccani. The official language, Telugu, varies a little across the state but the core language remains the same.^[21]

Administration

AP High Court at Hyderabad, the supreme judicial body of the State of Andhra Pradesh

Local Administration

The city is administered by a Nagar Nigam called Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC),^[27] whose titular head is the Mayor of Hyderabad who has few executive powers. In the past, the mayor was chosen by the legislative body of the corporation, but just before the last elections, the state government modified the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation Act, 1955, to stipulate that the mayoral election be held directly and simultaneously with the corporation elections. The real executive power of the corporation is vested in the Municipal Commissioner, an IAS officer appointed by the Andhra Pradesh state government. The Mayor and the Corporation legislative body can and have been in the past dismissed by the state government. For several years elections had not been held for the corporation. Recently the corporation completed its full term and elections are due to the GHMC and for the post of Mayor.

A large part of the twin city Secunderabad and some parts of Hyderabad itself come under the jurisdiction of the Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) owing to a large presence of military units. It provides basic infrastructure like roads, parks, water and other municipal needs to the public residing here.^[28]

The GHMC is in charge of the civic needs and the infrastructure of the city. Hyderabad is divided into 150 municipal wards, each overseen by a corporator. The corporators of the administration are elected through popular vote, and almost all the political parties field candidates.The twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad are in three districts, Hyderabad, Rangareddy and Medak. The administration of each district is headed by a District Collector who is in charge of property records and revenue collection for the Central government. The district collectors also oversees the elections held in the city.^[29]

Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), a planning agency chaired by the Chief Minister along with an IAS cadre officer has been formed to undertake developmental activities in a jurisdiction of above 6,250 km².^[30]

Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly in Hyderabad

District Administration

The Hyderabad Metropolitan area ^[31] falls under the following districts each headed by a collector

1. Hyderabad district- full (16 Mandals)
2. Medak district- part (10 Mandals)
3. Rangareddy district-part (22 Mandals)
4. Mahboobnagar district- part (2 Mandals)
5. Nalgonda district-part (4 Mandals)

State and Central Administration

Hyderabad voters send 24 members to theLegislative Assembly, whose constituencies come under 5 Lok Sabha segments, after the delimitation of constituencies coming into force w.e.f. Indian general election, 2009.^[32]

The new Assembly segments and their respective parliamentary constituencies(PC) are: Malkajgiri, Kukatpally, Uppal, Lal Bahadur Nagar (LB Nagar), Secunderabad Cantonment, Quthbullapur under Malkajgiri PC; Musheerabad, Amberpet, Khairatabad, Jubilee Hills, Sanathnagar, Nampally, Secunderabad under Secunderabad PC; Malakpet, Karwan, Goshamahal, Yakutpura, Charminar, Chandrayanagutta, Bahadurpura under Hyderabad PC; Maheswaram, Rajendranagar, Serilingampally under Chevella PC and Patancheru under Medak PC.

Law and Order

The city is divided by the state police into Hyderabad Police and Cyberabad Police which come under the state Home Ministry and are headed by Police Commissioners, who are IPS officers. Basheerbagh houses important government offices such as the Police Commissioner’s office, Police Control room, Income tax Commissioner’s office, Central Excise and customs office, Central Reservation office etc. The city is divided into five police zones, each headed by a Deputy Commissioner of Police. The Traffic Police is a semi-autonomous body under the Hyderabad and Cyberabad commissionerates.^[28]

Judiciary

Hyderabad is the seat of the Andhra Pradesh High Court, and also has two lower courts – the Small Causes Court for civil matters and the Sessions Court for criminal cases. The High Court and Legislature are heritage buildings built by Nizam.

Economy

See Also:List of IT companies in Hyderabad

A store at Laad Bazaar selling bangles and jewellery. The Laadbazar and the Charminar market area are famous for pearls.

Hyderabad is the financial and economic capital of the state of Andhra Pradesh. The city is the largest contributor to the state’s gross domestic product, state tax and excise revenues. The workforce participation is about 29.55 percent. Starting in the 1990s, the economic pattern of the city has changed from being a primarily service city to being one with a more diversified spectrum, including trade, transport, commerce, storage, communication etc. Service industry is the major contributor, with urban workforce constituting 90% of the total workforce.^[33]

Hyderabad is known as the city of pearls, lakes and, lately, for its IT companies. The bangles market known as Laad Bazaar is situated near Charminar. Products such as silverware, saris, Nirmal and Kalamkari paintings and artifacts, unique Bidri handcrafted items, lacquer bangles studded with stones,silk ware, cotton ware and handloom-based clothing materials are made and traded through the city for centuries.

