If you are a proper punekar, then which is the one spot thronged by people especially women of all ages, round the year? No!! It isn't a salon! It is indeed "Kunte chowk- Lakshmi Road".
The reason for the punctuation is no doubt, the grandeur this road and the chowk carries. It would be quite insubordinate to write "Kunte chowk- Lakshmi road" plainly. Nevertheless lakshmi road is embedded with many chowks, one of them being "Kunte Chowk".
"Kunte Chowk” lies right 'at' and 'in' the heart of the city and its citizens. It is proximal to tilak road, ABC, Tulshibaug, Raviwar peth, mandai and slurp also to "chitale bandhu mithaiwale'. Four roads bifurcating to four directions connect the chowk to the places mentioned. 'Kunte chowk' boasts of an array of shops and stores which provide you things right from a toddler's teeter to right upto an octogenarian's apparel. Except for electrical appliances you get all commodities for your life-style. PNG for gems and jewellery, ‘Hy fashion’ for the name , ‘Jaihind’ for men and ‘Vama’ for women and chocolate for kids!! There are also shops on the pavements and in complexes around kunte chowk selling shoes, fabrics and cosmetics. In other words people from all walks of life and economy find their match all at one place, "Kunte chowk”.
The chowk as well as lakshmi road remains abuzz round the week except for mondays, some cricket matches of paramount importance and curfew. Frankly speaking 'curfew' is just an exaggeration for 'quiet' on lakshmi road. Believe it or not the sense of pride mixed with relief is the outcome when you find a space for your bike in the parking lots of kunte chowk.This is certainly not an exaggeration. The lakshmi road stretch measures about 1.5-2 km but yet, it falls short when flanked by shoppers.
In nature we have certain seasons eg: spring, autumn, winter etc. But to experience the spring in human habitat do visit 'Kunte Chowk-Lakshmi Road' during diwali. You do have to visit the chowk to shop for other festivals, but diwali, you could say, is the official sponsor of 'Kunte Chowk'. The shops literally bloom with discounts and goodies. Even a peddler earns a good fortune during this time of the year. The most noticeable thing during this fest are the freaked out girls on reaching the 'chowk' and then starts the phase of enormous shopping!! To top it all the traffic and the double parking add to the chaos and indirectly adds into the bustling activity of 'Kunte Chowk'. During the Ganpati festival, Kunte Chowk is one of the chowks honoured to welcome as well as bid adieu to ganapati bappa of all the organizations. In 'Kunte Chowk' you are endowed with all sorts of emotions. for eg; feeling of trepidation when you witness the RTO pick-up truck lifting your two-wheeler for wrong parking, feeling of achievement when you park successfully, feeling envious when you notice somebody already buying the article before you lay your hands on it, feeling sad when the object in the window-case of a shop is beyond your economic reach, in short you almost have a life-time experience in this legendary chowk. I don't know the history of the chowk neither do I know who the late Mr./ Mrs. Kunte is, whose name has been inherited by the chowk. But yes! One thing i know for sure that I love it and I sense a vibe of belonging!!
The reason for the punctuation is no doubt, the grandeur this road and the chowk carries. It would be quite insubordinate to write "Kunte chowk- Lakshmi road" plainly. Nevertheless lakshmi road is embedded with many chowks, one of them being "Kunte Chowk".
"Kunte Chowk” lies right 'at' and 'in' the heart of the city and its citizens. It is proximal to tilak road, ABC, Tulshibaug, Raviwar peth, mandai and slurp also to "chitale bandhu mithaiwale'. Four roads bifurcating to four directions connect the chowk to the places mentioned. 'Kunte chowk' boasts of an array of shops and stores which provide you things right from a toddler's teeter to right upto an octogenarian's apparel. Except for electrical appliances you get all commodities for your life-style. PNG for gems and jewellery, ‘Hy fashion’ for the name , ‘Jaihind’ for men and ‘Vama’ for women and chocolate for kids!! There are also shops on the pavements and in complexes around kunte chowk selling shoes, fabrics and cosmetics. In other words people from all walks of life and economy find their match all at one place, "Kunte chowk”.
The chowk as well as lakshmi road remains abuzz round the week except for mondays, some cricket matches of paramount importance and curfew. Frankly speaking 'curfew' is just an exaggeration for 'quiet' on lakshmi road. Believe it or not the sense of pride mixed with relief is the outcome when you find a space for your bike in the parking lots of kunte chowk.This is certainly not an exaggeration. The lakshmi road stretch measures about 1.5-2 km but yet, it falls short when flanked by shoppers.
In nature we have certain seasons eg: spring, autumn, winter etc. But to experience the spring in human habitat do visit 'Kunte Chowk-Lakshmi Road' during diwali. You do have to visit the chowk to shop for other festivals, but diwali, you could say, is the official sponsor of 'Kunte Chowk'. The shops literally bloom with discounts and goodies. Even a peddler earns a good fortune during this time of the year. The most noticeable thing during this fest are the freaked out girls on reaching the 'chowk' and then starts the phase of enormous shopping!! To top it all the traffic and the double parking add to the chaos and indirectly adds into the bustling activity of 'Kunte Chowk'. During the Ganpati festival, Kunte Chowk is one of the chowks honoured to welcome as well as bid adieu to ganapati bappa of all the organizations. In 'Kunte Chowk' you are endowed with all sorts of emotions. for eg; feeling of trepidation when you witness the RTO pick-up truck lifting your two-wheeler for wrong parking, feeling of achievement when you park successfully, feeling envious when you notice somebody already buying the article before you lay your hands on it, feeling sad when the object in the window-case of a shop is beyond your economic reach, in short you almost have a life-time experience in this legendary chowk. I don't know the history of the chowk neither do I know who the late Mr./ Mrs. Kunte is, whose name has been inherited by the chowk. But yes! One thing i know for sure that I love it and I sense a vibe of belonging!!
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