India, Nov. 6 -- In 1885, Gopal Ganesh Agarkar, educationist and social reformer, wrote in his essay "Bhojangruha" that a truly progressive city is one where every person - local or outsider - can find a place to eat to their heart's content.

Carrying forward that very spirit of inclusivity and hospitality, the New Poona Boarding House - which has fed students, workers, and families alike for generations - completes a glorious hundred years on November 10. Few establishments can claim to have contributed as meaningfully to Pune's social and cultural fabric as the New Poona Boarding House.

Gururaj Ramkrishna Udupikar, fondly known as Maniappa, came to Pune from Udupi around 1920. His elder brother, Subbarao, was a gifted cook in his own ...