Pune is full of heritage and cultural spots. Every little corner, every market in the city has its own history and has the best the city has to offer.
From traditional jewelleries to a vast variety of flowers, here are four city markets to fill your shopping bags with ‘all things Pune’.
Juna Bazaar
The Juna Bazaar near Pune Railway Station is a paradise for every shopper-on-a-budget. Juna Bazaar offers a wide range of branded commodities, rip-offs and also houses an amazing collection of rare antiques and furniture. Things like old telephones, coins of the bygone eras and furniture pieces that you can only otherwise spot at museums can be found here.
According to an article in Sahapedia, the history of this market dates back 220 years to the ear of the Peshwas. Juna Bazaar is set up every Wednesday and Sunday in Mangalwar Peth. In his book ‘Punyachi Apurvai’, author Dr Anil Avchat says Juna Bazaar used to assemble in the ground across the residence of the Peshwas, Shaniwar Wada, after the decline of the noblemen of Pune. The market then moved beneath Shivaji Bridge, then to the old village area of Gaothan, before finally settling down in its current location of Mangalwar Peth.
Timings: Every Wednesday and Sunday from 8 am to 6 pm.
F C Road
Fergusson College in Shivajinagar is known as the centre of art, culture and education in the city. And as you step on to the street right outside the college, you are immediately immersed in a sea of people shopping for myriad goods on the street. From hair ties to latest trends in fashion, F C Road (Fergusson College Road), as it is popularly called, is the place to shop for affordable yet trendy fashionable items. As a cherry on top, one can also indulge in bun-maskas at Cafe Goodluck or cheese masala dosa at Vaishali Restaurant or take a slight detour to Venus and Bookworld to indulge in some stationery-shopping.
Timings: The street-side shops are usually set up by noon and wrapped up around 9 pm-10 pm.
Mandai
Mahatma Phule Mandai is one of the oldest marketplaces which traces its history back to the period of the Peshwas and is still operational today. With best quality flowers, fruits, vegetables and brass vessels, Mandai is the one-stop shopping destination for many living in the old part of the town.
Mandai was born in Shaniwar Wada, the residence of the noblemen of Pune, and was moved to its present-day location in Shukrawar Peth in 1886 as a possible solution to the burgeoning population and consequent congestion. The complex was designed by W M Ducat and materialised by architect Vasudev Bapuji Kanitkar and Ramchandra Godbole.
When Mandai was inaugurated in 1886, it was named after Lord Reay, the then Governor of Bombay. In 1938, Acharya P K Atre, a well-known writer and a former chairman of the Pune Municipal Corporation’s Standing Committee, had the market renamed as the Mahatma Phule Mandai.
Timings: Usually, the vegetable and flower-sellers arrive here as early as 6 am but the market is in full swing around 9 am and the shops close around 8 pm.
Tulshibaug
Whenever any person desires to buy authentic jewellery, the first options they turn to are the high-end jewellery stores in the city at Tulshibaug. This place is heaven for anyone who wishes to purchase authentic Marathi jewellery. And if you are fond of jewellery, don’t miss out on the fast-evolving trends here.
Naro Appaji, a small-time clerk who handled the Peshwa family’s Pune affairs, must be credited for developing Tulshibaug. According to an article in WhatsHot, he bought one acre of land in 1760 to fulfil his lifelong dream of building a temple. Adhering to the Hindu belief of considering the tulsi as a holy plant, a lot of basil or tulsi plants were planted here, thus giving it its name Tulsibaug or the basil garden.
Naro Appaji encouraged the development of Tulshibaug as a safe shopping destination and retail market due to the unavailability of safe shopping spaces for women. In those days, the Bhori Ali market was the only place available for household items but it was considered unsafe for women.
Timings: The market usually stays open between 12:30 pm and 9:30 pm.