Kirkee in Pune

There is also an Andean instrument called the Kirki.

Kirkee or Khadki is a town in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Kirkee lies just north of the city of Pune has a large army base on the banks of the River Mula. Besides the army base, it also has a well known ammunition factory which supplies the Indian military and several breweries. It is flanked by two other large army establishments at its borders - the College of Military Engineering & the Bombay Engineering Group. It also has a large War cemetery. The Khadki (Kirkee) Cantonment is housed here. It has a large market, Khadki bazaar and a railway station. Khadki is also known as a bastion of hockey.

Kirkee was the site of the Battle of Kirkee, fought between the British East India Company and the Marathas in 1817 in which Baji Rao, the Peshwa ruler was defeated. Soon after the war, the British set up a cantonment here. It then became the base of the Royal Regiment of Artillery's 79 (Kirkee) Commando Battery. World War I Field Marshall William Birdwood, 1st Baron Birdwood was born in Kirkee. The well known Indian hockey player and former India captain, Dhanraj Pillai grew up here. Besides, many hockey players who represented India were from Khadki.

Demographics
As of 2001 India census, Pune Cantonment had a population of 80,191. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Pune has an average literacy rate of 81%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 85%, and female literacy is 78%. In Pune, 10% of the population is under 6 years of age.