Arun Purohit’s Weblog

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1.Not just Jazz by by the bay :  Located on the E square complex on Pune university Road, this place is a revelation. Last Saturday was a Classical Rock night. The vocalist was good playing nos from Deep purple, Scorpions, Bryan Adams etc.. The guitarist was better, the effects he had put in Smoke on water was note worthy.
It was actually the drummer who was a revelation ..he gave amazing solos and improvization on drummming techniques.
For a cover charge of 600/couple and 500/stag( redeemable against snacks and drinks)  the evening out was great.Great place to take your friends out if they love Rock music.

2.Sinhagadh  : A good account of historical perspective of this fort exists at :

http://sunilshinde.wordpress.com/2007/06/02/shivajis-forts-sinhagad-impossible-in-nothing

If that inspires you than you may consider the following before planning to visit this. This place is a nightmare to go during day time. The roads must be the worst for any place of historical interest. There is absolutely no maintenance of this fort. It said to have been destroyed by the Britishers The abysmal state of this once great fort shows the stinking apathy successive Maharashtra govts have shown towards tourism development or maintaining its heritage.  Probably , this is the highest fort in Maharashtra you can avoid going. . The road state is horrible and and dangerous to drive. Two SUVs crossing , if not grazing each other  have genuine chances of falling into the valley. The fencing is breaking at many places. The contractors who are repairing the fences with GI pipes are not even grouting the pillars. They can be uprooted at any moderate push. The collection of Rs 50/ vehicle charged at the climb to peak probably goes to fill coffers of some Govt  Officer/ politician. Once on the peak you can see mushrooming dhabas inviting you for Kanda Bhaji ( Onion Pakodas) and Junka Bhakhar , pithla ( Maize bread , Gram floor viscous soup). I came back hugely disappointed with the time/fuel and money spent visiting this place 
Definitely wont recommend this to any person visiting Pune unless he wants to write a thesis on – What govt apathy is doing to our forts and heritage.

On retrospect and comparing this with Great forts of Jaisalmer or Aamer , Jaipur , one erudite Maratha told me that Shivaji was not concerned with luxury or comforts ..so you wont find a palace here. Also he unlike Rajputs didnt compromise and shake hands with Mughals . His only interest was war with them so , this for has all strategic interest but no architectural value or artistic beauty..