Probably the biggest festival in Pune is Diwali, or the festival of lights. Establishments are dressed up with flower garlands and floor art done in colored sand.
Even work places are dressed up.
It is the custom to give gifts during Diwali. Our hotel gave us a box of candies and two Diwali ‘lights’ – oil candles. Yes, the candies on the left are garnished with silver.
Matheran is a mountaintop resort not far from Mumbai (formerly Bombay). A narrow-gage railway that still runs originally reached it but now there is also a truly steep road, which is how we got there. Matheran has a series of overlook points offering spectacular views.
There actually was quite a bit of walking around Matheran so we used a bit of horsepower.
And there was some wildlife that we don’t see in the old USA. The family below, mom on the left sonny in the middle and dad on the right, look like they are used to photographers.
Even work places are dressed up. 
It is the custom to give gifts during Diwali. Our hotel gave us a box of candies and two Diwali ‘lights’ – oil candles. Yes, the candies on the left are garnished with silver. 
Matheran is a mountaintop resort not far from Mumbai (formerly Bombay). A narrow-gage railway that still runs originally reached it but now there is also a truly steep road, which is how we got there. Matheran has a series of overlook points offering spectacular views. 
There actually was quite a bit of walking around Matheran so we used a bit of horsepower. 
And there was some wildlife that we don’t see in the old USA. The family below, mom on the left sonny in the middle and dad on the right, look like they are used to photographers. 
