We are exploring Pune City with our children under the theme ‘Know your City’. Children have been participating in this activity for 3 years now.
Session 1 – Magic show
This year we started our sessions with a Magic show by Pune’s renowned magician Mr. Sanjay Raghuveer. Children interacted with the magician and thoroughly enjoyed his tricks. They also got to learn a few simple tricks during the session.
Session 2 – Locating various important monuments in Pune
Next, children got an opportunity to use a compass and navigate the expanse of pune, locating various important monuments in Pune, from the terrace of their building. They also assembled and relished Puneri Misal during this session.
Session 3 – Visited oldest bakeries of Pune- Santosh Bakery
In the following session, children visited one of the oldest bakeries of Pune- Santosh Bakery. The courteous staff at the bakery gave children information about the various products prepared at the bakery. Children could witness the actual process of making a few bakery products. Later children did a small scavenger hunt exercise to remember what they saw at the bakery. They also got to buy their favourite products. They enjoyed eating their favourite chocolate cakes and cream rolls.
Session 4 -Visited the oldest and ancient temple - Omkareshwar temple
During the next session children visited the oldest and ancient temple of Pune city- Omkareshwar temple. The architecture and vastness of this temple left children with awe. Children got to know names of various Gods and simple related information.
Session 5 – Visited to Balgandharva Rang Mandir and Yashwantrao Natyagruha
During our visit to Balgandharva Rang Mandir, children got a guided tour of the auditorium from a well-known Marathi stage artist Mr. Sanjay Gosavi. Children were fortunate to see an exhibition and meet artists at the arts festival going on there. Later children also got an opportunity to interact with the Metro Rail volunteers and see the interiors of Pune Metro at the Information Centre located in the premises of Balgandharva Rang Mandir.
A follow up visit to Yashwantrao Natyagruha to see the backstage preparation of a stage performance was icing on the cake.
Session 6 – Visited the famous Kesariwada
Children then got to visit the famous Kesariwada, place where Lokmanya Tilak started his newspaper Kesari and the famous celebrations of Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav and Shivjayanti. Children were fortunate to meet Tilak’s great great grandson, Mr. Rohit Tilak. The museum at the place gave children an exposure to the life of Tilak in a nutshell.
Session 7 – Visited to the Southern Command Museum
The last session of this theme was a visit to the Southern Command Museum. Here children got a chance to see military tanks, MIG aircraft, try their hand at shooting, uniforms of our army men and women, artillery and more.