Baner

History

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. 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

Baburao Dattoba Chandere is the current corporator from Baner ward (PMC ward Number: 09) in Pune Municipal Corporation. He is known for his close relations with Pawar family. Baburao served as standing committee chairman of Pune Municipal Corporation. He has a lot of interest in Kabbadi and he is serving on major kabbadi committees in state and city. He actively participates in all social programmes.

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

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, located on middle of the town. During Navratri, there is a large procession to this temple and worshippers gather from around the town to pray here. Shree Bhairavnath is Gramdaivat of Baner. On every Akshaytritiya people celebrates "Urus" 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 Ganpati Mandal's to show their talent in front of whole township. On Hanuman Jayanti every year people celebrates "Bagada Festival" in the evening.

Agriculture

Ten years ago Baner was known for its agricultural development. Because of IT industries and residential zone declaration Baner lost this status. Mango, Guava, Tamarind, Plums were the famous fruits of Baner. "Baneri Bore" (Plums of Baner) got 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.

Vasundhara Abhiyan

This citizens group in Baner has taken up challenge of plantation on Baner hillside. 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 neighbourhood. Recently, many groups of employees from Software Industries has joined the Sunday work. The group is working to improve solid waste management in Baner.

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, Flying Duck. 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.