Pune is blessed with a terrain which is surrounded by the Sahyadri ranges and decorated with a few dozen hillocks. (Tekadi) Punekars, for years with the help of a few NGO’s have jointly protected the tekadis from concrete development and a lot of them are now under the forest department and a paradise for morning-walkers and fitness enthusiasts.
The tekadi behind ARAI, also known as Vetal Tekali, is one very close to my heart as I have been here since school days with my father. It is hard to believe that a natural landscape like this exists right in the middle of the city. This tekadi connects Kothrud, Erandwane, Pashan and can be accessed to come on top from all sides.
What I admire about the culture of tekadi in Pune is that almost everyone adheres by the unsaid nature’s law and contributes towards the well being of the place. I have seen so many grandpa’s carrying water all the way from a tank to water the newly planted saplings on the tekadi.
The tekadi is beautiful in all seasons but mesmerizing beyond words in the monsoons. The pond in the stone quarry in the middle of the tekadi is filled with flora and fauna and witnessing a peacock or two is a casual thing for everyday walkers here!
I sincerely and genuinely wish it stays as it is in the future and continues to bless us with the immense oxygen and serenity that it has in abundance.
For anyone and everyone promising to leave only your footprints there, sharing the location