From Family Traditions to Personal Transformation.
Pune holds a special place in our hearts. It’s where Yoni and I shed many of the identities we once clung to.
For a time, I became Tanmayo, and Yoni embraced the name Nisandeh—a name he carried for nearly 25 years as his professional name..
Our first visit to Pune was in 1995, a transformative trip that left an indelible mark on both of us.
We returned in 1998, this time with baby Thom in tow, just 14 months old.
After that, life swept us along its unpredictable currents, leaving no room for another visit—until 2010, when an invitation to a family wedding brought Pune back into our orbit.
The occasion? My cousin Gerale’s youngest daughter, Dana, was marrying into one of Pune’s wealthiest families.
The union of an Indian family and an American Jewish-Israeli family was bound to be complex, so the couple decided to smooth the path with three weddings!
First, a traditional five-day extravaganza in Pune to honor the groom’s heritage.
Then, a Jewish-Israeli wedding in Tel Aviv, followed by a third celebration in San Francisco for their American friends.
It was an ambitious plan—and one we couldn’t resist being part of, especially since it meant revisiting a place that had been so pivotal in our lives.
Now, weddings aren’t exactly Yoni’s idea of fun. But with the celebrations scheduled for December—a quieter work period for us—and the chance to return to Pune after 12 long years, he was game to join the adventure.
The plan was set: the three of us would fly to Pune for the five-day wedding festivities.
Afterward, Thom would travel with our Israeli family members to attend the Tel Aviv wedding, spend time with Yoni’s and my families, and then fly back to Amsterdam on her own. Meanwhile, Yoni and I would remain in Pune to revisit the places we had once loved.
But as the saying goes, you can’t step into the same river twice.
Pune in 2010 was unrecognizable. Modernization had swept through the city, erasing much of the charm and spirit we remembered.
Even the ashram, our former sanctuary, felt alien—its energy and focus had shifted so dramatically that we couldn’t find our footing there.
Was it Pune that had changed, or was it us? Perhaps both.
But as the days passed, it became clear that the chapter of our lives tied to Pune had come to a natural close.
Returning allowed us to see just how far we had traveled—both literally and metaphorically—since those earlier visits.
In the end, our trip to Pune wasn’t just about family or a spectacular wedding (though that was unforgettable in itself).
It was a celebration of growth—of recognizing how much we had evolved and embracing the beauty of letting go.
Sometimes, you have to journey back to truly see how far you’ve come. For us, that trip to Pune was exactly that: a bittersweet but deeply meaningful farewell to a cherished chapter of our lives.