Hyderabad is a major centre for pharmaceuticals with companies such as Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, Matrix Laboratories, Hetero Drugs Limited, Divis Labs, Aurobindo Pharma Limited, Lee Pharma and Vimta Labs being housed in the city. Initiatives such as Genome Valley, Fab City and the Nano Technology park are expected to create extensive infrastructure in bio-technology.^[34]

Somajiguda, one of the areas in the city where urbanization is on the rise.

Like many Indian cities, Hyderabad has witnessed a remarkable growth in the real estate business, thanks to a predominantly information-technology-driven boom in the 1990s and the retail industry growth over the last few years which have spurred hectic commercial activity. A number of mega malls have come up or are being built in the city. Real estate demand in the suburban and rural areas surrounding Hyderabad has gone up exponentially leading to reckless increase in prices over the past few years.^[35]

The retail industry in Hyderabad is on the rise. Many international and national brands have set up retail chains here. The city has multiple Central Business Districts (CBDs) spread across the city. There are many major business/commercial districts from the older Charminar area to newer Kothaguda. For the advancement of infrastructure in the city, the government is building a skyscraper business district at Manchirevula, near Rajendranagar with a 450 m supertall structure APIIC Tower at its centre. Also, the Lanco Hills near Gachibowli presents the tallest structure in India for residential and commercial purposes.

Information Technology Industry

Modern Street with offices on both sides of the road

Hyderabad city is today known for its IT and IT-enabled services, pharmaceuticals and entertainment industries. Many software firms, call centres, business process outsourcing (BPO) firms, dealing with IT and other technological services were set up in the 1990s making it one of the major regions for call centre setups, technology development and KPO hubs in India. The development of a township with state-of-the-art facilities called HITEC City prompted several IT and ITES companies to set up operations in the city. An aggressive promotion of growth in this area has led civic boosters to call the city Cyberabad. Hyderabad is the largest IT exporter in India compared to Chennai and Bangalore.^[36] There have been extensive investments in digital infrastructure within the city promoting the setting up of several campuses by a vast array of companies within the city. This list includes several multinational corporations having established their development centres in the city. The major areas where such campuses have been set up are Madhapur, Kondapur, Gachibowli and Uppal.

Cyber Towers IT Park at Madhapur, the symbol of IT industry in Hyderabad.

Hyderabad is home to many Fortune 500 Corporations, with the majority related to IT or BPO services industry. Microsoft (the largest R&D campus outside the US), Computer Associates, Amazon, GE, IBM,AMD, Accenture, Google, Motorola, SAP AG, DuPont, Deloitte, Oracle Corporation, Dell, Franklin Templeton, Qualcomm, Agilent, ADP, UBS AG, Rockwell Collins, Bank of America, CSC, Verizon, Convergys, Texas Instruments, Hewlett-Packard, Virtusa, are some the Fortune 500 companies that have significant presence in Hyderabad. Honeywell opened a new R&D centre at Nanakramguda, which is situated on the verge of Gachibowli.

Indian IT giants such as HCL, Satyam, Infosys, Wipro, Patni Computer Systems, Cognizant Technologies, Tata Consultancy Services, Polaris, and Infotech Enterprises, have set up their development centres in the city.

Transport

Road

The Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation, which runs the world’s largest fleet of buses,^[37] connects Hyderabad with neighboring cities and states.

The Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation^[38] runs a fleet of 19,000 buses, the largest in the world.^[37] Hyderabad has the third largest bus station facility in Asia, with 72 platforms for 89 buses to load passengers at a time. Officially named as the Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station, it is locally known as the Imlibun Bus Station, making trips across the state and to some parts of South India. Jubilee Bus Station at Secunderabad runs buses to various parts of the state. Buses plying in and around the city provide major commutation for city dwellers.

The yellow colored Auto Rickshaw usually referred to as an auto, is the most widely used transport service and has flag down minimum fare of Rs 12 for first 1.5 km and then Rs 7 per km. Radio Taxis and cabs by private players have provided an easy travel in the city.^[39]

Hyderabad is connected to the rest of the country by National Highways—NH-7, NH-9 and NH-202.Hyderabad is well connected to remaining parts of the state. Like other cities, Hyderabad suffers from traffic congestion. Completion of the Inner Ring Road and construction of the Outer Ring Road encircling Hyderabad city is also underway and is touted to make travel in the city easier. Many flyovers and undepasses are also being constructed to ease traffic congestion in the city.^[39]

