Saints and Masters in Pune, India - 24-Hour Travel Guide
Overview - Off the beaten track, Pune is famous for hatha yoga. We visit the Iyengar studio, and also take a trip to Alandi for the shrine of an Indian poet saint.
Breakfast - Pune (pronounced poona) is a bit off the beaten track, but if you are studying any form of yoga, it is the heartbeat, especially because of the continued presence of BKS. Iyengar, who is still alive. As with most Indian travel, I recommend hotel food unless you are with a local who can steer you to the best local spots. I recommend the Hotel Sagar Plaza, partly because of the breakfast buffet, which is quite nice, and also, because my son's Indian name is Sagar! (it means ocean.)
Morning - Get a car and driver and head over to Alandi. It's about an hour drive. This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The town is still in the 14th century, as it honors the saint who lived there, Jnaneshwar. You can still see people dressed in white, walking the streets, singing his bhajans (or songs.) Go to the place where he is buried, called the Samadhi Shrine, and just sit there and feel the energy. It is quite profound. Then go outside and around to the back of the shrine, where you will see a large tree. In the 16th century another saint had a dream, that this tree root was upsetting Jnaneshwar, and when they went into the tomb to check, the root was indeed there, and his body was still warm. Story or fact, it doesn't matter, it's quite a sacred place. Be aware they may not allow women in the area around the tree, but you can walk in and sit until they chase you out.
Lunch - Return to Pune for a late lunch, and eat at the Vaishali's. It's more or less a landmark, having been in business for something like 50 years. The food is good, and you can sit outdoors.
Afternoon -
The heart of the yoga is at the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute, where B.K.S. Iyengar still teaches. You can't actually study here without applying almost 18 months in advance, and then, it's really meant for serious students. However, I would head over there to see if you might catch a glimpse, or beg your way into watching a class. If you get to do that, Wah!
Then head up to the hill behind Pune, called Parvati Hill. Actually all of Pune is built on hills, but from Parvati you can get a real feel for what the area looks like. It's a neat place to hike around, and surprisingly devoid of people, which is a rare thing in India. There is a lovely temple there to Parvati, who is the consort of Shiva. The feeling of the whole hill is very feminine, very relaxed, and if you want, just bring a book and hang out there and read. Mostly, it is kind of awesome to have such a view of the city from above.
Dinner - Alas, you don't actually come to Pune for much food. So I would just eat at the hotel. The Hotel President is decent, but not exciting, to match its decent but not exciting building. It could be worse. The fact is, Pune is not really geared for tourists. Just have a simple meal.
After Dark - Not much to do. The streets are not all that well lit, so I retired early.
Sleep - Either the Sagar Plaza or the Hotel President are decent places to stay. No reason to stay first class, as it's not really much better in Pune, and definately, don't stay at less class.