Baner

Baner बाणेर
suburb
Baner skyline
Baner Location in Maharashtra, India
Coordinates: 18°33′36″N 73°47′25″E / 18.56000°N 73.79028°E / 18.56000; 73.79028Coordinates: 18°33′36″N 73°47′25″E / 18.56000°N 73.79028°E / 18.56000; 73.79028
Country	India
State	Maharashtra
District	Pune District
Government
• Body	Pune Municipal Corporation
Elevation	570 m (1,870 ft)
Languages
• Official	Marathi
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN	411045
Lok Sabha constituency	Pune (Lok Sabha constituency)
Civic agency	Pune Municipal Corporation

Baner (Marathi: बाणेर) is a suburb of Pune, India. Baner is well known for "Varkari" Parampara and Bhakti Aradhana from many years. It is located off the Dehu Road–Katraj bypass by-passing Pune City. Baner road serves as the main approach road for the bypass which in-turn connects to the Mumbai Pune Expressway. Baner is bordered by Pashan in south, Balewadi to the west, Aundh to the north and Pune University to the east.

Baner is a residential and commercial hub of Pune and large portions are occupied by various IT companies like Siemens, Talentica, GS Lab, Advend informatics etc.

History

Tukai Devi Mandir Baner (Established 400 years ago)

Tukai Devi Mandir Baner (Established 400 years ago)

History of Baner dates back to the 17th century, when the Kalamkar family of the Mali caste inherited Baner as a heritage, becoming the rulers of Baner^[1]. Kavaji Kalamkar built a temple of the goddess "Tukai Mata" on a hillock near Baner, which is now known as Baner Hill, part of the Baner-Pashan Biodiversity Park.

Administration

Jyoti Ganesh Kalamkar, Swapnali Pralhad Saykar, Amol Ratan Balwadkar and Baburao Dattoba Chandere are the current corporators of Baner ward (PMC ward Number: 09) in Pune Municipal Corporation.^[2]

Geography

Baner lies in the western side of Pune. Once in the outskirts, now it is merged into Pune with the help of rapid urbanisation. Baner lies on the foothills of the hills comprising the Baner-Pashan Biodiversity Park. Baner has an average elevation of 570 m ASL.

Culture

Bagad festival in Baner

Shri Ram, Hanuman, Lakshmi, Tukai, Divyai, Bhairavnath, Sant Savatamali, Baneshwar, Vitthal Rukmini, Ganpati, Dattatray and many temples are part of cultural heritage of Baner. The most prominent temple in Baner is the Bhairavnath Temple(known as GramDaivat which means Town Deity), located in middle of the town. During Navratri, there is a large procession to this temple and worshippers gather from around the town to pray here. On every Akshaytritiya people celebrates "Urus(GramDaivat festival)" here which continuous for 3–4 days. In Urus they organize Tamasha, Kusti and fair. Dattajayanti, Ram Navami, Savatamali Punyatithi, Bhagwanbaba and Navratri are big festivals of Baner. Bhairavnath Devasthan trust organizes "Ek Gav Ganpati Miravnuk Ek" program every year which gives every Ganpati Mandal in the town to show their talent in front of the whole town. On every Hanuman Jayanti, people celebrate "Bagada Festival" in the evening^[3].

Agriculture

Till 2005 Baner was known for its agricultural development. Now, due to the huge number of IT industries and residential complexes, Baner lost this status. Mango, Guava, Tamarind, Plums were the famous fruits of Baner. "Baneri Bore" (Plums of Baner) got the brand name because of Baner.

Baner Hill

Baner hill is a hill that separates two suburbs of Pune, Pashan and Baner. The hill is the third highest point within the city limits, with an elevation of 2224 ft., surpassed by the Vetal Hill and the Sutarwadi Hill. There is a temple located in the northern foot of the hill. The place is an excellent getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city and provides a great morning trek location for the weekends. One can view the whole of baner on one side and the pashan area from the other. The place is actually the home for a plantation drive that has been taken up enthusiastically by the locals, helped by numerous volunteers. One can see people coming up early in the morning every Sunday and working in groups to make the place greener. Baner hill is surrounded by two suburbs of Pune, Pashan and Baner. Most of its area is in Baner, so it is commonly known as Baner Hill. The hillock runs East-West. It has a spur which is locally known as the Pashan Hill which has an elevation of 2100 ft. The temperature here is 1 to 2 degrees cooler than the temperature in the main city. Rest of the area shares almost same climatic conditions as that of Pune.

The Foot of Baner Hill in Sus Road.

Sunrise at Baner hill

The image represents the scenic beauty of sunset that can be seen from Baner hill.

Vasundhara Abhiyan

This citizens group in Baner has taken up the challenge of the plantation on Baner hillside. Dr. Chandrakant Garudkar who was one of the founders of this organization took the lead of this campaign and provided his invaluable guidance to the volunteers. Since 2006, the group has done shramdaan and contributed funds to create continuous contour trenches and tree plantation. Every Sunday, over 60 to 70 citizens gather at 7 am for a clean-up campaign. From 8 to 10 am they coordinate the soil and water conservation work, tree plantation before and during the monsoons, watering, and maintenance of the saplings etc. The group has also taken up bird watching and nature education sessions for schools in the neighborhood. Recently, many groups of employees from Software Industries has joined the Sunday work. The group is working to improve solid waste management in Baner.

Social Life and Entertainment

Baner is home to a growing number of popular restaurants, cafes and pubs. Some of the most notable ones being Malaka Spice, The K Factory, Minus 18 Degrees, Pimp My Wok and Flying Duck. Balewadi high street is the best place to visit in Baner.^[4] Even though the area lacks entertainment options like shopping malls or movie theaters, the food industry is quickly catching up with the rest of the city and becoming a happening spot for dining out.

References