Rail

MMTS at the Necklace Road Station

Hyderabad has a light rail transportation system cum suburban railway system known as the MultiModal Transport System (MMTS) which offer connectivity between rail and road transport for the facility of the commuters. MMTS provides connectivity to all major parts of the city, and is a suitable alternative for those who want to avoid road traffic.^[40]

The South Central Railway headquarters are located at Secunderabad. Secunderabad is one of the biggest railway junctions in the Indian Railway map. The three main railway stations are Secunderabad Railway Station, Hyderabad Railway Station (Nampally) and Kachiguda Railway Station, providing connectivity not only within the city but also to the rest of the state and country. A modern railway terminal is being planned to be constructed near HITEC City railway station to facilitate passengers in the western parts of the city.^[41]

Now, Metro Rail is coming in Hyderabad.
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Air

The Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Shamshabad has a passenger terminal capacity of 40mn per annum.

There has been an unprecedented increase in the number of passengers leading to increased air traffic. The Airport at Begumpet was unable to cope up with the situation and was shut down on 22 March 2008. The new state-of-the-art Rajiv Gandhi International Airport opened on March 2008 by Sonia Gandhi at Shamshabad, southwest of the city. The airport has the second longest runway in India next to Delhi and caters to the high passenger and cargo transits. The airport runs flights to all important destinations, both domestically and internationally.

The PV Narasimha Rao Expressway, named after P. V. Narasimha Rao, former Prime Minister of India, is being constructed at an elevated level from Mehdipatnam to Rajendranagar along with an underpass and trumpet interchange for providing dedicated high speed travel to the airport. Once completed it will be the longest flyover in India. A proposal for extending the MMTS to the new airport is under consideration. There are three wide roads leading to the new airport from the city and modern taxis and buses can shuttle passengers between the city and the airport. The Nehru Outer Ring Road between Gachibowli and Shamsabad will also serve as an expressway to the airport. The city hosted The Routes Regional Asia 2009 from 29 to 31 March 2009. Rajiv Gandhi International Airport bagged first place in the Routes Airport Marketing Awards in the Indian Sub-Continent category.

Localities and Neighborhoods

Central Hyderabad – Musheerabad – Begumpet – Punjagutta – ameerpet – Abids – Nampally

North Hyderabad – Begumpet – Bolarum – Kompally – Jeedimetla – Sanathnagar – Trimulgherry

South Hyderabad – Afzalganj – Dilsukhnagar – Keshavagiri – Lal Darwaza – NTR Nagar – Umda Bazar

East Hyderabad – Amberpet – Habsiguda – Jamia Osmania – Tarnaka – Marredpally – Uppal – Ramanthapur

West Hyderabad – Banjara Hills – Hitech City – Kukatpally – Jubilee Hills – Madhapur – Kondapur – Langar Houz – Mehdipatnam – Attapur – Rajendranagar – Shamshabad

Culture

The City has evolved into a cosmopolitan society due to the heavy presence of the Information technology Industry while maintaining ancient culture and traditions. Historically, Hyderabad has been the city where distinct cultural and linguistic traditions of North India and South India meet. Hyderabadis, as residents of the city are known, have developed a distinctive culture which is a mixture of Hindu and Muslim traditions.

Hyderabadi Biryani

Women of all cultures and faiths in Hyderabad typically wear either the traditional Indian dress, the sari, or, increasingly, the Salwar kameez especially among the younger population. The traditional Hyderabadi garb for females are the Khara Dupatta and the Shalwar Qamis, and for the males, it is the Sherwani. This is one of the more visible cultural attributes of Hyderabad. One of Hyderabad’s public carnivals is the annual immersion of Lord Ganesh idols after the 10 day Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations on Ananta Chaturdashi (locally known as the Ganesh Nimajjanam). It is a spectacular event and attracts many foreigners every year. Bonalu is a vernacular festival that is celebrated with great fervour.The Hyderabadi Muslims favourite holy month is Ramdhan in which every Muslim keep fasting for a month and after Eid-Ul-Fitr which is celebrated with full of joy by everyone and this day a traditional sweet is made known as Sheer Qorma. Another is the procession of Muharram which takes place every year 10th Muharram (1st month of Islamic calendar). While this event is mourned throughout the Shia Muslim world , the old city of Hyderabad, known as Charminar is famed for its grand procession in which participants sacrifice their own blood by hitting on their heads, chest and back with sharp edge weapons (knives, swords and knives attached to chains).^[42]

