Hop on a vintage scooter to explore Pune's historic landmarks

The streets of Pune are dressed to the nines thanks to the festivities around Ganesh Chaturthi This weekend therersquos another reason that may bring Punekars to the sidewalks of the old city The Amanora The Fern Heritage Scooter Ride 2023 a part of the upcoming Pune Festival will witness approximately 30 twowheelers participate in a rally that will pass through some of the oldest and most important heritage sites The ride is being organised by motoring enthusiasts Adil Jal Darukhanawala and his wife Jayu Darukhanawala Adil is an established automobile journalist who testdrove new cars before writing about them in auto magazinesJayu Darukhanawala and Adil with their 1954 Jawa Type 353 Kyvacka 250cc motorcycleldquoWe have been in the automobile sector for 45 years Adil is also an automotive historian who founded the Poona Automotive Racing Association PARA I have been a rider since 1976rdquo informs Jayu ldquoIn the Parsi community vintage vehicle collections are common Restoring vintage scooters and bikes takes a lot of effort and time Sourcing original parts is tough and often requires having to look for them across India Sometimes it takes months to find an original part This hobby requires immense dedication so we felt that we should offer a platform to those who have made efforts to restore these classic vehicles an opportunity to display themrdquo she explains about this scooter rideOn autopilotWhile Jayu is passionate about the restoration of automobiles she reveals that it isnrsquot easy to explain this passion ldquoMany consider it as junk and of no heritage value My generation has seen wars and industrialisation and our parents moving from bicycles to scooters In those days in our buildings and gullies there would be much excitement when a new scooter arrived Cars followed scooters and with every passing decade there were newer more modern models Our generation has witnessed the growth of India but we realise the value of the oldrdquo she reminiscesThe Kinetic Hondas in the Sahara Desert in Niger during their recordbreaking ride in December 1991January 1992Over the years the couple have been participating in events for vintage cars and bikes across India with their personal vintage collection see box ldquoUsually these events are showcases and not rallies or drives mainly because these vehicles donrsquot have the capacity to be ridden for long distances In Pune however we have noticed that people have restored and maintained their vehicles well Scooters can run on the roads for at least 20 km We tried our scooters on August 15 and rode it from Shaniwarwada to University Road and they were perfect That gave me more confidencerdquo she revealsHeritage cityA great example of a 196263 Lambretta 150 periodperfect in every wayWhile there are already over 25 entries registrations for vintage scooter owners are still open The rally will see 30 vintage scooters commence their ride from Victory Theatre on East Street whose history dates back to 1938 and go past other historically significant sites such as the Lal Deval a synagogue sanctioned by Sir David Sassoon in 1864 the GPO built in 1850 Sadhu Vasvani Chowk Sir Manekshaw Circle that commemorates the vital role played by Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw in the 1971 War War Memorial Empress Garden established in 1838 and the NeoGothic spectacle St Patrickrsquos Church that was built in 1850 ldquoThese are Punersquos landmarks As a child I remember sitting pillion with my father on a scooter and being awed by the Lal Deval and the GPO We want to create awareness and preserve our heritage Itrsquos why we felt it ideal to plan a vintage scooter rally around these landmarksrdquo she signs offOn Sunday September 24Time 8 am at 2429 East Street opposite Kayani Bakery Hulshur Camp PuneCall 7719999914Twowheeler gloryThe couplersquos vintage twowheeler collection includes Lambretta 150 1962 Vespa 150 1966 Vijai Deluxe 150 1972 Priya 150 1979 and a Kinetic Honda 100DX 1990 which they rode across the Sahara Desert in December 1991January 1992