Pune Fast Facts

Geographical data

• Coordinates
  18 degrees 32 minutes North; 73 degrees 51 minutes East
  
• Altitude
  559 metres above mean sea level
  
• Local time
  GMT plus five-and-half hours
  
• Climate
  Temperatures range from 15 degrees C to 35 degrees C. The best time to visit is October-March.
  

Weather Trends

• Winter:
  Mid Nov - mid Feb. Dry, cold nights, pleasantly warm days.
  
• Spring:
  Mid-Feb to end-March. Warm days and pleasant nights
  
• Summer:
  Early-April to late-May. Hot days and warm nights
  
• Monsoon:
  Early June - early October. Rains. Warm and humid. Rain coat, plastic shoes or small boots advisable.
  
• Post-Monsoon:
  Early Oct - early Nov. A little rain, but still warm.
  
• Rainfall
  68 cm (annual average)
  
• Clothing
  Light cottons in summer (March to October), Lightweight jacket or pullovers in winter
  

Telecommunications

• International dialing code
  ++91
  
• Local area code for Pune
  20
  
• Communications
  International direct dialing is available to most countries in the world. Fax, telex and Internet services are excellent.
  

For foreigners visiting India

• Visa
  The Foreigners' Registration Office on Dr Dadabhoy Naoroji Road,
  Mumbai 400001,
  handles visa extensions (up to the maximum stay of six months).
  Phone +91-22-2620446
  Customs (India)
• Visitors may bring in the following free of duty:
  2000 cigarettes; 400 cigars; 2kg tobacco; a reasonable quantity of perfume, up to a maximum of 2 liters of spirits and 2 liters of wine.
  
• Currency
  The Indian Rupee is the local currency. 1 USD = 46.6 Rupees (approximately) in November 2000.
  
• Money exchange
  Money can be exchanged at banks and most hotels. There are a number of money exchange centres offering competitive rates.
  
• Credit cards
  American Express, Diners, Visa, Access, Mastercard and other major cards are accepted at leading establishments
  

City Facts & Figures

• Area
  138 square kilometres
  
• Green Cover
  40 per cent of area (more than any other Indian urban area)
  
• Population
  4 million
  
• Language
  Marathi is the official language of the state of Maharashtra of which Pune is a major city. Marathi and Hindi are the two main languages spoken. English is widely spoken and understood. Gujarati, and other Indian languages are also used by the largely cosmopolitan population.
  
• Local Transport
  Pune has a very good transport system. There are trains, yellow-and-black auto-rickshaws, buses and also private taxis for sightseeing.
  
• Where to stay
  Pune has several hotels of different price range from 5-star deluxe to moderate motels.
  
• Information/Tourist offices
  The MTDC tourist office is in the government offices known as Central Buildings. (+91-20-628169)