Cuisine

Hyderabadi cuisine is a blend of Mughlai cuisine|Mughal and Persian cuisine. Hyderabadi Biryani is an iconic dish of the region. Other native preparations include Qubani ka meetha, Double ka meetha, Phirni (a sweet vermicelli porridge eaten during the festival of Deepawali), Nahari Kulche also known as paya and Haleem (a meat dish traditionally eaten during the holy month of Ramazan), Kaddu Ki Kheer (a sweet porridge made with sweet gourd), Sheer Qorma (a sweet liquid dish cooked with vermicelli and milk), Mirchi ka saalan, Bagaare baigan, Khatti dal, Khichdi and Khatta, Til ki chutney, baigan ki chutney, Til ka khatta, Aam ka achaar, Gosht ka achaar, Peosi (a sweet prepared with egg whites and milk), Shahi tukde, Kheema aaloo etc.^[43]

Indian sweets are known for their ghee-based items. Famous sweet shops include the traditionally made. Widely found on street-corners are Irani café’s that offer Irani chai, Irani samosa and Osmania biscuit.

Italian, Mexican, Chinese and Continental cuisine are all popular in the city along with typical Andhra and other South Indian cuisine. The city also has some of the best pubs in South Asia and a growing popularity for Trance Music.^[44]

Hospitality

Hyderabad has seen an increase in the hospitality sector. Some of the Five star hotels in the city are ITC Kakatiya Sheraton at Greenlands, Taj Krishna at Banjara Hills, Taj Deccan at Banjara Hills, Hotel Novotel at Madhapur, The Marriott at Tank Bund, Ramada Hotel Manohar at Begumpet and Hotel Ista at Gachibowli. Four star hotels like Hotel Greenpark, Hotel Peppermint, Hotel Kasani GR etc.. Hotel Novotel present at Hyderabad Airport, Shamshabad is a newly built hotel for passengers coming from various countries to the city. Westin Hotels owned by Starwoods Hotels and Resorts(Owners of Shereton, Le Meridien and more) are soon to launch their luxury hotel this year. Many more hotels are in the pipeline in view of the increasing demand in this sector.^[45]

Education and research

Indian School of Business at Hyderabad, ranked number 15 in global MBA rankings by the Financial Times of London in 2009^[46]

Salar Jung Museum

Hyderabad is an important seat of learning in India. It is surrounded by hundreds of engineering colleges.The city is home to three central universities, two deemed universities, and six state universities. Among them is the Osmania University, established in 1917, which is the seventh oldest university in India and the third oldest in South India.^[47] Important institutions for technical education such as BITS Pilani, Indian Institute of Technology,International Institute of Information Technology, Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University are located in this city. Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University, a well known educational institution in the field of Agriculture is located on the outskirts of the city. Important medical institutions such as the Gandhi Medical College, Osmania Medical College and several other private medical colleges such as Deccan College of Medical Sciences are located in Hyderabad.Birla Institute of Technology and Science-(BITS Pilani) has established its branch campus at Shamirpet. IIT has started off its temporary campus at Hyderabad. Fly-Tech Aviation Academy and Rajiv Gandhi Aviation Academy are those amongst the best institutes in the aviation field.

The Indian School of Business, a top ranking business school which attracts students from all over the world is present at Gachibowli, Hyderabad. Hyderabad Central University, National Academy of Legal Studies & Research, Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University, Maulana Azad National Urdu University and English and Foreign Languages University, Indira Gandhi National Open University, Dr. BR Ambedkar Open University are other famous universities which are present in the city.^[48]

Hyderabad has various research institutes such as the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT), Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), National Geophysical Research Institute(NGRI)(NGRI), IRISET for railway signal engineering and ICRISAT. Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) along with DRDL and DERL has research centres in Hyderabad to develop communication and radar systems and for the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP). Nuclear energy sector has a strong presence with three organisations under Department of Atomic Energy (India) including the Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD), Nuclear Fuel Complex (NFC) and Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL).^[39]

Media

Prasads IMAX Theatre houses the largest IMAX-3D in the world.^[49]

Ravindra Bharathi, a well known center for arts and theatre in the city

Film Industry

Hyderabad is home to the largest film industry in India by sheer number of films it produces, Telugu cinema, also known as Tollywood which produces approximately three hundred movies every year. Saradhi Studios, Annapurna Studios, Ramanaidu Studios, Ramakrishna Studios, Padmalaya Studios, Ramoji Film City (the largest Film Studio in India) are some of the notable film studios in the city. The first Hyderabad International Film Festival (HIFF) was organised in 2007 by the Hyderabad Film Club and Andhra Pradesh Film Directors Association.The largest IMAX 3D Theatre in the state is Prasads IMAX along with 4D Simulator at Hyderabad, India. Inox, PVR Cinemas, Cine Planet, Cinemax, BIG Cinemas and Talkie Town are some other multiplexes in Hyderabad. In the near future 17 more multiplexes are coming up in the areas like Kukatpally, Kacheguda etc.^[50]

