Travel With Tanvi: Parvati Hills

Climbing a hill top with the help of 72 long steps with the sun blazing right on top of my head!! I must be a true explorer, right??

So I've been living in Pune for about 14 years now & I have even been to the Parvati hilltop before, but I hadn't explored it. Means I had never been to any place on this hilltop. I didn't know there was so much to see there.

Tired & overcoming the torture of the hot blazing sun I finally reached the hilltop. On my way I saw small stalls selling chips and other eatables & a children park in the midway.

On reaching the top there was a small canteen on the left and a chappal stand on the right. Then there was a temple of Shiv & Parvati and besides that there were temples of Vishnu, Ganesh, Bhavanimata & Suryanarayan.

entrance to the Shankar-Parvati Mandir

Shankar-Parvati Mandir

There is a Peshwa Museum. They charge ₹10 & photography isn't allowed (I don't know why). There are many interesting things in the museum. Lampshades, dinner sets in which the Peshwas would have their dinner, jewellery, swords, guns, chariots, clothes, photographs are some out of the many things in the museum. I spent most of my time in there. There was so much to see. Actually there were so many things to see. & outside the museum there is a wall/blackboard with thoughts & quotes written on it.

Peshwa Museum

the wall with thoughts & quotes

Walk a few steps away from the museum and there is the samadhi of Nanasaheb Peshwa. Its big enough, with the information of the Peshwas (their birth & death). Besides the samadhi was a Shri Kartiki Swami Temple. On the walls were stories of 'samudra manthan', Kartikeya goes around the world and some other. & there is a 'maknicha darwaza' which was used to carry water from the well on the hill. Then at a distant there is a Vishnu temple.

samadhi of Nanasaheb Peshwa

So basically, Nanasaheb Peshwa built the Shankar-Parvati and Vishnu temple & also a place to stay (wada). After that Bajirao Peshwa II built the Kartikeya temple and the steps that lead to the hill top.

So these are all the things on the hill top. Parvati Hills are the second tallest hills in Pune and give a panaromic view of the city. Climbing all those steps can be a good exercise routine for all and some people do it. Or one can just climb those steps to get a beautiful view of the city. Or just to explore everything that is on top of the hill.