The third fundamental section of Pune is named after the Deccan Gymkhana, to the southwest of the city, built in 1879. The area is home to an awesomely middle class Maharashtrian population. It is also the territory where an astonishing number of educational institutions have come up, leading to Pune sometimes being referred to as "Oxford of the East".
Though most of these educational institutions offer little to the tourist, the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) here is more than worth a mention and calls for a visit. It has been built around the old Prabhat Studios. The building of the old studio still stands, sophisticatedly reinstated and the studio floor is still operational. It lends the institute a certain vibrancy and an irreversible connection with the resplendent history of Indian cinema.
Enigmatically, in the core of the Deccan area, on Jangli Maharaj Road, is an astonishing reminder that Pune does have an extensive history, one that is infuriatingly disuninterrupted and unapproachable. Next to the captivating temple named after the sage Jangli Maharaj, below street level, is the rock-cut Pataleshwar Temple consecrated to Shiva. Going back to the 8th century, the cave and its Nandi bull canopy are an incredible refuge of quietude. This is Pune heritage at its best - surprising, quietly articulate, and, curiously unfinished.