Arts & Theater

Ravindra Bharati located at Saifabad, is an important and well known center for theatre and performing arts in the city. Many artists from around the world perform here regularly. Lalithakala Thoranam, Shilpakala Vedika are also similar centers for arts and theatre. State-of-the-art Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC) or simply HITEX is the first of its kind in South Asia and is comparable to the world’s best convention centers.^[51]

Electronic Media

The radio industry has expanded with a number of private and government owned FM channels being introduced. The FM radio channels that broadcast in the city include AIR Vividh Bharathi FM (102.8 MHz), AIR Rainbow FM (101.9 MHz), Radio Mirchi FM (98.3 MHz), Radio City FM (91.1 MHz), Big FM (92.7 MHz), S FM (93.5 MHz) and AIR Gyan Vani FM (107.6 MHz). State-owned Doordarshan transmits two terrestrial television channels and one satellite television channel from Hyderabad. Some prominent private regional television channels broadcasting from Hyderabad are ETV, Gemini, Teja, Maa TV, Zee Telugu, ETV Urdu, ETV2, TV9, Sakshi TV, NTV, TV5, RTV, Bhakthi TV, i news|i News, Local TV.^[52]

Print Media

Hyderabad has three print media groups that publish several newspapers and magazines in Telugu, Urdu, Hindi and English. The major Telugu dailies include the Eenadu, Saakshi, Vaartha, Andhra Jyothi, Andhra Prabha, Andhra Bhoomi, Praja Shakthi[Isalmic Voice](Telugu). The major English dailies are The Deccan Chronicle, Business Standard, The Hindu, The Times of India, The New Indian Express and The Economic Times. Hyderabad publishes more number of Urdu dailies than any other Indian city. The major Urdu dailies are The Siasat Daily, The Munsif Daily, The Etemaad, Rehnuma-e-Deccan, Rozanama Rashtriya Sahara and The Daily Milap

Communication Services

Hyderabad is covered by a large network of optical fibre cables. There are four fixed telephone line operators in the city: BSNL, Tata Indicom, Reliance and Airtel. There are eight mobile phone companies in which GSM players include BSNL, Vodafone, Idea, Airtel, Aircel; CDMA services offered by BSNL, Virgin Mobile, Tata Indicom and Reliance currently, with Spice Telecom soon to launch its services.

Sports

Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket stadium

G.M.C. Balayogi Athletic Stadium

Cricket and hockey are the most popular sports in the city. Hyderabad Sultans won the inaugural Premier Hockey League championship in 2005. The city took pride in hosting National Games and Afro-Asian Games. Hyderabad 10k Run is a marathon event conducted every year.^[30]

The earliest stadium built in the city is the Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium. Formerly known as Fateh Maidan, it was, till recently, the city’s only stadium that could conduct International cricket matches. The first cricket match played here was on November 19, 1955. The stadium is currently being used to conduct ICL matches. The new Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium at Uppal has a capacity of approximately 55,000 spectators and is being enhanced to have world class facilities. It houses an ultra-modern gymnasium along with a swimming pool.^[53]

Hyderabad’s Deccan Chargers franchise in the Indian Premier League was bought by Deccan Chronicle for USD 107 million. Deccan Chargers won the title for the year 2009. Notable players include Adam Gilchrist, Andrew Symonds, VVS Laxman, Herschelle Gibbs, Scott Styris, RP Singh, Shahid Afridi, Rohit Sharma, Pragyan Ojha, Chaminda Vaas and Chamara Silva. For the 2009 season, Fidel Edwards and Dwayne Smith were included in the squad and Shahid Afridi was shown the door. The city also has an ICL team named Hyderabad Heroes.^[26]

The city houses the Swarnandhra Pradesh Sports Complex, the G.M.C. Balayogi Athletic Stadium at Gachibowli for hockey and football and a sophisticated Velodrome for cycling at Osmania University. The city has state-of-the-art venues for gymnastics, archery and sepak takraw, shooting at Saroornagar Indoor Arena and University of Hyderabad respectively. The Aquatics Complex Stadium at Gachibowli, with a capacity of 3000 spectators hosts swimming, diving, water polo and synchronized events. Kotla Vijay Bhaskar Reddy Indoor Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium with a capacity of 2500 spectators and wooden flooring with temperature control. SAAP Tennis Complex has a central court that holds 5000 spectators and has seven courts with synthetic surface. Water games like rowing, yachting, kayaking and canoeing are conducted at Hussain Sagar lake. The city also has five Go-Karting tracks and a Paint Ball Field. There are venues for table-tennis, basketball, equestrianism, boxing, weight-lifting with world class facilities.

