Pune's Chandni Chowk, now a bustling intersection, linking various parts of the city, including NDA, Pashan, Kothrud, Mulshi, Bavdhan, Warje, Katraj, Narhe and many other places, was once a serene locale surrounded by trees and hills.
A recently surfaced video from 1991, captured by Rahul Abdagiri, has been making rounds of social media, stirring up nostalgia among Punekars. Spanning two minutes and 24 seconds, the video showcases glimpses of Pune, featuring Kothrud depot, Chandni Chowk, Bavdhan-Pashan road, and other locals, offering a glimpse of the city's scenic beauty, now a rarity.
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An X (formerly Twitter) user, who shared the video, wrote, "I literally have tears in my eyes looking at this video of Chandni Chowk, Pune from 1991. What have we done to Pune???"
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"I remember my granny telling me in the '70s she could see my grandpa's motorcycle light cross Chandni Chowk and over to NDA from Rambaug Colony in Kothrud..this is from the '90s and still very possible! just see the Bavdhan that we know today was full of hillocks back then.. unbelievable what rampant construction does to the city's landscape.. (sic)," another user reminisced.
Sharing similar sentiments, a third user recalled, "I recall cycling to Pashan, Chandani Chowk, etc. Even Senapati Bapat Road used to be empty in the early 1990s."
"Absolutely true! That was the real old beautiful Pune. Chandni Chowk and Bavdhan were places for weekend outings. Outsiders, politicians, local neta, many others have literally ruined the peace of Pune and its outskirts," commented a fourth user.
Check out the reactions below:
