Rasta Peth
Rasta in Hindi is known as 'Route, Way, Street or Path'. Rasta Peth connects to three main roads; Vitthalrao Navale road, Jawaharlal Nehru road and Maruti Temple road. It has received its name from Raste family well known in the Maratha Empire in 1780s. Rasta Peth is commonly known for its specialty in second hand vehicle shops. It has a vast variety in the category of vehicles. The entire market place is surrounded by two wheelers kept for sale. The business of selling old and used vehicles started here almost 20 years ago according to the residents. It was not in less than 2-3 years that the business gained great success for the dealers and they turned it into an official source of income by opening their own second hand showrooms and stores. A few businessmen and entrepreneurs have implemented the idea of a secondhand market from their forefathers. Mahalaxmi Motors, Sunil Motors, Patel Motors, Yashraj Motors, Saraswati Motors, Nilesh Motors, Darshan Motors etc are a few examples of the entrepreneurs who have benefited enormously out of the secondhand selling business. These dealers get approximately 100 new vehicles to resell every day. If you are looking for a vehicle on temporary bases at really cheap rates then this is the best place to visit.
Rasta Peth also has anything and everything in terms of accessories for vehicles like car, motor bikes, scooters etc. Manufacturers of vehicle accessories have also profited in their incomes due to the business environment around them. You can get keys, fancy number plates, seat covers, vehicle battery, motor parts and all other mechanical and automobile items in this area. Apart from it being a selling point for vehicles, it also has a few furniture, curtains and carpet shops in the perimeter of the area. These stores are more frequently visited by the residents in the area whereas the secondhand vehicle shops are visited more by the people of other areas. The residents of the area are limited and according to people most of them give apartments on rent. There are a few cafeterias, grocery stores and restaurants for the convenience of the locals. Dulhari Garden Restaurant and Cafe Mh12 are the places which have a good amount of crowd surrounded to them. As every Peth in Pune holds its own specialty, so does Rasta Peth. From being an ancient street, it has grown evidently throughout time. It might not count as a tourist place of Pune. Although, if you are willing to take an extended tour around Pune then don't ever miss out Rasta Peth.