The city is well known for Horse racing. The Hyderabad Race Club formerly known as the Nizam Race Club is located at Malakpet. The Hyderabad race club attracts jockeys from all over the country by conducting various derbys/events here. Deccan derby, a popular annual event is a regular feature here. The winter races also were conducted here recently. Badminton events take place at the Kotla Vijay Bhaskar Stadium and also at Gachibowli stadiums, and also played by youth and veterans in locality parks.

Some of the well known sports stars with global recognition and hailing from this city are Mohammed Azharuddin, VVS Laxman(Cricket), Pullela Gopichand (Badminton), Sania Mirza (Tennis), Saina Nehwal (Badminton), Gagan Narang (Shooting) among others.

Gangtok rose to prominence as a popular Buddhist pilgrimage site after the construction of the Enchey Monastery in 1840. In 1894, the ruling Sikkimese Chogyal, Thutob Namgyal, transferred the capital to Gangtok. In the early 20th century, Gangtok became a major stopover on the trade route between Lhasa in Tibet and cities such as Kolkata (then Calcutta) in British India. After the British granted India its independence in 1947, Sikkim chose to remain an independent monarchy, with Gangtok as its capital. In 1975, after the integration with the union of India, Gangtok was made India’s twenty-second state capital.

The precise meaning of the name Gangtok is unclear, though the most popular meaning is “hill top”.^[2] Today, Gangtok is a centre of Tibetan Buddhist culture and learning, with the presence of several monasteries, religious educational institutions, and centres for Tibetology.

History

Like the rest of Sikkim, not much is known about the early history of Gangtok.^[3] The earliest records date from the construction of the hermitic Gangtok monastery in 1716.^[4] Gangtok remained a small hamlet until the construction of the Enchey Monastery in 1840 made it a pilgrimage center. After the defeat of the Tibetans by the British, Gangtok became a major stopover in the trade between Tibet and British India at the end of the 19th century.^[5] Most of the roads and the telegraph in the area were built during this time.

In 1894, Thutob Namgyal, the Sikkimese monarch under British rule, shifted the capital from Tumlong to Gangtok, increasing its importance. A new grand palace along with other state buildings was built in the new capital. Following India’s independence in 1947, Sikkim became a nation-state with Gangtok as its capital. Sikkim became a suzerain of India, with the condition that it would retain its independence, by the treaty signed between the Chogyal and the then Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.^[6] Trade between India and Tibet continued to flourish through the Nathula and Jelepla passes, offshoots of the ancient Silk Road near Gangtok. These border passes were sealed after the Sino-Indian War in 1962, which deprived Gangtok of its trading business.^[7] In 1975, the monarchy was abrogated and Sikkim became India’s twenty-second state, with Gangtok as its capital. Gangtok has witnessed annual landslides, resulting in damage to life and properties. The largest disaster occurred in June 1997, when 38 were killed and hundreds of buildings were destroyed.^[8]

Geography

Kanchenjunga, the world’s third tallest peak, is visible from Gangtok.

Gangtok is located at 27°20′N 88°37′E / 27.33°N 88.62°E / 27.33; 88.62.^[9] It is situated in the lower Himalayas at an altitude of 5,500 ft (1,676 m).^[10] In addition to being the state capital, it is the headquarters of the East Sikkim district. The town lies on one side of a hill, with “The Ridge”,^[5][11] a promenade housing the governor’s residence at one end and the palace, situated at an altitude of about 6,000 ft (1,829 m), at the other. The city is flanked on east and west by two streams, namely Roro Chu and Ranikhola, respectively.^[8] These two rivers divide the natural drainage into two parts, the eastern and western parts. Both the streams meet the Ranipul and flow south as the main Ranikhola before it joins the Teesta at Singtam.^[8] Most of the roads are steep, with the buildings built on compacted ground alongside them.^[12]

