Whenever I talk about Pune City, I mostly highlight its bustling, metropolitan side but in this blog, Imma tell ya about the tranquility that the city offers, all on a morning walk. Before I begin the leisurely stroll, here’s a bit about Pune’s lineage to the Indian Army.

Pune is the headquarters of the Southern Command wing of the Indian Army and the Cantonment area lies right in the city centre. This area is one of the most peaceful areas of Pune, bounded with greenery and a hotspot for all sorts of birds as well as wild plants. Owing to its close bond with nature, the Pune Cantonment has multiple gardens and parks which are very well maintained by the Army authorities and are a great way to preserve the natural assets in this area. In this blog, Imma take a stroll in one such park, namely the ‘Muredha Nallah Park’.

The Muredha Nallah Park is a special one owing to its unique location. The park is built on a canal or a ‘nallah’ as its called in Hindi and the whole area surrounding the canal is beautified with plants, trees as well as small bridges and sheds. A canal in Pune is usually an unpleasant view and the areas surrounding one are often in shambles but parks such as this one not only beautifies the place but also makes the whole canal area useful not only for morning walkers and fitness enthusiasts, but also for some of the local folk who work in areas of gardening or landscaping and find employment in maintaining these parks.

So, without further ado, let’s get some fresh air.

Is it a jackfruit? Is it a hive?

It’s Batman. Minus the man.

Hehe. When I entered the park, I was literally shaken up by raucous screeching and when I looked up, there was an entire family of bats, beginning to go to sleep and probably wishing each other goodnight:) There’s something very mysterious about bats hanging down from trees. I always get a feeling that its an omen of some kind and the very sight of it gives me chills and a fluttering of the heart and a very Edgar Allen Poe vibe.

Thinking of all the sweet tidings that passed between people who once sat on this bench makes me smile.

But the thought of all the spiders presently occupying it makes me run a mile.

Strolling in parks sure makes a poet out of you:)

Life isn’t always a bed of roses. Sometimes, it’s a bed of leaves. As far as beds are concerned, leaves sure do make a safer one as every rose has its thorn.

There’s the park-driven philosophy. This bed of leaves, as well as the creeping columns give me major Avatar vibes.

This is one of the many bridges in the park. I love how much effort has gone into landscaping and gardening which really makes the whole park look straight out a storybook. I mean, who’s to say this isn’t Wonderland?

The Park has a lot of branching passages leading to various sit-outs or exercise zones. This one here was my favourite owing to its tree-shaded lane and the leaf covered path that leads to it. I also love the play of sunlight and shadows and the distant morning-walker in the passage gives it a nice, mystic touch.

Your Saturday package of Vitamin D:)

A leaf-strewn passage leading to a shed which can either be used as a resting point for walkers or even as a makeshift yoga and aerobic studio. This morning, two girls were filming a dance routine in the shed and there were also a few old men having a chat in another shed up ahead. A lot of the walkers and joggers are army veterans and it’s always a jolly chat when they meet up and reminisce their time in the military.

Here are some of the amazing trees that I saw in the park. The first one is a bamboo tree with fringed veins which look like really thick eyelashes and the second picture is a series of spider webs in a parting in a tree bark. I mean, spiders can actually settle anywhere and here we have the new Spiderman saying ‘No Way Home’. The world’s your home, Pete, stop disappointing your spider sense!

Hehe:)

The Banyan tree threshold is an entry to an exercise zone. In India, exercise zones can be seen on empty footpaths, outside shops or even in basements. These zones have some equipment like weights and a twisting seat or even some static peddles and anyone can access these at anytime, free of cost. I feel it’s a great substitute to a gym and really promotes fitness amongst all walks of life.

A man-made pond and a part of the canal with flourishing aquatic plants. It would be rather dicey if someone were to walk over the bed of green without knowing that it’s actually a canal. Good thing there’s barricades, eh. Else I would have been splashing in water in my photographic pursuits.

Bridges. I was lucky to get a crane in the first picture! The second one is at the exit of the park, resembling a village straight out of Avalon:)

As we come to the end of the stroll, Imma show you King Arthur’s Round Table. Hehe. I mean, this looks so exact and the sunbeam adds a magical, mystical touch to it:) Long live the Once and Future King! Hehe.

As an ending treat, here’s a track of birdsong. The only sound in the entire park:) Sound on, folks!

And that is a wrap!

Until Next Time!

Auf Wiedersehen:))