Weeks before Ganeshotsav, drum troupes rehearse at dawn, and the boom of the dhol rolls through the old city. Friends meet over a plate of misal before college, families gather in the shade of old fort walls, and a blunt signboard on a gate tells visitors exactly where not to park.
Beyond the old city, leafy Koregaon Park fills its lanes with restaurants, and on weekends half the city seems to be climbing Sinhagad. The monsoon turns the hills green from June to September, and dry winters bring cool, clear nights. A Local Friend walks beside you through it all, translating the signboards and the jokes hidden in them.
