Pune started out as Punnaka an agricultural settlement in the 8th century. The earliest evidence (copper plates dating 758 AD and 768 AD) reveals that this region was ruled by the Rashtrakutas It came under Mughal rule in the 17th century. Until circa 1818, it continued to be ruled by various dynasties, especially the Mughals and the Marathas. During the mid 17th century, it became the temporary residence of Maratha King Shivaji. In 1749 A.D, it gained prominence as the capital of the Maratha kingdom under the Peshwa rule. It was during this period that the city expanded considerably. Pune's medieval roots are also evident in the number of its temples. The oldest structure in the city is the rock-cut temple of Pataleshwar, from the 8th century AD. The cave-temple complex is also called Panchaleshvara cave. This cave, once situated outside the limits of the old town, is now squarely in the middle of the city off the Jungli Maharaj road.

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Pune is located at 18° 31' 22.45" North 73° 52' 32.69" East (See satellite view), near the western margin of the Deccan Plateau. Zero Milestone Outside Pune's General Post Office (GPO), next to a large Banyan tree in front lies Pune's "Zero" Milestone. The GPO itself (constructed 1873-74) is a two-storeyed building -- Pune's only building in the Palladian architectural style. Pune lies on the leeward side of the Sahyadri ranges and Western Ghats, 560 m (1837 ft) above the sea level, at the confluence of Mula and Mutha rivers, which are tributaries of the Bhima. Two more rivers, Pavana and Indrayani traverse the Northwestern outskirts of the urban area. The Sinhagad-Katraj-Dive Ghats range is the Southern Boundary of the urban area. The highest point in the city is Vetal Hill (800 m or 2625 ft above sea level) whereas the highest point just outside the urban area is the Sinhagad Fort (1300 m or 4265 ft above sea level). Pune lies in the seismically active zone of Koyna Region, which is about 100 km south of Pune. Pune has recently been upgraded to lie in the zone IV, which is the second most dangerous seismic zone in India. Pune has experienced some moderate-intensity and many low-intensity earthquakes. Although earthquakes were not known to have originated in Pune itself, an earthquake of magnitude 3.2 took place in the Katraj region near Pune on 17 May 2004

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Pune is a major industrial centre, growing very fast every year. It is home to one of the world's largest two-wheeler manufacturers, Bajaj Auto. Other automobile majors are Tata Motors, India's largest passenger car and commercial vehicle manufacturer, DaimlerChrysler, it has an assembly line for its Mercedes-Benz brand, Kinetic Engineering, Force Motors Ltd (previously known as Bajaj Tempo). Engineering goods industries situated in pune are Bharat Forge Ltd, world's second largest forging company, Cummins Engines Co Ltd, has its Research & Technology India center, Thermax Limited a global player providing sustainable solutions in energy and environment, Alfa Laval, Sandvik Asia, Thyssen Krupp (formerly Buckau Wolff), KSB Pumps, Finolex, Greaves India, Forbes Marshall, etc. Electronic goods giants like Whirlpool and LG have appliance manufacturing plants. Food majors like Frito Lay and Coca Cola also have their food processing plants. Apart from this pune houses many mid and small industries. The international air connectivity had helped many volume produce growers in the surrounding districts to export their goods conveniently.

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