Higher Up Hanuman Tekdi

It's been over a decade in Pune, and still, the city keeps me enchanted through the slow unraveling of its treasures.

A friend introduces me to Hanuman Tekdi over the weekend. It’s a place I've never heard of before. Strange, considering it lies within a 1km radius from my college. And to think that I’ve spent so much time in that general area, never knowing that somewhere down a random, nondescript road there, a little piece of heaven awaits…

Hanuman Tekdi is a little hill that rises between Fergusson College, BMCC and Symbiosis College. We approach the hill from the Senapati Bapat Road side, and begin our ascent here.

After a rather enjoyable climb, we reach this temple at the top of the hill. 

We get a fine view of the city from up here, too.

Beyond this point, the terrain is flat. The weather is cool, with a hint of rain, and all this makes for a very pleasant walk.

We continue along a well-worn trail winding its way through spindly trees, eventually leading to a large stone quarry.

We spend a while here, soaking up nature in all its raw beauty.

There's definitely something magical about the way the city sparkles with emerald fire after the Monsoon arrives.

It starts to get crowded after some time, though. This place is apparently very popular with fitness enthusiasts and many others who come here for the clean, open air and the view. We return to our car, parked at the foot of the hill, through another, easier route downhill.

Soon we are just one more vehicle speeding down a noisy, trafficky road, headed for home. My hands steer the car automatically, monotonously, through the wheeled chaos, but my mind is filled with the crisp freshness of the hilltop, and the serenity of the secluded open spaces that lie beyond.