Culture :
As the largest city with a predominantly Marathi-speaking populace, Pune is closely associated with Marathi art, literature, drama and religious beliefs. Many Marathi writers, poets, actors, singers and other celebrities live in Pune. In recent years, cinemas, discos and clubs have also opened up as the younger, westernized college students and young professionals make their presence felt. |
Literature and Theatre :
The form of Marathi spoken in Pune is held as the standard form of the language.
Lisa Klopfer, librarian at Eastern Michigan University,[28] observed in her overview of district libraries that the city's metropolitan area "has an estimated population of over five million, but retains [its] older neighborhoods and the aura of an intellectual center."[29] As the agro-pharmaceutical business has dwindled in recent decades, immigration from erstwhile tribal peoples now accounts for seventy percent of population growth and education syllabi have not adjusted in accordance with other industrialised regions.
This has created what has become an exclusive environment in the government's expansion of education infrastructure, and Marathi literati have have received a number of grants in areas that were previously ignored. Marathi theatre is an integral part of Marathi culture. Both experimental and professional theatre receive extensive patronage from the Marathi community. The Tilak Smarak Mandir, Bala Gandharva Rangmandir, Bharat Natya Mandir, Yashwantrao Chavan Natyagriha and Sudarshan Rangmanch are prominent theatres in the city.
The comic genius Spike Milligan (born in Ahmednagar in 1918) lived in Pune as a child, from 1922 to 1930 in the civil lines at Climo Road. The city made a remarkable and lasting impression upon him. He wrote about India for the rest of his life, and his imagination was imbued constantly with the sights, sounds and activity of Pune. He learnt Urdu from his nanny, and could still manage phrases in that language until his death - in 2002.
Every December, Pune hosts the three-day long Sawai Gandharva Music Festival. It presents Hindustani and Carnatic classical music. During the festival of Diwali, Pahat Diwali is a musical programme that begins in the early morning hours. Pune also hosts Vasantostav music festival.
Pune has given many famous artists to the traditional Indian music world. Well known names are great vocalist Pandit Bhimsen Joshi and in earlier generation to gifted Sitarist Pandit Chandrakant Sardeshmukh.
As per wish of Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Pandit Chandrakant Sardeshmukh has initiated an under graduate department of Music Dance and Drama on University of Pune campus as a student founder in 1980. This is named as Lalit Kala Kendra and started formally in 1987 with Pandit Chandrakant Sardeshmukh as first joint coordinator. This department is currently led by Prof. Satish Alekar. This department has Gurukul and formal education system combined. Well known artists like great vocalist Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, well known Kathak Dancers Rohini Bhate and Manisha Sathe ,renowned Bharatnatyam dancer Sucheta Bhide Chapekar, renowned viloinist Atul Upadhye and so many artists teach here as University Teachers and Traditional Gurus. |
