Pune culture is one of the finest in India. It is strongly based on Marathi pattern of lifestyle and is dominated by an excellent mixture of art, cuisines, entertainment, religious values, festivals, and spirituality. Value education and literacy are other main aspects of culture of Pune. It is one of the leading cities of India and thus, scope for preservation and development of culture is wide.
Culture of Pune in Detail
Ganpati celebration is one of the best identities of strong festive culture in Pune. The festival was first celebrated in 1894 under initiative by Shri Bal Gangadhar Tilak. Main aim of the festival is to maintain integrity and fraternity among different religions and castes. Other festivals celebrated in the city include Diwali, Holi, Gudhi Padwa, and Shiv Jayanti.
Culture of Pune also reflects strong preservation of Hindu religion. The city is dominated by hindu population (mostly marathi speaking people) and is a home to several known temples and religious centers. "Chaturshringi Temple", "Dagdusheth Ganpati Temple", "Parvati Temple", and "Sarasbaugh Ganpati Temple" are well-known temples(mandir's) in the city. Pune also displays its openness to other religions of the world. The Ohel David Synagogue ( also called as Lal Deul or Red Temple) located in the city is Asia's biggest synagogue for Bene Israel community. Vedantic education is also offered to people worldwide through Vedanta Academy, a renowned academy founded by Swami Parthasarathy.
Pune culture also gives importance to imparting spiritual values in people. World famous spiritual guru Osho (also known as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh) imparted spiritual teachings in Pune in 1970s and 1980s. There is an international standard Osho centre in Koregaon Park area of Pune.
Pune city is highly active in field of art and focuses on encouraging artists nationwide to exhibit their talent through renowned music festivals like Savai Gandharva Mahotsav and Vasantotsav. Savai Gandharva Music Festival is a big platform for Carnatic and Hindustani music and takes place in the month of December every year. Vasantotsav is usually celebrated in the month of January. Other major cultural festivals of the city include The Pune Festival and Shaniwarwada Dance Festival. Shaniwarwada Dance Festival is celebrated in winter season and gives an opportunity to leading dance artists of India to display their talent.
Drama (Natak) is an important face of Pune culture. Various natyamandirs (auditorium where drama is played) like Bal Gandharva Rangmandir, Sudarshan Rangmanch, Tilak Smarak Mandir, Yashwantrao Chavan Natyagriha, and Bharat Natya Mandir hev been significant in preserving rangbhoomi culture of the city.
Cuisines of Pune are popular worldwide and display healthy and nutritious diet of marathi people. Puran poli, misal-pav, vada-pav, poha, and pitla-bhakri are some of the popular dishes of the city. Mastani is a favorite desert of people. It is a kind of flavored milk mixed with ice-cream and dry fruits. The dish is named after Queen Mastani of Peshwa period.
Pune culture depicts versatility and richness of Maharashtrian tradition. Respecting women has been one of the inevitable aspects of the culture here. The city has been successful in preserving family values even today. You can go through detailed information about various aspects of culture of Pune by visiting other pages of this section. Understanding culture of the city can make your trip more interesting and enjoyable.
Also read: Pune Festivals
