Many namesakes of terror-hit Pune German bakery

In a coincidence, five of them are located near Chabad Houses, Jewish community centres run by the Chabad-Lubavitch Movement. There are nine well-known 'German Bakeries' in popular tourist destinations in India including in Bangalore, Manali, Goa and Rishikesh.

In Goa, the German bakery is not very far from the Chabad House that attracts quite a few Israeli tourists every day. In the wake of the Pune attack, the Jewish prayer house -- which was reportedly being surveyed by Pakistani American Lashkar-e-Taiba operative David Coleman Headley during his week-long stay in Goa last year -- has been provided 24-hour security.

Manali, another top tourist destination of the country, boasts of two popular cafes with the same name. One is located in Old Manali, while another at Mission Road, not very far from the Club House Road where the local Chabad house is situated.

Another Jewish centre in India is the Bangalore Chabad-Lubavitch, located at Brunton Cross Road. Interestingly, the city also has a German bakery, which has been one of the most popular eateries in North Main Road since 1987.

The owner of the eatery is Ram Gopal Karkee, who lived in Germany for a short stint of three years. When he returned to India he decided to open the German Bakery that would as the name suggests serve only German recipes.

There are also several eateries with the name 'German Bakery' in other popular tourist destinations across the country such as Kovalam in Kerala, Leh in Ladakh and Rishikesh in Uttarakhand. In Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh, there are three popular eateries with the same name in Tabo, Kaza and Naggar. The owners of these eateries are Nepalis.

The Pune bakery, which was set up in 1988 by a German called Woody in partnership with Dnyaneshwar Kharose, is located across the road from the Jewish community centre and a stone's throwaway from Ohso Ashram. Like Pune, in Paharganj area of the national capital, there is a German Bakery located close to the local Chabad House.
The bakery, which was set up in 1994 by a German named Norman, is also known as Ajay Cafe and draws a number of tourists from US, France, Germany and Israel every day.