Pensha

Sarthak with his father Racing to the Top  Imagine zooming down a racetrack at breathtaking speeds -- it's a dream many teenagers share. For Sarthak Chavan, it's not just a dream but his everyday reality. This young racing champion from Pune proves that success in motorsports takes more than just chasing thrills -- it requires dedication, hard work and countless hours of practice. “Racing isn't just about speed, ” says Sarthak, who had an incredible year in 2024.  “It's about careful planning, strategy and mastering techniques. ”  His hard work paid off when he became the first Indian rider to finish third in the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship, (ARCC) TVS One Make category. He also claimed the title of Indian National Motor Racing Champion in two categories – all before turning 18. Racing runs in Sarthak's family. His father runs a  motorcycle racing workshop and his uncle was once a racer too. “ I was only five or six when I knew I wanted to race, ” Sart...

Interestingly, people living on the either side of the river bed are known for their quirks. Ambika Shaligram meets a few residents of the Cantonment area who share colourful anecdotes about their neighbourhood, which recently observed 200 years of its formation Do the sepia toned images remind you of an era gone by? But they are also historically significant — one image is of MG Road, Camp and another of an iconic landmark, Manney’s bookstore, which closed down six years ago. The other establishment in the image is of Royal Hotel which downed its shutters several decades ago. These images are from journalist Vivek Sabnis’ collection and have now been used in Pune Dinadarshika or Pune Nostalgia calendar 2018. The images are significant for another reason. In November 2017, we observed the 200 years of formation of Camp or Pune Cantonment. ‘Observed’ because that also marked the end of the Peshwai rule. Till early 2000, Camp was the ‘it’ place to be. Those who lived on the oth...