Most of Sikkim including Gangtok is covered by the Precambrian rock and is much younger in age. These rock contain phyllites and schists and therefore the slopes are prone to frequent landslides.^[13] Surface runoff of water by natural streams (jhora) and man-made drains has contributed to the risk of landslides.^[8] According to the Bureau of Indian Standards, the town falls under seismic zone-IV, (on a scale of I to V, in order of increasing proneness to earthquakes) near the convergent boundary of the Indian and the Eurasian tectonic plates and is subject to frequent quakes. The hills are nestled within higher peaks and the snow-clad Himalayan ranges tower over the town in the distance. Mount Kanchenjunga (8,598 m or 28,208 ft)—the world’s third-highest peak—is visible to the east of the city. The existence of steep slopes, vulnerability to landslides, large forest cover and inadequate access to most areas has been a major impediment to the natural and balanced growth of the city.^[8]

There are densely forested regions around Gangtok, consisting of temperate, deciduous forests of poplar, birch, oak, and elm, as well as evergreen, coniferous trees of the wet alpine.^[13] Orchids are common, and rare varieties of orchids are featured in flower shows in the city. Bamboos are also abundant. In the lower reaches of the town, the vegetation gradually changes from alpine to subtropical and temperate deciduous.^[13] Flowers such as sunflower, marigold, poinsettia, and others bloom especially in November and December.

Climate

Because of its elevation and sheltered environment, Gangtok enjoys a mild, temperate climate all year round. Like most Himalayan towns, Gangtok has five seasons: summer, monsoons, autumn, winter and spring. Temperatures range from an average maximum of 22 °C (72 °F) in summer to an average minimum of 4 °C (39 °F) in winter.^[14] Summers (lasting from late April to June) are mild, with maximum temperatures rarely crossing 25 °C (77 °F). The monsoon season from June to September is characterised by intense torrential rains often causing landslides that block Gangtok’s land access to the rest of the country. Rainfall starts to rise from pre-monsoon in May, and peaks during the monsoon, with July recording the highest monthly average of 649.6 mm (25.6 in).^[14] In winter temperature averages between 4 °C (39 °F) and 7 °C (45 °F).^[14] Snowfall is rare, and in recent times Gangtok has received snow only in 1990, 2004 and 2005.^[13] Temperatures below freezing are also rare.^[13] During this season the weather can be sporadic, and change abruptly from bright sunshine and clear skies to heavy rain within a couple of hours. During spring and autumn the weather is generally sunny and mild. Owing to its elevation, Gangtok is often enveloped in fog during the monsoon and winter months.

Economy

The hospitality industry is the largest industry in Gangtok as the city is the main base for Sikkim tourism.^[15] Summer and spring seasons are the most popular tourist seasons. Many of Gangtok’s residents employed directly and indirectly in the tourism industry, with many residents owning and working in hotels and restaurants.^[16] Ecotourism has emerged as an important economic activity in the region which includes trekking, mountaineering, river rafting and other nature oriented activities.^[15] An estimated 3,51,000 tourists visited Sikkim in 2007, generating revenue of about Rs 50 crores (Rs 500 millions).^[16]

The Nathula Pass, located about 50 km (31 mi) from Gangtok, used to be the primary route of the wool, fur and spice trade with Tibet and spurred economic growth for Gangtok till the mid-20th century. In 1962, after the border was closed during the Sino-Indian War, Gangtok fell into recession.^[7] The pass was reopened in 2006 and trade through the pass is expected to boost the economy of Gangtok.^[15] The Sikkim government is keen to open a Lhasa-Gangtok bus service via Nathula pass.^[17] Sikkim’s mountainous terrain results in the lack of train or air links, limiting the area’s potential for rapid industrial development.^[15] The government is the largest employer in the city,^[8] both directly and as contractors.

Gangtok’s economy does not have a large manufacturing base, but has a thriving Cottage industry in watch-making, country-made alcohol and handicrafts.^[15] Among the handicrafts are the handmade paper industry made from various vegetable fibres or cotton rags. The main market in Gangtok provides many of the state’s rural residents a place to offer their produce during the harvest seasons. The majority of the private business community is made up of Marwaris and Biharis. As part Sikkim, Gangtok enjoys the status of being income-tax free region as per state’s 1948 Income tax law.^[18] As Sikkim is a frontier state, the Indian army maintains a large presence in the vicinity of Gangtok. This leads to a population of semi-permanent residents who bring money into the local economy.^[19] The Sikkim government started India’s first online lottery Playwin to boost government income but was later closed by a ruling from Sikkim High Court.^[20]

Civic administration

The “White Hall” complex on “The Ridge” houses the residences of the Chief Minister and Governor of Sikkim.

Sikkim Legislative Assembly in Gangtok. Fog is common in Gangtok.

