_Pune_

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text][dropcap]Established[/dropcap] in the 6th century Pune was the heart of the Maratha empire. Like any other city it has changed a lot over the years, now it is a mix of traditional and contemporary cultures. The educational capital city of India may have grown a lot but its old wadas (residential complexes) and narrow streets still refuse to capitulate to modernity. The Pune government has taken some efforts to modernise and improve the condition of the wadas in Kasba Peth; some are being demolished as residents demand modern houses with others falling apart of old age.

This series was predominately captured in Kasba Peth (Qasba meaning urban cluster in Arabic) as this part of the city has some of the most beautiful wadas. Kasba Peth once had the wadas of the most influential people of the city; Lal Mahal, the fortified residence of Shivaji, is located in Kasba Peth.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

The Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Market was built by the British government during the Indian pre-Independence era.

Inside the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Market.

Late afternoon is a perfect time to relax in the city of Pune.

Kids wait by the street before starting their after-school classes.

A barber opens his shop in the evening.

These small streets are reminiscent of the old settlements which still exist in Pune. Kasba Peth in particular had its early settlements from 1637. No wonder the streets remained smalls as the wadas around them calibrated with modernisation.

An old man walking by a street in Kasba Peth.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]

An old wada by the street is now in ruins.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]

An entrance to the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Market.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Swapnil Kale

Swapnil is a documentary and conceptual photographer who uses the medium for storytelling to dig into various topics and issues.

Insta: @lordswap
FB: fb.com/diabolicl

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]