Pune is among the top 8 metro cities of India and whereas other cities in the world have neighborhoods separated by streets or imaginary lines, there are small and big hills and lakes in Pune that crisscross the entire downtown and suburbs as well.
The prominent among them are Parvati, Baner, Chaturshringi, Vetal, Taljai, Dighi hills and the lakes are Pashan, Manas, Jambhulwadi, Katraj, Sarasbaug, and Model colony.
There is no residential cluster in Pune that doesn’t have either a lake or hillock in its vicinity besides the two rivers Mula and Mutha that flow right through the heart of the town. Residents of Pune take great pride in trekking on the hills and around the various lakes. The previous year I joined my colleagues in the office for a trek on the Chaturshringi hills. The access to this hill is adjacent to a temple and there are well-constructed steps to reach the plateau at the top after which there is sheer wilderness.
A unique activity that is undertaken is plantation but no one carries the saplings. At the beginning of the rainy ‘monsoon’ season, people carry bags full of seeds for various like fruits and wild trees that can germinate easily without the need for close attention and care. We return after the rains are over and inspect the area again looking for saplings that have taken roots. If they have grown too close to each other, they are taken out carefully and re-planted some distance away.
Another interesting thing about such hikes is people who sow the seeds earlier may not necessarily return after the rainy season and those who are hiking presently take the mantle of looking after the saplings that have sprouted.
This activity continues through the challenging months of April and May when the saplings need the utmost attention. In the heat and sunlight of summer, the nascent plants are at the risk of drying out. People who are hiking during these months now carry water in cans collected from scrap and water the plants.
Over the years, the hills now adorn a green cover and animals like the leopard and several birds including the native peacock and other migratory birds are spotted regularly.
Thus, hiking within the limits of one’s neighborhood without leaving the town, coupled with the spirit of community bonding and bypassing the baton from one batch of unknowns to the next have given birth to evergreen hills in Pune and its surroundings. A hiking experience like no other.
for sharing the article link 
climbing is tiring 
, planting trees 
is a kind of resting 
time.
