Pune ( Marathi pronunciation: [puɳe] ; English: / ˈ p uː n ə / ; [19] [20] ), formerly spelled Poona (1857-1978), [21] [22] [23] is the second largest city in the Indian state of Maharashtra after Mumbai . It is the ninth most populous city in the country with an estimated population of 3.13 million. [24] Along with its industrial twin Pimpri-Chinchwad as well as the three cantonment areas of Pune , Khadki and Dehu Road , Pune forms the urban core of the eponymous Pune Metropolitan Region . [25] [26] According to the 2011 census , the urban area has a combined population of 5.05 million while the population of the metropolitan region is estimated at 7.27 million. [26] [27] Situated 560 metres (1,837 feet) above sea level on the Deccan plateau on the right bank of the Mutha river , [28] Pune is also the administrative headquarters of its namesake district . In the 18th century, the city was the seat of the Peshwas , the prime ministers of the Maratha Empire ...