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Pune , formerly Poona, is the second largest city in the state of Maharashtra in western India, around 160 kilometers southeast of the state capital, Mumbai. Situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula and Mutha river , Pune is the administrative capital of Pune district and the eighth most populous metropolitan area in India.
Pune is known to have existed as a town since 937 AD. Shivaji, the founder of the Maratha Empire, lived in Pune as a boy, and later oversaw significant growth and development of the town during his reign. In 1730, Pune became an important political centre as the seat of the Peshwa, the prime minister of the Chhatrapati of Satara. After the town was annexed to British India in 1817, it served as a cantonment town and as the "monsoon capital" of the Bombay Presidency until the independence of India. In independent India, Pune is known for its educational facilities, having more than a hundred educational institutes and nine universities. It also boasts a growing industrial hinterland, with many information technology and automotive companies setting up factories in Pune district. |