Gangtok is not administered by a municipality but directly by the various departments of Government of Sikkim, particularly the Urban Development and Housing Department (UDHD) and Public Health Engineering Department (PHED).^[8][21] These departments look after the civic functions such as garbage disposal, water supply, tax collection, license allotments, and civic infrastructure. An administrator appointed by the state government heads the UDHD. The Sikkim Municipal Act, 2007 has approved the formation of Gangtok Municipal Corporation to be made up of 12 wards and which shall take over the administration from the UDHD.^[22]

As the headquarters of East Sikkim district, Gangtok houses the offices of the district collector, an administrator appointed by the Union Government of India. Gangtok is also the seat of the Sikkim High Court, which is India’s smallest High Court in terms of area and population of jurisdiction.^[23] Gangtok does not have its own police commissionerate like other major cities in India. Instead, it comes under the jurisdiction of the state police, which is headed by a Director General of Police, although an Inspector General of Police oversees the town.^[24] Sikkim is known for its very low crime rate.^[25] Rongyek jail in Gangtok is Sikkim’s only central jail.^[26]

Gangtok is within the Sikkim Lok Sabha constituency that elects a member to the Lok Sabha (Lower House) of the Indian Parliament. The city elects one member in the Sikkim state legislative assembly, the Vidhan Sabha. The Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) won both the parliamentary election in 2004 and the state assembly seat in the 2004 state assembly polls.^[27][28]

Utility services

Unplanned urban expansion has strained the city’s resources

Electricity is supplied by the power department of the Government of Sikkim. Gangtok has a nearly uninterrupted electricity supply due to Sikkim’s numerous hydroelectric power stations. The rural roads around Gangtok are maintained by the Border Roads Organisation, a division of the Indian army. Several roads in Gangtok are reported to be in a poor condition,^[8] whereas building construction activities continue almost unrestrained in this city lacking proper land infrastructure.^[8] Most households are supplied by the central water system maintained and operated by the PHED.^[8] The main source of PHED water supply is the Rateychu River, located about 16 km (9.9 mi) from the city, at an altitude of 2,621 m (8,600 ft). Its water treatment plant is located at Selep. The river Rateychu is snow-fed and has perennial streams. Since there is no habitation in the catchment area except for a small army settlement, there is little environmental degradation and the water is of very good quality.^[8] 40 seasonal local springs are used by the Rural Management and Development Department of Sikkim Government to supply water to outlying rural areas.

Around 40% of the population has access to sewers.^[8] However, only the toilet waste is connected to the sewer while sullage is discharged into the drains.^[8] Without a proper sanitation system, the practice of disposing sewage through septic tanks and directly discharging into Jhoras and open drains is prevalent.^[8] The entire city drains into the two rivers, Ranikhola and Roro Chu, through numerous small streams and Jhoras. Ranikhola and Roro Chu rivers confluence with River Teesta, the major source of drinking water to the population downstream. The densely populated urban area of Gangtok does not have a combined drainage system to drain out the storm water and waste water from the buildings.^[8] The estimated solid waste generated in Gangtok city is approximately 45 Tonne.^[8] Only around 40% of this is collected by UDHD, while the remainder is indiscriminately thrown into Jhora, streets and valleys.^[8] The collected waste is disposed in a dump located about 20 km (12 mi) from the city. There is no waste collection from inaccessible areas where vehicles cannot reach, nor does any system of collection of waste exist in the adjoining rural areas. The city is under a statewide ban on the use of polythene bags.^[8]

Transport

Teesta runs along National Highway 31A connecting Gangtok to Siliguri

Gangtok cable car

Taxis are the most widely available public transport within Gangtok.^[13] Most of the residents stay within a few kilometres of the town centre^[29] and many have their own vehicles such as two-wheelers and cars.^[30] The share of personal vehicles and taxis combined is 98% of Gangtok’s total vehicles, a high percentage when compared to other Indian cities.^[13] City buses comprise less than one percent of vehicles.^[13] Those travelling longer distances generally make use of share-jeeps, a kind of public taxis. Four wheel drives are used to easily navigate the steep slopes of the roads. The 1 km (0.6 mi) long cable car with three stops connects lower Gangtok suburbs with Sikkim Legislative assembly in central Gangtok and the upper suburbs.^[31]

Gangtok is connected to the rest of India by an all-weather metalled highway, National Highway 31A, which links Gangtok to Siliguri, located 114 km (71 mi) away in the neighbouring state of West Bengal. The highway also provides a link to the neighbouring hill station towns of Darjeeling and Kalimpong, which are the nearest urban areas. Regular jeep, van, and bus services link these towns to Gangtok. Gangtok is a linear city that has developed al